Background
Smithers was born in Dover, Delaware, the son of the county prothonotary, Nathaniel and Susan Fisher Barratt Smithers.
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Nathaniel Barratt Smithers
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Education
He was educated at Ezra Scovell"s school in Dover and then at the West Nottingham Academy under Review James Magraw.
Career
Earning his undergraduate degree at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania in 1836, he entered the law department of Dickinson College, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania with the class of 1840. He was admitted to the Delaware Bar in 1841 and commenced its practice in Dover. She was the sister of diplomat Enoch Joyce Smithers.
After Mary"s death, Smithers married Mary Barratt Townsend of Frederica, Delaware.
He was a delegate to the Whig Convention in Philadelphia that nominated Millard Fillmore in 1848. He co-operated with the American Party but did not become a member.
He was a chair of the state delegation to the Republican Convention in Chicago that nominated Abraham Lincoln. Smithers served as secretary of state for Delaware under Governor Cannon from January 20, 1863 until November 23, 1863 when he was elected to the United States. Congress to fill a vacancy opened with the death of Democrat William Temple.
While there he served on the critical Special Committee of Reconstruction and helped turn down the efforts of Arkansas and Louisiana members to be re-admitted.
He also shepherded the amendment through Congress which abolished the purchase of relief from the draft. Now classified as an Unconditional Unionist, he was defeated after that one term by John A. Nicholson, a Democrat, in 1864 and returned to private practice. He did continue to lead the Delaware Republican delegation, in 1868 nominating Grant and in 1880 voting for Blaine.
Back in Dover, he was president of the First National Bank and served on the school board.
Dickinson College awarded him the honorary doctorate in 1890. Smithers died at Dover and is buried there in the Old Methodist or Whatcoat Cemetery.
Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. United States. Representatives took office March 4 and have a two-year term.
Delaware Historical Society.
Website. 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801. (302) 655-7161
University of Delaware.
Library website; 181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717.
(302) 831-2965
Newark Free Library. 750 Library Avenue., Newark, Delaware. (302) 731-7550.
Politics
Beginning his political career as a Whig, he turned down the nomination to run for Congress in 1844 but did serve as clerk of the State Legislature in 1845 and 1847. But he became estranged with the mainstream of the Whigs in the state when the party rejected the gradual abolition of slavery and voted in local option concerning alcohol in 1847.
Membership
He was a member of the Republican Party, who served as United States. Representative from Delaware. At the Baltimore Republican Convention in 1864, he was a member of the executive committee but did not support Andrew Johnson"s nomination as vice-president
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Born
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Died
January 16, 1896 (aged 77) -
Political Party
Republican party