Richard Varick: A Forgotten Founding Father

Paul Cushman

Description

Born in 1753 to a prominent Dutch-American family in Hackensack, New Jersey, Richard Varick became a lawyer, then a Patriot officer in the American Revolutionary War. Colonel Varick served with distinction as aide to generals Philip Schuyler and Benedict Arnold. Later, George Washington entrusted him with the editing of his wartime papers—forty-four volumes now housed in the Library of Congress.

In peacetime Varick helped initiate the new Federalist-oriented government of New York City, becoming its mayor from 1789–1801. Next he turned his energies to the accumulation of lucrative real estate, all the while furthering the development of Columbia University and the Society of the Cincinnati, and starting the entity that became Jersey City.

His personal passion was to help promulgate the Christian message, especially through the founding of the American Bible Society and the New York Sunday School Union. A highly respected, multitalented businessman and national hero, he was returned to Hackensack for burial in 1831.
Preface
Illustrations

1. Progenitors and Early Life

2. Early Military Career, 1775 to 1780

3. Later Military Career, 1780 to 1783

4. Early Post-war Years, 1784 to 1789

5. Mayor of New York City, 1789 to 1801

6. Varick in Retirement

7. Philanthropy, 1783 to 1832

8. Origins of Jersey City

9. Summary and Historical Relevance of Richard Varick

Sujets

• USA
• United States of America
• Local history
• Region
• History of the Americas
• Regional
• États-Unis

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781438439860
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Other books by Paul Cushman
Soldiers, Civil Servants and a Silversmith: William Gilbert, Theunis Dey and their Dutch-American Families Participate in the Development of 18th Century America . A biography of William W. Gilbert, silversmith.
Paul Cushman: The Work and World of an Early 19th Century Albany Potter . Albany Institute of History and Art, 2007. (Contributing author)

RICHARD VARICK
A Forgotten Founding Father
REVOLUTIONARY WAR SOLDIER FEDERALIST POLITICIAN & MAYOR OF NEW YORK

Paul Cushman

R ICHARD V ARICK
A FORGOTTEN FOUNDING FATHER
© 2010 Paul Cushman
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be copied, transmitted, or reproduced without permission.
Jacket design: Lynne Adams Book design: Lisa Carta
ISBN 978-0-9772337-6-2
Library of Congress Control Number 2009940618
Cushman, Paul.
Richard Varick : a forgotten founding father : Revolutionary War soldier, federalist politician, & mayor of New York / Paul Cushman. p. cm ISBN: 978-0-9772337-6-2 1. Varick, Richard, 1753-1831. 2. Founding Fathers of the United States— Biography. 3. United States—Politics and government—18th century—Biography.I. Title. E302.5 C87 2010 973.3092—dc22 2009940618

34 Main Street #9
Amherst, Massachusetts 01002
www.modernmemoirs.com
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This book is dedicated to the memory of my late father and son Paul Cushman, Sr Paul Cushman, III
Preface
I N SEARCHING FOR THE INFLUENCE of Richard Varick on the development of my native city and state of New York, I was unable to find any standard biography for reference. There is only an unpublished, typewritten PhD thesis by John Rommel, a Columbia University graduate student, from 1956. The only two copies are in the New-York Historical Society and Columbia University library system archives. After reading this well-written, carefully researched thesis, it was clear to me that Varick was an accomplished person in several fields besides municipal government. It was also evident that his life story deserved to be brought out from these archival sites for appropriate uses. As the last decade has seen a plethora of biographies of notable Americans of the late eighteenth century who contributed extensively to the genesis of the United States government, often termed the founding fathers, it seemed appropriate to consider Varick.
Fortunately, there are scores of primary documents pertaining to Varick for study. As a result it is possible to flesh out the decades of his long life, explore the multiple areas in which Varick was active, and assess his roles and contributions in historical context.
The author is grateful to numerous individuals and institutions for assistance. Most important are my wife, Paulette Cushman, and my daughter, Clare Cushman, both of whom contributed many helpful suggestions and whose support of and interest in this project were invaluable. So is Courtney Smith, whose enthusiasm, encouragement and linguistic skills rescued many a passage and stimulated many others. The staffs at the New York City Hall, New-York Historical Society, New York Public Library, New Jersey State Archives, Office of the Manhattan County Clerk of New York City, Albany Institute of History and Art, Columbia University's Butler Library, and the Library of Congress were invaluable resources.
As a result of searching through the available materials, I can readily conclude that Richard Varick richly deserves credit for his contributions to the American Revolutionary War and for his participation in the success of the new republic in New York. He should be a founding father, perhaps on a secondary list. Why he has not been recognized warrants explanation. Primarily, he seems best cast in a supporting role rather than as a feature player. Second, he did not leave a trail of important letters to the other founding fathers, which would have kept his name and actions in the foreground. Third, his main locus of action was limited to New York City, and New York State to a lesser degree. Nevertheless, these two entities were of great importance in the establishment of the new republic. Fourth, his departure from the mayoralty elicited words of joy from his opponents, and only a few words of gratitude from his supporters. He and the other Federalist officeholders were being swept away dramatically, to be replaced by those with more populist or democratic leanings. Fifth, he came across as an elitist, a somewhat remote but highly educated figure. Although much admired for his business acumen, he seemed to possess relatively little charisma. These failings, so unusual in modern politicians, may have contributed to his swift disappearance from the main political stage.
He was born in 1753 in Hackensack, New Jersey, into a well-established Dutch-American community. On his final return there for burial in 1831, he was a national hero. During this long journey in life, he achieved much as a lawyer, soldier, a major Federalist political figure—including serving as New York City's mayor for twelve years—and a public-spirited philanthropist. Perhaps his editing of the Washington papers and his roles in both the early days of Jersey City and the evolution of Columbia University are his most enduring contributions. Unfortunately, today he is almost forgotten. Few New Yorkers realize why his mayoral portrait continues to hang prominently in New York City Hall, as it has for over 200 years, and why the adjacent Varick Street bears his name.
Edward Livingston gives us a word picture of the man in his prime:
Austere and lofty, he was a tall figure in his close fitting broad cloth breeches, silver buttoned coat and spotless stock. Renowned no less for his philanthropies than his entertainments in the ball room of his house on Broadway, he sustained the dignity of the old Federalist directorate and added to the prestige of his class .
—C. H. Hunt Life of Edward Livingston
This is the story of Richard Varick.
Illustrations

Silver sugar bowl by William W. Gilbert. His son Gerrit married Richard Varick's sister Maria Varick .

Richard Varick in uniform when he was a colonel in the Revolutionary Army. The badge is the Order of the Cincinnati, of which he was a major leader especially in New York. Portrait ca 1787 by Ralph Earl (1751–1801). (Courtesy Albany Institute of History and Art)

John Morin Scott (1730–1784), lawyer, colleague, and strong supporter of Richard Varick

General Philip Schuyler (1733–1804), supporter and friend of Richard Varick. Varick was his military aide .

George Washington (1732–1799), painted in 1853 by Rembrandt Peale (1778–1860). Richard Varick served as Washington's secretary and aide. (Collection of the New-York Historical Society)

Benedict Arnold (1741–1801), who became a traitor while Richard Varick was his aide at West Point

Alexander Hamilton (1755–1804), financial genius, fellow Federalist, and friend of Richard Varick. Portrait by John Trumball (Courtesy Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Label on verso: “Mrs. Richard Varick, née Roosevelt. Drawn by James Sharpless”. Pastel portrait by James Sharpless (1751–1811)

George Washington's coach. When Washington moved from New York to Philadelphia, he gave a plum-colored coach with silver adornments to Richard Varick .

Map of lower Manhattan

Bowling Green, New York City, as it was during Richard Varick's era (Courtesy Museum of the City of New York)

The triumvirate of Founders of Jersey City, 1804 . Left to right, Anthony Dey, Esquire, distinguished New York City attorney and cousin of Richard Varick; Jacob Radcliff, justice of the New York Supreme Court and later mayor of New York City;Richard Varick, Esquire, after leaving the mayoralty. (From Jersey City and Its Historical Sites by H. Eaton, 1899)

Prospect Hall, Richard and Maria Varick's summer house at Paulus Hook, New Jersey, intended to be a step in the planned development of Jersey City and seaport (John Rae illustration from Historic Houses of New Jersey by W. Jay Mills)

Marquis de Lafayette (1757–1834) when he was a young Revolutionary soldier

The Marquis, ca 1825, war colleague and loyal friend to Richard Varick

Richard Varick, painted by his friend John Trumball (1756–1843) in 1804, just after his mayoralty ended. The portrait has hung in City Hall for over two hundred years and is still there today. (Courtesy New York City)

Richard Varick, president of the American Bible Society (1828–1831), in a portrait by Henry Inman, ca 1829 (Courtesy American Bible Society)

Punch bowl ca 1785 commemorating Richard Varick's entry into the Order of the Cincinnati in January 1784 (Courtesy Morristown National Historical Park)

A broadside in which then-Mayor Varick was attacked by a disgruntled municipal labor force, 1800 (Collection of New-York Historical Society)

“The Strange and Wonderful Account of a Dutch Hog Who Resides in New York.” The third and fourth verses satirize Varick:
III. There is a man lives in our town Whose tricks are now in vogue, Sir, And though his name I can't set down It sounds somewhat like Hog, Sir,
IV. And all the Dutch Men great and small Who live beyond New-York, Sir, Or Pig, or Shoat, or Hog, do call A Coochey or a V-rck, Sir.

In Memory of
C OL . R ICHARD V ARICK
Mayor of New York
President of the American Bible Society .
Born 15 March 175