Edward Livingston, Mayor 1801-1803: Livingston (1764 – 1836) also served in Congress and as the eleventh Secretary of State (1831-33). He resigned as mayor after allegations of impropriety and spent much of his career in Louisiana. He was from the prominent Livingston family that made its wealth from slavery. However, his father and grandfather, both named Robert, were jurists who were not investors in slave ships.

• The 1790 census records Livingston with one enslaved person in his household in New York City.
• The 1800 census records Livingston with six enslaved persons in his household in Clermont, New York and the 1810 census records one enslaved person there.
• The 1820 census has an Edward Livingston in New Orleans with four enslaved people.[1]

A military history of Louisiana states:

In the first session of the twentieth congress, Edward Livingston, Representative from New Orleans, moved an amendment to a report of a committee in — favorable towards a bill for the relief of Marigny D ‘ Auterive. This was a private bill for remuneration. The claim was for the last time of his slave impressed by General Andrew Jackson in service in the United States in New Orleans, and who was wounded and also for hospital charges. This case occupied the attention of Congress for some ten days and the debates upon it revealed the state of tension between the Northern and Southern Representatives in Congress.[2]

[1] Northeast Slavery Records Index, citing 1790 census p.121; 1800 Census; and 1810  and 1820 Censuses

[2] Louisiana Militia Records, War in West Florida, Vol. I, view p.133, FamilySearch

Copyright 2025 Paul Hortenstine