Swartwout was a scion of the ramified Dutch family Swartwout, in the 18th and 19 Century many well-known merchant and politician spawned in New York. His father Abraham Swartwout was seen in the Seven Years' War and the War of Independence from an officer. 1787 John Swartwout moved from Dutchess County to the city of New York, where he began a successful businessman career. In 1793 he married there Mary Smith, a niece Melancton Smith . From the marriage of eight daughters and four sons were born. In 1794 he went with his brother in law Peter Dumont a business partnership and opened a paint and ink timber trade. Later, his brother Robert Swartwout became a partner. 1815 it could be a on a risky real estate speculation and acquired over 4000 acres barren salt marshes in Hoboken to make this reclaimed by diking. Although the first few years were promising, but already in 1818 he went to them the money to maintain the dikes on. After the city of New York had refused to subsidize the project, the country soon fell back into his old condition. John Swartwout alone lost $ 200,000 in the project. [1]
The political career Swartwouts began in the 1790s, when he and his brothers Robert and close confidante of Samuel Aaron Burr were next and Matthew L. Davis and Smith Melancton soon ranked among the most prominent "Burrites" as this fraction of the Republican Party was called. 1798 and 1800 Swartwout was as a member of the party in the lower house of the State of New York selected. 1802 called Swartwout DeWitt Clinton , together with his uncle George Clinton, one of the heads of one of the "Burrites" rival factions of the Republicans in New York, the duel as, in its controlled daily newspaper The American Citizen repeated defamatory statements about Burr's character published had. The Duel 31 July of that year he was hit twice in the thigh, but none of the duelists wore them serious injury. The improper conduct of Clinton Danten seconds, Richard Riker, meant that Swartwouts brother Robert Swartwout Riker asked for a follow-duel.
Burr in 1801 as Vice President of the United States and to the American system of patronage ( spoils system ), his followers sought to provide them with lucrative post, he suggested Swartwout as United States Marshal for the District of New York before. The appointment was issued by President Thomas Jefferson (unlike Matthew L. Davis) Although approved, but hardly Burr had lost his position after four years, Jefferson Swartwout relieved of his post. Like the other Burrites he found himself vilified in the years of his own party, but he could after Clinton's influence had waned in the party, again in 1821 winning a seat in New York's Lower House. Swartwout died in 1823 in New York. [2]