Elias Boudinot

:For other people with the same name, see Elias Boudinot (disambiguation).

Political career

Boudinot became a prominent lawyer and his practice prospered, As the revolution drew near, he aligned with the Whigs, and was elected to the New Jersey provincial assembly in 1775. In the early stages of the Revolutionary War he was active in promoting enlistment and several times loaned money to field commanders for supplies. Elias also became one of the focal points for rebel spies, who were sent to Staten Island and Long Island to observe and report on movements of specific British garrisons and regiments. To this day, much of what he organized remains a "secret" worth discovery and telling.

Related Topics:
Whigs - Revolutionary War

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On May 5, 1777 General George Washington asked for him to be made commissary general for prisoners. Congress through the board of war concurred. Boudinot was made a Colonel in the Continental Army for this task. He held this job until other responsibilities force him to resign in July of 1778. The commissary was responsible not just for enemy prisoners, but for supplying American prisoners held by the British. See: American Revolution prisoners of war.

Related Topics:
May 5 - 1777 - George Washington - Continental Army - 1778 - American Revolution prisoners of war

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In November of 1777, the New Jersey legislature named Boudinot as one of their delegates to the Continental Congress. His duties as Commissary prevented his attendance, so in May of 1778 he submitted his resignation, and by early July he was replaced and able to attend his first meeting on July 7, 1778. He maintained his concerns for the welfare of prisoners of war throughout his term as a delegate. His first term ended that year.

Related Topics:
Continental Congress - July 7 - 1778

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In 1781 Elias returned to the Congress, and this term lasted through 1783.He was elected the President of the Continental Congress for the November 1782 to November 1783 term. Some later analysts have incorrectly claimed him as the First President of the United States, an honor he shares with John Hanson. The basis for the claim in his name is that the Treaty of Paris, in which Britain recognized American independence, was concluded during his term as president of the Congress. But news of the event didn't get to Congress until after his term, and the United States didn't ratify the treaty until January 14, 1784.

Related Topics:
President of the Continental Congress - John Hanson - Treaty of Paris - Britain - January 14 - 1784

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When the United States government was formed in 1789, New Jersey sent Elias Boudinot to the House of Representatives. He was elected to the second and third congresses as well, where he generally supported the administration, but refused to join the growing forces that led to formal political parties. In 1794 he declined to serve another term, and left Congress in early 1795. In October of 1795, President Washington appointed him the Director of the Mint a position he held until his retirement in 1805. After many turbulent decades in law and politics, he was to recall the metallurgic skill learned in his father's silversmithy. Under his administration the first US coinage was minted, the beauty of which is sought after by collectors willing to pay many thousands, or even millions, of dollars for any specimen, most notably the 1804 silver dollar. He was scrupulous in his accounting, as reported to Congress, and left the US Mint in excellent order for the future.

Related Topics:
United States - 1789 - House of Representatives - 1794 - 1795 - Mint - 1805

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