Jacobus Van Zandt

Jacobus Van Zandt's family came from the Netherlands to New Amsterdam, New Netherland, what is now lower Manhattan in New York City. Jacobus Van Zandt was born in New York City in 1726 and was baptized at the Dutch Reformed Church of New York on September 11, 1726. Jacobus Van Zandt's parents are Wynant Van Zandt and Catharina ten Eyk.^[7] Wynant Van Zandt (1683–1757) was a merchant and block maker based in New York. Craftsmen block makers carved wooden blocks for printing. These blocks were used for printing textiles, wallpaper, and images.^[8][9] Jacobus Van Zandt also became a New York merchant.^[8]

Van Zandt became an American patriot, and was active in both the New York Liberty Boys and later the Sons of Liberty in opposing the Stamp Act of 1765, the Tea Tax, and supporting the New York Liberty Poles.^[1] The Fraunces Tavern and Montagne’s Tavern, near Bowling Green, were the two common meeting spots for the New York Liberty Boys.^[10] Due to his leadership in New York, Jacobus Van Zandt was called the chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of Patriots in New York.^[11]

When the American Revolutionary War broke out on April 19, 1775, Van Zandt became an agent for Congress. He was appointed by Congress in Philadel­phia to be Continental Agent for the state of New York. He was tasked with managing the Continental Navy in New York. This included shipping in supplies and paying out money. He was paid a 5% commission for his work.^[12]

On April 20, 1775, Van Zandt was one of the 23 members of the New York Provincial Convention from New York.^[13][14]

Van Zandt became a member of the Committee of Observation on April 28, 1775, in New York, by the Provincial Congress.^[15]

He was a member of the First Provincial Congress from New York City and the County of New York, with the first meeting in New York on May 23, 1775. The First Provincial Congress adjourned on November 4, 1775.^[16]

On May 26, 1775, Van Zandt was one of the 100 delegates who signed the New York Declaration of Independence. Zandt and other Liberty Boys were active in supporting the Rights and Liberties of America. New York Declaration of Independence had the goal of supporting "the salvation of the Rights and Liberties of America". It called for a republican form of government and moving away from Great Britain. It showed that many in New York State, despite having many Loyalists, wanted to move toward independence due to the "arbitrary and oppressive acts of the British Parliament". Many other Liberty Boys and Sons of Liberty, friends of Zandt, signed the New York Declaration, such as: Alexander McDougall, John Morin Scott, Isaac Sears, and Issac Low. The New York Declaration was signed a little over a year before the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.^[17]

On August 18, 1775, the New York Provincial Congress ordered Van Zandt and Isaac Sears, hire ships to scout out if any British Royal Navy ships were off New York and report the intelligence they gathered.^[18]

On September 12, 1775, the New York Committee of Safety (and later the Council of Safety) ordered members Jacobus Van Zandt, Henry Remsen, and Lewis Pintard to form a subcommittee. This new subcommittee was tasked with hiring a ship to transport purchased gunpowder, muskets, Lead for musket balls, and arms.^[19] The New York Provincial Congress allocated 4,000 pounds to the subcommittee.^[20] The New York Committee of Safety was founded to govern New York during the American Revolution from 1775 to 1778. The Committee of Safety acted as an emergency government. The Committee of Safety managed military affairs, finances, and security. The Committee of Safety was ended in early 1778, after the new New York state constitution was established on April 20, 1777. Peter Van Brugh Livingston, Esq. was the Committee of Safety Treasurer in 1775, and supplied the 4,000 pounds.^[21][22][23]

On October 17, 1775, Congress authorised Van Zandt to purchase the sloop Bishop of Landaff from Francis James for 496 pounds.^[24] On April 26, 1776, the treasurer of the Congress received £425 from Jacobus Van Zandt for the sale of the Sloop to Francis Randal.^[25] Francis James was one of the New York pilots that the Provincial Congress use to check on any British fleet ship coming to the New York Colony.^[26]

On December 13, 1775, seeing the need for a Continental Navy to fight the Royal Navy, a resolution was passed by Congress for the construction of 13 frigates. Each frigate was to cost $66,666.67. Two of the sailing frigates would be built in New York, the Congress and the Montgomery. The others were built in Portsmouth, Boston, Providence, and Philadelphia. The frigate Congress was to be 682-ton, with 28 guns, with a deck length of 126 feet and a beam of 34 feet. The frigate Montgomery was to be 563-ton, with 24 guns, with a deck length of 119 feet and a beam of 32 feet.^[28][29][30] Van Zandt, Augustus Lawrence, and Samuel Tudor would oversee the construction, with naval architect Joshua Humphreys design. The two ships were built at Lancaster Burling, Poughkeepsie, New York, on the eastern shore of the Hudson River. Congress hoped to have the ships launched in March 1776, but heavy rain delayed the launch until October 1776. Carpenters working on the frigates at Poughkeepsie formed a volunteer militia company to help defend New York City, which also caused the delay.^[31][32] The ships were towed up the Hudson River to Kingston for completion. The British military invaded New York City on September 15, 1776, thus cutting off the Hudson River. To protect the ships, a defensive chain was installed across the Hudson River, obstructing British naval passage. Van Zandt wrote a letter giving the Reasons for installing the chain across the Hudson at West Point, rather than at Fort Montgomery. He noted good anchor rocks, and that the spot was better to defend.^[27][33] The Montgomery was named after Brigadier General Richard Montgomery. The ships were upriver behind a chain across the Hudson River, to protect them from the Royal Navy, but British Army officer General Henry Clinton marched his troop up the chain and was able to break it. On 7 October, with the British Army closing in, the Captains of the ships, John Hodge (Montgomery) and Thomas Grennell (Congress) tried to get their ships away, but were not able to depart quickly, lacking full rigging, and the order to abandon ship was given. The Congress and Mont­gomery were set ablaze by its crew and sank; both had never fired a shot in their short careers.^[34][35]

On December 19, 1775 the Provincial Congress for the Colony of New York ordered that John Vanderbilt Comfort Sands & Jacobus Van Zandt be allocated 4,000 pounds for hire ships for a voyage to Europe to load wheat for New York.^[36][37]

On January 31, 1776, Van Zandt ordered to acquire more supplies for the war effort and to wheat and flour for payment.^[38][39]

On June 15, 1776, Van Zandt was a candidate for the New York Provincial Congress.^[40][41]

In August 1776, Van Zandt was in charge of preparing fire ships to be used to attack Royal British warships anchored in the Hudson River. The ships were to be loaded with flammable materials, set on fire, and steered into enemy ships. These fire ships were aimed at British ships, including the HMS Phoenix and HMS Rose. On August 16, 1776, American Continentals deployed fire ships in an attempt to destroy British warships anchored in the Hudson River. They did not achieve their goal and caused minor damage to the British fleet in Haverstraw Bay. The fire ship were just part of the Battle of Long Island.^[12][43]

Van Zandt was appointed by the Constitutional Convention to serve in the 1st New York State Legislature from 1777 to 1783. The 1st through 6th New York State Legislatures were held between 1777 and 1783. Van Zandt was appointed by the Constitutional Convention from New York City rather than elected due to British occupation of New York City. The British military invaded Manhattan on September 15, 1776, thereby beginning the occupation of New York City. As the British military moved in about one-third of New York City's population, about 8,000 to 10,000 people, fled the city. The city became more of a military base than a multicultural city. New York served as a primary base for British operations during the war. New York City remained under British military control for seven years until they evacuated on November 25, 1783.^[44][45]

On May 27, 1777, the Council of Safety appointed Major Jacobus Van Zandt and Gilbert Livingston to make a Fleet Prison for captured prisoners of war British troops. Council of Safety allocated 120 pounds to secure ships for the Fleet Prison. They found ships anchored in Rondout Creek, New York. The ships were called The Fleet Prison in the Esopus, near Esopus, New York and "The Fleet Prison in Kingston Harbour, near Kingston, New York on the Hudson River. They also supplied the food rations and physicians for the Fleet Prison.^[46]

On September 19, 1775, the Second Continental Congress established a Secret Committee tasked with importing military supplies.^[47][48] It authorised them to import 500 tons of gunpowder and large quantities of saltpetre, sulphur, and arms.^[49] The Secret Committee was made up of three New York merchants: John Van Derbilt, Jacobus Van Zandt, and Comfort Sands. The Secret Committee secretly chartered a pair of fast ships. To pay for the needed supplies, the fast ships were loaded with American wheat and some tobacco to Europe, mostly France and the Dutch. The ships then returned with the needed supplies. Nicholas Law and Philip Livingston partnered with Van Zandt to import gunpowder in exchange for permission from Congress to trade in items banned by the Continental Association.^[50][51]

After the war, Van Zandt worked to have qualified pilots for the Hudson River. Worked to improve navigation and logistics on the Hudson River for both local shipping and military transportation.^[52][33]

Van Zandt served in the New York Assembly from September 1, 1777, the first session, till March 27, 1783, the sixth session.^[53]

Jacobus Van Zandt married Anna Marschalk (also called Annetje (Annatje) Marshalk) on February 5, 1750, at the Reformed Dutch Church, Manhattan Collegiate Church in New York City. Anna Van Zandt was 20 years old.^[54][55][56]

Jacobus and Ann Van Zandt's children who were baptised at the Reformed Dutch Church of New York:^[57][58][59]

• 1751 October 9 Wynand Van Zandt; Baptisms sponsors: Wynand Van Zandt and wife Catharina ten Eyck
• 1755 September 10 Jakobus Van Zandt; Baptisms sponsors: Wynant Van Zandt, Margarita Van Zandt wife of Hendrik Van Bossem
• 1757 August 24 Johannes Van Zandt; Baptisms sponsors: Johannes Van Zante and wife Maria Lynch
• 1759 November 7 Augustus Van Zandt; Baptisms sponsors: Augustus Louwrens and wife Johanna Van Zandt.