Samuel Smith was an American soldier and statesman.
Background
Samuel was born on July 27, 1752 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States; but his parents removed to Baltimore, Maryland, when he was seven or eight years old. His mother was Mary Buchanan of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. His father, John Smith, a native of Strabane, Ireland, of Scotch-Irish descent, was brought to Pennsylvania by his parents in 1728. He removed to Baltimore in 1760, became one of the wealthiest merchants in that city, and was active in Revolutionary politics.
Education
He studied two years in an academy at Elkton, Maryland.
Career
When fifteen, Smith entered his father's counting house. He was sent to Europe in 1772, spent considerable time traveling there, and upon his return resumed his work with his father. In 1775 he organized a company of volunteers and entered the conflict against Great Britain. He participated in the battle of Long Island, covered the rear of the American army in its retreat across New Jersey, and was with Washington at Valley Forge and at the battle of Monmouth.
As commander of Fort Mifflin, in the Delaware, near Philadelphia, he held out for some forty days, helping keep Howe's fleet at bay and thus contributing towards Burgoyne's surrender, which marked the turning point of the war. For this service Congress gave him a vote of thanks and a sword.
After the Revolution he continued his mercantile activities in Baltimore, and engaged in land speculation in various states, becoming very wealthy. In 1791 he commanded the Maryland quota of troops sent to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion. Three years later, when war threatened with France, he was made brigadier-general of the state militia.
Meanwhile, in 1792 he had entered politics, through being elected to Congress. He was reelected four times, serving until 1803. For a few months (March 31-June 13, 1801) at the beginning of Jefferson's administration, until the appointment of his brother Robert, he acted as virtual secretary of the navy while Henry Dearborn was nominal secretary ad interim. In this capacity he began energetic action against Tripoli. In 1803 Smith was elected to the Senate, where he remained until 1815.
During the War of 1812, he served with the rank of major-general. He returned to the House, January 31, 1816, serving, by reelections, until December 1822, when he resigned to fill a vacancy in the Senate caused by the death of William Pinkney. To this seat he was reelected in 1826, serving until 1833.
Repeatedly he was president pro tempore of the Senate, and he did important work as chairman of the finance committees of both houses. He was one of the leaders in opposing the nomination of Madison, and, following it, headed a group which aimed, in vain, to eliminate nominating by congressional caucus. Nevertheless, in 1816 he was chairman of such a gathering, and in 1820 he made a futile effort to secure by caucus the nomination of Clay for vice-president because he himself aspired to Clay's position as speaker of the House. He was one of the leaders of the faction which fought Albert Gallatin as secretary of the treasury, and did much to embarrass the administration through holding up in Congress the financial measures advocated by Gallatin. Thus, in 1811, he opposed the rechartering of the United States Bank, although in 1816 he advocated the chartering of a new United States bank, and in 1830, as chairman of the Senate committee on finance, recommended its rechartering.
After his last term in the Senate, Smith lived in retirement in Maryland until 1835, when, as commander of the state militia, he was called upon to quell the riots in Baltimore resulting from the failure of the Bank of Maryland, precipitated by Jackson's withdrawal of deposits.
As the "savior of the City, " he was elected its mayor in 1835 on the resignation of Jesse Hunt. He was reelected in 1836 and served until 1838, dying the following year in Baltimore.
Achievements
Politics
At first Federalist in his leanings, Smith soon became a stanch Jeffersonian Republican. He participated in introduction of the non-importation agreements in 1806; he opposed Macon's Bill, No. 1, in March 1810. He favored equalization of tariff duties but fought bitterly Clay's "American system" and in 1832 even suggested dividing the Union at the Potomac to escape it.
Personality
He was tall and handsome, of proud countenance and imperious bearing, and easily attracted attention. He was also self-confident, ambitious, industrious, intelligent, and an able and forceful debater.
Connections
Smith married in 1778 Margaret Spear of Baltimore, by whom he had eight children. His wife's sister, Dorcas, was the wife of William Patterson and the mother of Betsy Patterson who married Jerome Bonaparte, and Smith made much of this family connection with Napoleon I.