John contributed greatly to the American Revolution

John Jay spent years in Spain trying to persuade an alliance and raise money to support the American Revolution in an effort to try and put an end to it. Jay was chosen to serve as Spain's minister on September 27, 1779. His goal was to secure financial support, trade agreements, and support for American independence.

The Spanish royal court declined to formally accept Jay as the Minister of the United States because it delayed recognizing American independence until 1783 out of concern that it may incite an uprising in their own colonies. However, Jay was able to persuade Spain to lend the American government $170,000. The day he left Spain was May 20, 1782.

He negotiated the Treaty of Paris, a peace agreement with Britain, along with Benjamin Franklin and John Adams - one of the interesting facts about John Jay. With the exception of British-controlled territories like Canada and French-controlled Florida, they were successful in achieving independence for the nation here and ending the war thanks to the deal. James Duane, the mayor of New York, praised Jay's ability to mediate disputes on October 4, 1784. As a reward for his successful talks, Jay was called from his family's home in Rye at the time to earn "the Freedom" of New York City.