John Isaac De Graff (October 2, 1783 – July 26, 1848) was an American businessman and politician who served two non-consecutive terms as a U.S. Representative from New York, from 1827 to 1829 and again from 1837 to 1839. A prominent figure in Schenectady, New York, he combined a successful mercantile and banking career with extensive service in local government and national politics, and was affiliated with the Jacksonian movement and later the Democratic Party.
De Graff was born in Schenectady, New York, the son of Judge Isaac DeGraff, a veteran of the American Revolution, and Susanna Van Epps. He attended the common schools of Schenectady and the Schenectady Academy, a school operated by the city’s Dutch Reformed Church. In the early 1800s he served in the militia and was appointed an ensign in the Schenectady regiment commanded by Jacob Swits. He later attended Union College in 1811, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, reflecting both his educational attainment and his standing in the community.
After his schooling, De Graff engaged in mercantile pursuits and banking in Schenectady, building a prosperous business enterprise. His firm expanded beyond local commerce to maintain offices in London and Paris, underscoring his role in international trade and finance. In addition to his commercial activities, he became a successful real estate investor and landlord, owning several houses, farms, commercial buildings, and pastures in and around Schenectady. These ventures established him as one of the city’s leading businessmen and provided the financial base for his later public activities.
During the War of 1812, De Graff played a notable role in supporting the American war effort by lending substantial financial assistance to the federal government. He pledged both his private funds and his personal credit to the amount of $100,000 (about $1.1 million in 2015) to equip a naval fleet on Lake Champlain. This financing enabled Commodore Thomas Macdonough to build and outfit the ships used to defeat the British at the Battle of Plattsburgh. Because he was repaid in depreciated treasury notes, De Graff personally lost about $30,000 (about $330,000 in 2015), a sacrifice that highlighted his commitment to the national cause.
De Graff entered national politics as a supporter of Andrew Jackson. He was elected as a Jacksonian to the Twentieth Congress and served as a U.S. Representative from New York from March 4, 1827, to March 3, 1829. As a member of the Democratic Party and its Jacksonian wing, he participated in the legislative process during a significant period in American history, representing the interests of his New York constituents in debates over economic policy, federal power, and the evolving party system. After this first term in Congress, he returned to his business affairs in Schenectady but remained active in public life.
In addition to his congressional service, De Graff had a long and influential career in local government. He served as mayor of Schenectady from 1832 to 1835 and again from 1836 to 1837. In 1834 he became the first popularly elected mayor of the city, as previous holders of the office had been chosen by the city council, marking a shift toward more democratic municipal governance. In 1837 he was one of the incorporators of the Schenectady Lyceum and Academy, a boarding school for boys, and he served on its original board of trustees. As mayor he oversaw the setting aside of land for, and the construction of, a school for African Americans. Later, as president of Schenectady’s school trustees in the 1840s, he included detailed information on Schenectady’s African School in his annual reports to the state superintendent of common schools, reflecting his engagement with the city’s educational development.
De Graff returned to national office a decade after his first term, this time as a Democrat. He was elected to the Twenty-fifth Congress and served from March 4, 1837, to March 3, 1839. During this second term, he again contributed to the legislative process at a time of economic and political turbulence, including the Panic of 1837 and the administration of President Martin Van Buren. Although he was a prominent Democrat, he was not a candidate for renomination at the end of this term and declined an offer to serve as Secretary of the Treasury in the Van Buren administration, choosing instead to resume his business activities.
In the realm of economic development, De Graff took an active interest in early railroad construction. He was involved in the building of the Mohawk & Hudson Railroad, one of the first railroads in New York State, and served as its first president, helping to advance transportation infrastructure in the region. In 1840 he sought election to the New York State Assembly. Though he appeared to be defeated on election day, he contested the results, alleging that ballots in Schenectady’s second ward had been tampered with and that the fraud was sufficient to alter the outcome. Despite the evidence he presented, the Assembly voted to seat Theodore W. Sanders, the Whig nominee. De Graff continued his local public service, serving again as mayor of Schenectady from 1842 to 1843 and from 1845 to 1846.
In his later years, De Graff remained engaged in banking and various business ventures in Schenectady. He never married and continued to be a prominent figure in the civic and economic life of the city until his death. John Isaac De Graff died in Schenectady on July 26, 1848, and was interred in Vale Cemetery, leaving a legacy as a businessman, war financier, local leader, and two-term member of the United States House of Representatives.
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