George Clinton (July 26, 1739 April 20, 1812) was an American soldier and politician. He served as the first Governor of New York from 1777 to 1795, as a member of the State Assembly in 1800 and 1801, and as the third Governor from 1801 to 1804. According to the National Governors Association, with 21 years of service, he is the longest-serving governor of a U.S. state. He hated Tories and and used seizure and sale of Tory estates to help keep taxes down. A supporter and friend of George Washington, he supplied food to the troops at Valley Forge, rode with Washington to the first Inauguration and gave an impressive dinner to celebrate it.