LEISLER, JACOB (c. 1635-1691), American political agi tator, was born probably in Frankfurt-on-Main, Germany, about 1635. He went to New Netherland in 166o as a soldier in the service of the Dutch West India company, married a wealthy widow and successfully engaged in trade. When news of the im prisonment of Governor Andros in Massachusetts was received, a group of rebels under Leisler's command, fired largely by anti Papist sentiment, took possession of Ft. James, and announced their determination to hold it until the arrival of a Protestant governor commissioned by the new sovereigns. After Lieut. Governor Francis Nicholson sailed for England, a committee of safety was organized by the popular party, and Leisler was appointed commander-in-chief. Under authority of a letter from the home Government addressed to Nicholson, or in his absence to "such as for the time being take care for preserving the peace and administering the laws in His Majesty's province of New York," he assumed the title of lieutenant-governor in Dec. 1689, appointed a council and took charge of the Government of the entire province. He summoned the first intercolonial congress in America, which met in New York on May I, 169o, to plan con certed action against the French and Indians. Leisler refused to
surrender the fort to Maj. Richard Ingoldsby, who landed with his soldiers in Jan. 1691, and after some controversy an attack was made on March 17 in which two soldiers were killed and several wounded. When Col. Henry Sloughter, who had been commissioned governor of the province, arrived two days later Leisler hastened to give over to him the fort and other evidences of authority. He and his son-in-law, Jacob Milborne, who had many powerful colonial opponents, were charged with treason for refusing to submit to Ingoldsby, were convicted, and executed on May 16, 1691. Their estates were, however, later restored to their families and the attainder reversed. There has been much controversy among historians with regard both to the facts and to the significance of Leisler's brief career as ruler in New York.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.—See J. R. Brodhead, History of the State of New York (1871). For source materials see E. B. O'Callaghan, Documen tary History of the State of New York (185o); New York Colonial Documents (vols. ii., iii., iv.) ; N.Y. Hist. Soc., Collections (1868) ; Narratives of the Insurrections ("Original Narratives of Early American History," 1915).