American magnate, soldier, and politician (1764–1839)
For other people named Stephen Van Rensselaer, see Stephen Van Rensselaer (disambiguation).
In this Dutch name, the surname is Van Rensselaer, not Rensselaer.
Stephen Van Rensselaer
Stephen Van Rensselaer III, c. 1790s, by Gilbert Stuart
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York
In office March 12, 1822 – March 3, 1829
Preceded by
Solomon Van Rensselaer
Succeeded by
Ambrose Spencer
Constituency
9th district (1822–1823) 10th district (1823–1829)
Lieutenant Governor of New York
In office 1795–1801
Governor
John Jay
Preceded by
Pierre Van Cortlandt
Succeeded by
Jeremiah Van Rensselaer
Member of the New York State Senate from the Western District, at-large
In office 1791–1796
Member of the New York State Assembly from the Albany County District, at-large
In office 1789–1791
Grand Master of the Masonic Grand Lodge of New York
In office 1825–1829
Preceded by
Joseph Enos
Succeeded by
Morgan Lewis
9th Patroon and 6th Lord of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck
In office 1769–1839
Preceded by
Stephen Van Rensselaer II
Succeeded by
Stephen Van Rensselaer IV
Personal details
Born
(1764-11-01)November 1, 1764 New York City, Province of New York, British America
Died
January 26, 1839(1839-01-26) (aged 74) New York City, U.S.
Resting place
Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands, New York
Political party
Federalist Adams Republican
Spouses
Margarita "Peggy" Schuyler
(m. 1783; died 1801)
Cornelia Paterson
(m. 1802)
Children
12, including Stephen, Cortlandt and Henry
Relatives
See Van Rensselaer family
Alma mater
Harvard College
Profession
Landowner Businessman
Net worth
USD $10 million at the time of his death (equivalent to between $282 million and $349 million in 2023.)[1][2][3]
Signature
Stephen Van Rensselaer III (/ˈrɛnslər,-slɪər/;[4] November 1, 1764 – January 26, 1839) was an American landowner, businessman, militia officer, and politician. A graduate of Harvard College, at age 21, Van Rensselaer took control of Rensselaerswyck, his family's manor. He developed the land by encouraging tenants to settle it and granting them perpetual leases at moderate rates, which enabled the tenants to use more of their capital to make their farms and businesses productive.
Active in politics as a Federalist, Van Rensselaer served in the New York State Assembly and New York State Senate, and as the lieutenant governor of New York. After the demise of the Federalist Party, Van Rensselaer was a John Quincy Adams supporter and served in the United States House of Representatives for one partial term and three full ones. Van Rensselaer was a supporter of higher education; he served on the board of trustees for several schools and colleges and was the founder of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He was also a civic activist and philanthropist and was a founder of Albany's public library and the city's Institute of History & Arts.
Long active in the militia, Van Rensselaer attained the rank of major general; he commanded troops on the New York-Canada border during the War of 1812, but resigned his commission after defeat at the Battle of Queenston Heights. After Van Rensselaer's 1839 death, efforts by his sons to collect past due lease payments led to the Anti-Rent War, and the break up and sale of the manor. As the heir to and then owner of one of the largest estates in New York, Van Rensselaer's holdings made him the tenth richest American of all time, based on the ratio of his fortune to contemporary GDP.
^"The Last Patroon". newnetherlandinstitute.org. New Netherland Institute. Retrieved November 6, 2023. With assets at his death worth approximately $10,000,000, or 1/65 of the nation's Gross Domestic Product, Fortune magazine listed Stephen III as the tenth richest American of all-time.
^Friedman, Morgan (October 16, 2023). "The Inflation Calculator". The Inflation Calculator. Westegg.com. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
^Webster, Ian. "CPI Inflation Calculator". Official Data.org. Official Data Foundation. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
^Thomas, Dave (September 28, 2011). "RENSSELAERVILLE (Documentary Film)". YouTube. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
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Pinckney. In November 1763, he married Elizabeth vanRensselaer (1734–1813), a daughter of StephenvanRensselaer I (the 7th Patroon and 4th Lord of the Manor...
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