John Lansing, Jr.

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John Lansing, Jr. (January 30, 1754– vanished December 12, 1829) was an American lawyer, jurist, and statesman from Albany, New York. From 1776 until 1777 during the Revolutionary War Lansing served as a military secretary. After this short lived job Lansing joined the New York Assembly, and served for a total of five terms. Between his fourth and fifth term he represented New York at the Constitutional Convention in 1785. At this convention he greatly opposed any law that would unify the United States under one single government. When the convention decided to propose a new plan which included uniting the independent states, he and Robert Yates walked out leaving a letter for their reasons. Lansing and Yates never signed the constitution. He was later the mayor of Albany and a justice of the New York State Supreme Court.

On the evening of December 12, 1829, he left his Manhattan hotel to mail a letter and was never seen again. Lansing was 75 years old and was presumed drowned or perhaps murdered. A cenotaph was erected at Albany Rural Cemetery. His widow died in 1834.