eft Philadelphia shortly after
voting for the Declaration of Independence, but too soon to attach his
signature to that document. He had also been chosen a deputy to the
provincial congress (later the state convention) for 1776-1777, but his
various other duties prevented his attendance.

General Clinton took part in the battle of White Plains (October 28th,
1776), and later was charged with the defence of the Highlands of the
Hudson, where, with De Witt Clinton, in October 1777, he offered a firm
but unsuccessful resistance to the advance of Sir Henry Clinton. In
March of this year he had been appointed by Congress a brigadier general
in the Continental army, and he thus held two commissions, as the state
convention refused to accept his resignation as brigadier-general of
militia. So great was Clinton's popularity at this time that at the
first election under the new state constitution he was chosen both
governor and lieutenant-governor; he declined the latter office, and on
the 30th of July 1777 entered upon his duties as governor, which were at
first largely of a military nature. In 1780 he took the field and
checked the advance of Sir John Johnson and the Indians in the Mohawk
Valley. In his administration Clinton was energetic and patriotic, and
though not possessing the intellectual attainments of some of his New
York contemporaries, he was more popular than any of them, as is
attested by his service as governor for eighteen successive years
(1777-1795), and for another triennial term from 1801 to 1804. In the
elections of 1780, 1783 and 1786 he had no opponent. In 1800-1801 he was
a member of the assembly. In the struggle in New York over the adoption
of the Federal Constitution he was one of the leaders of the opposition,
but in the state convention of 1788, over which he presided, his party
was defeated, and the constitution was ratified. In national politics he
was a follower of Thomas Jefferson, and in state politics he led the
faction known as "Clintonians," which was for a long time dominant. In
1789, 1792 and 1796 Clinton received a number of votes in the electoral
college, but not a sufficient number to secure him the vice-presidency,
which was then awarded to the recipient of the second highest number of
votes. In 1804, however, after the method of voting had been changed, he
was nominated for the vice-presidency by a Congressional caucaus, and
was duly elected. In 1808 he sought nomination for the presi