BIO: Grandson of an immigrant from Longford, DeWitt CLINTON (1769-1828) was one of the most influential politicians in the early republic, serving as mayor of New York City from 1803 to 1815, (except for 1807 and 1810). He oversaw the creation and adoption of Manhattan's street grid in 1811, a decision that sped development of the city and made it conducive to business. Born in Little Britain, NY, DeWitt Clinton graduated from Columbia College, and then studied law. He served as private secretary to his uncle, George Clinton, then governor of NY. Developing a strong interest in politics, DeWitt was elected to the state senate in 1797, and in the following year, he served in the U. S. Senate to fill a vacancy. The next year, he resigned his seat to become mayor of NYC. In 1812, he was an unsuccessful Federalist candidate for President of the United States. During the time Clinton was governor a school system was established. A visionary, he proposed building a 363-mile canal across upstate New York to connect the upper Hudson River with Lake Erie. Unprecedented as a feat of engineering, the Erie Canal (1817-1825) proved a stunning success and launched NY on its way to becoming the Empire State. For most of the 19th century, two-thirds of the nation's imports and exports would flow in and out of New York Harbor. His uncle, George Clinton (1739-1812) was an American statesman and soldier. Born in Little Britain, NY, he served as a brigadier general in the Continental Army in 1777. He was also a member of the New York Assembly and the Continental Congress and served as Vice-President of the U. S. from 1805 until his death. He served under two different Presidents, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. George Clinton served as the first governor of New York in 1777 and won re-election six consecutive times. Clinton strongly believed in states' rights, and at first opposed New York's ratification of the United States Constitution. Under the name "Cato," George Clinton published several letters against adoption of the Constitution. Alexander Hamilton started "The Federalist" paper largely to answer Clinton's objections. .