Neither of Peter Van Schaack’s parents were educated, but they insisted on his schooling. When he was of age, he attended school in Kinderhook. He was a shy boy who found classroom recitations frightening. He did not care for his teacher but soon discovered that he had a gift for learning. He had hoped to enter the army following the model of his oldest brother, but that sentiment soon passed. His father believed Peter was destined to enter one of the liberal professions, and sent him to Staten Island in 1760 to be tutored by the Rev. Richard Charlton - a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin. Charlton had taken up the position of Rector of The Church of St. Andrew on Staten Island in 1747 “and became an esteemed and respected member of the Staten Island community.” Under Charlton’s mentorship, Peter Van Schaack became an exceptional student of Latin. As such, he became very familiar with Roman civil wars and the devastation they caused. In 1762, Van Schaack entered King’s College. There, he befriended John Jay, Egbert Benson, Richard Harrison, Gouverneur Morris, and Robert R. Livingston – people who would become life-long friends in spite of political differences.