Just For Kids
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King Family Bios
Rufus King (1755 - 1827)
“I have yet to learn that one man can make a slave of another. If one man cannot do so, no number of individuals can have any better right to do it."
– Rufus King, February 11, 1820
Rufus King was born in the colony of Massachusetts, before the United States became a country. He went to Harvard College and fought in the Revolutionary War. He was a member of the Massachusetts state legislature and a representative to the Confederation Congress. In 1787 he helped write and signed the Constitution, and helped the document become ratified in Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter King moved to New York City and was elected to the Senate.
In 1796 he was ambassador to Great Britain, and served there until 1803 under Presidents Washington, Adams and Jefferson. After he returned to the United States, he served in the Senate and ran for President and Vice President. He returned to the Senate in his twilight years and spoke against the spread of slavery during the debates on the Missouri Compromise. He stood on the Senate floor and said: “I have yet to learn that one man can make a slave of another. If one man cannot do so, no number of individuals can have any better right to do it.” King’s words were radical at the time and it was another 43 years before the Emancipation Proclamation caught up to his ideas.
For more information on Rufus King, click here.
Mary Alsop King (1769 - 1819)
“A most estimable lady, was remarkable for her personal beauty; her motions were all grace, her bearing gracious, her voice musical, and her education exceptional."
– Historic families of America by Walter W. Spooner, 1907
Mary Alsop King was the daughter of John Alsop, a prominent New York merchant and delegate to the first two Continental Congresses. She married Rufus King on March 30, 1786. Rufus was 31 years old and Mary was 17. She gave birth to seven children: John Alsop (1788-1867), Charles (1789 - 1867), Caroline (1790 - 1793), James Gore (1791 - 1853), Henry (b & d 1792), Edward (1795 - 1836), and Frederick (1802 - 1829). She accompanied Rufus King on his travels around Britain, Europe, Washington D.C., and New York, but was always happy to return to their farm in Jamaica.
John Alsop King (1788 - 1867)
“It is the settled, calm and deliberate conviction and judgment of the vast majority of the people of that State [New York], that the soil of freedom should never by their vote or act become the resting-place of slavery.”
– John Alsop King, June 4, 1850
John was studying in Europe when the King family moved into their home in Jamaica. He returned to the United States and bought a farm nearby. After his father’s death, John took over the King family farm and continued to run it as a working farm.
John followed his father’s steps into politics, serving in the New York State Assembly, the Senate, Congress, and as Governor of New York. He had a strong reputation as an opponent of slavery and was instrumental in the formation of the Republican Party.
For more information on John Alsop King, click here.
Charles King (1789 - 1867)
“The Presidential term of Dr. [Charles] King has been distinguished by… much development and expansion of [Columbia College’s] educational system…”
– Trustees of Columbia College, 1864
Charles was 18 years old, studying in Europe when the Kings moved into their home in Jamaica. He was the editor of a newspaper named New York American, and then became the President of Columbia College.
To see a bio of Charles King on the Columbia University website, click here.
James Gore King (1791 - 1853)
“James...left behind him an enviable name and reputation for urbanity, intelligence, promptness and integrity. He made many fast and valuable friends... and retained their good will and confidence unabated to the day of his death.”
– Charles King, 1864
James was 16 years old, attending a boarding school in France when the Kings moved into their home in Jamaica. After serving in the War of 1812, he grew up to be a financier and banker. One of his greatest accomplishments was helping secure a loan from Britain to help relieve the United States Panic of 1837. He also played an important role in completing the building of the New York and Erie railroad.
Edward King (1795 - 1873)
“…where as I hear, he [Edward] is considered to be a great man.”
– Rufus King to Frederick King, March 2, 1817
Edward was twelve years old when the Kings moved into their home in Jamaica. When Edward grew up, he became a lawyer. In 1815 he moved to Ohio, where he became a state legislator and founded the Cincinnati Law School.
Frederick King (1802 - 1829)
“Frederick, or little Fitty as he calls himself, has become a great chatterbox, every word he hears, he repeats and he really speaks much plainer now than Edward did at three years old.”
– Mary King, December 6, 1803
Frederick was three years old when the Kings moved into their home in Jamaica. When Frederick grew up, he became a successful doctor who was famous for his lectures on anatomy. He died of yellow fever after treating quarantined sailors.
Did You Know?
How many rooms and windows does King Manor have?
29 rooms and 69 windows.
Visitors are always surprised by the bright colors in King Manor, and ask: Are these really the original colors?
If you mean "Are these really the colors and finishes that the King family chose for their home back in the early 1800s?" then the answer is YES. Before King Manor re-opened in 1994, scientists carefully removed over 425 tiny samples from the walls inside and outside. These samples helped us figure out what colors the walls were when Rufus King and his family lived here.
Did Rufus King sign the Declaration of Independence?
You're thinking of Francis Lewis, who lived in Flushing and signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. But in 1787, Rufus King was not only a signer of the U.S. Constitution, he was one of the most active delegates to the Constintutional Convention at Philadelphia. The Committee of Style and Arrangement, which put the finishing touches on the Constitution, included Governeur Morris, William Samuel Johnson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton - and Rufus King.
Did Rufus King really have his house right here?
Yes! Although Rufus King never called his home "King Manor," King Manor Museum is really the original house he lived in, in the exact place it stood 200 years ago. He liked to call it "my home in the country."
Have a question that isn't answered here? Email Us to ask!
Make Your Own Games
Whirligig
You Will Need:
Stiff cardboard
Scissor
Holepunch
String
Use a compass, plastic lid or a pencil and string to draw a 4-inch (10 cm) circle on stiff cardboard. Cut out the circle and color it as desired. Then punch out two small, diagonal holes in the circle, each about 3/8 inch (9mm) from the center of the circle. (You can also use a large 2 or 4 holed button) Thread about 2-1/2 feet (60 cm) of string through the holes and tie the ends together.
Holding the string between the thumb and index fingers of both hands, twirl the circle until the string is taut. Then stretch it out and pull hard to make the whirligig spin! Continue to pull hard, alternating pulling and relaxing the string.
Hunt The Slipper
You will need:
A group of friends
Something small - a marble, button, etc - to be the "slipper"
All the players except one stand in a circle. The one remains outside to "hunt the slipper" - the "slipper" is passed quickly from hang to hand in the circle. Everyone in the circle should keep their hands moving to pretend that they are passing the slipper so the hunter has to guess where it really is. When the hunter catches the slipper, whoever was holding it becomes the new hunter.
Picking Plums
You will need:
Marbles
Each player places one or two marbles in a row, with room for two marbles to pass through the gaps. Each player then shoots in turn from behind a line about five feet away.
Players may keep any "plums," which are marbles knocked from the line. A player gets an extra shot whenever they pick a plum.
