William Livingston

William G. Livingston ( born November 30, 1723 in Albany, New York, † July 25, 1790 in Elizabeth, New Jersey ) was the first Governor of New Jersey during the American Revolution and a signer of the Constitution of the United States.

William Livingston was raised by his grandmother on mother's side, before he decided at age 14 to pursue a career in the judiciary. After his education at Yale University graduating in 1741, he was raised in 1748 in the legal profession and began practicing law in New York. In 1760 he married and moved to Elizabethtown. From July 1774 to June 1776 he was a member of the First Continental Congress. In September 1776, he was commissioned to lead the militia to protect the colonies. In the same year he became the first governor of New Jersey. He retained his office until his death in 1790.