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Sarah Livingston Jay was born to a powerful family in early America. The Livingston’s were wealthy and politically significant, giving her insight into politics from a young age. She was “brought up to be politically aware, even serving at times as her father’s secretary” and continued to exercised her political savvy throughout her life (History of American Women, n.d.). She lived a tumultuous and public life, constantly moving around and separated from her husband due to his political appointments. While she had “a desire to escape from public to private life,” she was still “regarded as New York’s most glamorous hostess” and expressed strong political opinions (Pencak 2009, 92; History of American Women, n.d.).

Jay had many responsibilities due to the requirements of her husband’s work. She took care “the family’s financial and domestic affairs, overseeing the purchase and sale of stocks and of land . . . and keeping informed about the political scene” (History of American Women, n.d.). Despite her loneliness when her husband was absent, she was “completely committed to her husband [and] she dedicated herself to sustaining and assisting him in his career” (Freeman 18). The Jays brought up their children “with the welfare of their country and those less fortunate in their hearts and minds,” instilling a love of country in them (History of American Women, n.d.).

Both of the Jays were adamant republicans, completely devoted “to their country and family” (Freeman 20). They “followed Franklin in presenting the republican citizen as a natural, unaffected being” and projected this image throughout their travels (Pencak 2009, 107). Additionally, Jay “became a member of the intellectual circle that surrounded Benjamin Franklin” due to her intellect and politics (Women of the Republican Court, n.d.). She “shared her husband’s republican temperament” and love of country and, through her support of her husband, “earned the right to claim that she had made the deepest of personal sacrifice for the patriot cause” (Pencak 2009, 107; Kerber 1980, 76).

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The Jays spent a good part of the Revolution cultivating favor in Spain, like Benjamin Franklin did in France. While there, she made strong political statements in her correspondence with her sister, Catherine Livingston, and expressed her complex opinions about slavery. Jay also made particularly poignant remarks about her own brother, shedding light on her political savvy and confidence.

Jay did indeed have slaves and found “taking a family domestic with her to Spain in 1779” to be necessary (Littlefield 2000, 93). However, she “exhibited both personal and matriarchal concern” for her slaves and expressed an interest in seeing their needs taken care of (Littlefield 2000, 102). She expressed deep unhappiness with her brother’s, Henry Brockholst Livingston, comparison of “his situation to that of a slave” while acting as her husband’s personal secretary (Littlefield 2000, 102). On her brother’s claims she writes: “‘The insinuation of slavery . . . was an idea I could not account for, as it was impossible to act with greater delicacy than Mr. Jay had observed towards him . . . As to any restrictions upon his pleasures, there have been none'” (Littlefield 2000, 102).

From her place in Spain, Jay also expressed her support for the patriot cause and enthusiasm for the new republic. She was enthusiastic when “she learned that American women had begun to raise money ‘for the relief of our worthy soldiers,’ a project that offered ‘so agreeable and honorable a representation of my lovely country women'” (Pencak 2009, 107). In letters to her sister, Jay was open about “her own political opinions and patriotism,” acknowledging “her role as a ‘lady of great society’ with a sense of humor” (Women of the Republican Court, n.d.). In other letters, she “directed criticism . . . to people . . . she saw as self-serving adventurers in federal service,” conveying her strong convictions about what patriotism and the new republic should look like (Kerber 1980, 78).

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Following the war, the Jays returned to America, where John Jay became Chief Justice of the United States. Sarah Livingston Jay was supportive of all of her husband’s political pursuits, frequently writing him about political news in New York. She kept an eye on elections and public sentiment during the gubernatorial election for him, writing that “if the suffrages of the people are admitted, they will give you a majority of 400 votes (Jay 1792).

She also expressed her frustration with her husband’s political opponents and others she disagreed with, particularly her brother, Henry Brockholst Livingston, about whom she wrote “Oh how is the name of Livingston to be disgraced!” (Jay 1792). About a group of men who her brother was concluded with, she declared “those shameless men, blinded by Malice Ambition & interest have conducted themselves with such indecency during the election & daily since Canvassing of the votes, as to open the eyes of every one respecting their views in their opposition to you. It is said, & I believe it, that Brockholst & Ned first suggested the doubts on that subject” (Jay 1792). Despite her concerns over her brother and his affiliates, she said she was “satisfyed that the sentiments of the people are with you, whether you are, or are not Governor, it appears that you are the choice of the people” (Jay 1792). She was later pleased when he did win the Governorship, although not in this particular election, which was lost to Governor Clinton, who Jay also expressed distaste for.

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During her husband’s absences, Jay took care of his business obligations, much as many other women did during the war. She frequently wrote her husband about financial transactions, in one example stating that “your Jamaica business is satisfactorily settled. The Money which I have received for you on that Debt, not being able to loan, I have embarked in the National Bank” (Jay 1794). Along with information about their family and her obvious political commentary, Jay’s letters to her husband almost always came with financial news to keep him up to date on her business dealings. The autonomy that she exercised both politically and financially shows Sarah Livingston Jay’s liberalism in gender roles and break from what would traditionally have been expected from her.