John I. Slingerland | |
|---|---|
 From Part I of 1897's Landmarks of Albany County | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 13th district | |
| In office March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1849 | |
| Preceded by | Bradford R. Wood |
| Succeeded by | John L. Schoolcraft |
| Member of the New York State Assembly | |
| In office 1860–1861 | |
| Preceded by | Henry Creble |
| Succeeded by | Jay Gibbons |
| Constituency | Albany County's 1st District |
| In office 1843–1844 Serving with Willis Hall, Aaron Van Schaack | |
| Preceded by | John Adams Dix, Cornelius G. Palmer, Jonas Shear |
| Succeeded by | Levi Shaw, Samuel Stevens, Simon Veeder |
| Constituency | Albany County |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 1, 1804 Feura Bush, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 26, 1861 (aged 57) Slingerlands, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Slingerland family mausoleum, Slingerlands, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Whig (before 1855) Republican (after 1855) |
| Occupation | Farmer Businessman |
John I. Slingerland (March 1, 1804 – October 26, 1861) was a New York farmer, businessman, and politician. He served terms in both the New York State Assembly and the United States House of Representatives.
A native and lifelong resident of Bethlehem, New York, Slingerland was educated in the schools of Bethlehem and became a successful farmer. He was also involved in several businesses, including the creation of a toll road that linked the hamlet of Slingerlands to Albany. Originally a Whig, and later a Republican, while serving in the Assembly in the 1840s Slingerland was active on the side of the tenants during the Anti-Rent War, when the renters of the Albany area's small farms rose up against the effort of the Patroons to collect long-overdue back rents. Their efforts led to the end of the manor system that had empowered and enriched a few large landowning families since the founding of New York in the early 1600s.
Slingerland was also an antislavery activist; his work to publicize the 1848 Pearl incident while serving in Congress generated national headlines that caused advocates of abolition to increase their efforts to end slave trading in Washington, DC. Slingerland became a Republican when the party was founded in 1855, and campaigned for John C. Frémont for president in 1856. He served in the Assembly again from 1860 to 1861 and continued to advocate for tenants who wanted to end the manor system.
Slingerland died at his home in Slingerands, which is within the Slingerlands Historic District, and was interred in the family vault on his property.