John Morin Scott (197)

John Morin Scott (ca. 1728–14 September 1784) was a lawyer and a public officeholder and a member of the American Philosophical Society, elected in 1768. Born and educated in New York, he later graduated from Yale College in 1746. He went on to study law and was admitted to the bar in 1752. Scott worked closely with APS members William Smith, Jr. and William Livingston and together this cohort was active in local and provincial politics. Among their activities was the publication of the Independent Reflector, a collection that discussed issues ranging from local infrastructure problems to regional economic observations. More than anything, these Presbyterians used their the publication to attack New York’s Anglican party. Meanwhile, Scott’s successful law practice allowed him to move his wife and family to a country estate with a view of the Hudson River. Leading up to the American Revolution, Scott joined the outcry against British taxation policies and joined New York’s Sons of Liberty. During the war he held a number of civil and military offices and, after he was wounded at White Plains, was frequently referred to as General Scott.  When elected a member to the state’s constitutional convention, Scott proved himself a “perfect Leveller” by supporting the place of white men without property in the new nation. Following the war he acted in a number of public offices, eventually serving as New York’s secretary of state. After years in public service, the costs of office holding proved too high for Scott, and he ceased attending Congress after 1782. During his life in New York he supported cultural institutions including the New York Society Library and the New York Society of the Arts. His life’s contributions eventually earned him election to the Society of Cincinnati. (PI)