John Jay (December 12, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American politician, statesman, slave owner, and diplomat. He was a Supreme Court Chief Justice and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Jay served in the Continental Congress and was elected President of that body. During and after the American Revolution, he was a minister (ambassador) to Spain and France, helping to fashion American foreign policy and to secure favorable peace terms from the British and French. He co-wrote the "Federalist Papers" with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison.