Representative Gaylord Griswold

Gaylord Griswold (December 18, 1767 – March 1, 1809) was a United States representative from New York and a prominent Federalist lawyer and legislator in the early years of the American republic. He was born in Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut, where he pursued classical studies in preparation for college. Demonstrating early academic promise, he entered Yale College and graduated in 1787, joining the ranks of New England–educated professionals who would play a significant role in the political and legal development of the new nation.

Following his graduation from Yale, Griswold studied law, a common path for ambitious young men of his generation seeking entry into public life. He was admitted to the bar in 1790 and commenced the practice of law in his native Windsor. In 1792 he moved to Herkimer, in what was then a developing region of central New York, reflecting the broader post-Revolutionary migration of New Englanders into upstate New York. There he formed a law partnership with his friend Thomas R. Gold, who would himself later serve in Congress. Griswold quickly established himself as an able attorney and a figure of local influence in Herkimer County.

Griswold’s growing prominence in his adopted state led to his election to the New York State Assembly, where he served from 1796 to 1798. As a member of the Assembly during a period of intense party formation and contest between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans, he participated in shaping state policy at a time when New York was emerging as a key political battleground. His legislative service helped solidify his standing within the Federalist Party and prepared him for national office.

In 1802 Griswold was elected as a Federalist to the Eighth Congress, representing New York in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1803, to March 3, 1805. Serving in Washington during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency, he was part of the Federalist minority in a period dominated by Democratic-Republicans. During his term in Congress, Griswold played a leading role in the deliberations that produced the Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which reformed the procedure for electing the president and vice president following the contested election of 1800. His participation in drafting and securing passage of this amendment placed him at the center of one of the most consequential constitutional revisions of the early republic.

Griswold also became involved in the complex partisan maneuvering surrounding the 1804 election for Governor of New York, a contest between Morgan Lewis and Aaron Burr, both nominally Democratic-Republicans. In that race, Burr actively sought the support of Federalists who were disaffected from the dominant Jeffersonian leadership. Griswold authored a private letter urging that Federalists support Burr, arguing that such a strategy offered the best prospect for keeping the Federalist Party viable in future elections. The letter, intended for limited circulation, was later made public and appeared in an 1807 handbill that accused the Federalists of unseemly political intriguing. Its publication damaged the party’s reputation and illustrated the risks of behind-the-scenes coalition-building in the highly charged partisan climate of the era.

After the conclusion of his congressional service, Griswold returned to Herkimer and resumed the practice of law. He continued to be regarded as a respected member of the local bar and a figure of influence in the community, even as the Federalist Party entered a period of decline both in New York and nationally. He remained in Herkimer for the rest of his life, maintaining his professional activities until his health failed.

Gaylord Griswold died in Herkimer, New York, on March 1, 1809. He was interred in Oak Hill Cemetery in Herkimer. His career, though relatively brief, reflected the trajectory of many early Federalist leaders: classically educated, legally trained, active in both state and national legislatures, and deeply engaged in the formative constitutional and partisan struggles of the early United States.