Robert Yates (politician)

Robert Yates
Chief Justice of the
New York Supreme Court
In office
1790–1798
Preceded byRichard Morris
Personal details
Born(1738-01-27)January 27, 1738
Schenectady, Province of New York, British America
DiedSeptember 9, 1801(1801-09-09) (aged 63)
Albany, New York, United States
Political partyAnti-Federalist
Spouse
Sarah Ludlow
(m. 1759; died 1791)
RelationsAbraham Yates Jr. (uncle)
Peter Waldron Yates (cousin)
Children6, including John
Parent(s)Joseph Yates
Maria Dunbar Yates

Robert Yates (January 27, 1738 – September 9, 1801) was an American politician, attorney, jurist, and surveyor. As a delegate representing New York at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Yates is considered a Founding Father of the United States. Best known as a leader of the Anti-Federalist movement, he was the presumed author of political essays published in 1787-1788 under the pseudonyms "Brutus" and "Sydney". The essays opposed the Constitution based on the scope of the national government and the diminished sovereignty of the states. Yates also served as chief justice of the New York Supreme Court from 1790 to 1798.