Background
He was born on March 16, 1750 at Pequea, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, the son of the Rev. Robert and Elizabeth (Blair) Smith; one of his younger brothers was John Blair Smith.
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He was born on March 16, 1750 at Pequea, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, the son of the Rev. Robert and Elizabeth (Blair) Smith; one of his younger brothers was John Blair Smith.
At the age of six Samuel commenced the study of Latin and Greek at the academy conducted by his father at Pequea and was so well grounded in these essentials that he was admitted when sixteen to the junior class of the College of New Jersey, at Princeton. There mathematics awakened in him a life-long interest in natural science. His graduation was in 1769.
After studies he assisted his father at the academy for a time, but later was recalled to Princeton to teach the classics and to cultivate among the students a taste for belleslettres.
In 1773 he was licensed to preach by the New Castle Presbytery, and, partly because of ill health, he abandoned his books for the missionary field. In the western counties of Virginia, among his own Scotch-Irish people, he supplemented the work of his predecessor, Samuel Davies, in strengthening the Presbyterian allegiance. So great was his influence that his humble adherents raised the sizable sum of $50, 000 to found, in 1776, under his guidance, the Academy of Hampden-Sidney, rechartered in 1783 as the College of Hampden-Sidney. After serving as president of the Academy in addition to his pastoral work for two or three years, ill health compelled him to turn over the work to his brother John.
He returned to the College of New Jersey as teacher of moral philosophy (1779). Here for thirty-three years he labored, first as professor and after 1795 as president. In the absence of President Witherspoon, who was engaged in public affairs, much of the administrative work fell on Smith. The task that confronted him was herculean. Money had to be raised to repair the ravages of the Revolution; in 1802, after Smith had succeeded to the presidency, the work had to be done again, for Nassau Hall was practically destroyed by fire. Suspicion that wanton students were responsible for the damage led to the strengthening of discipline; and while the elders talked of irreligion and false notions of liberty, the students with Gallic fervor charged restraints upon their liberties.
In 1807, just after the enrollment had reached 200 students, insubordination broke out. More than half the undergraduates were suspended. Smith never recovered from the strain of those days and from that time on his health waned; in 1812 he resigned.
He died in Princeton, New Jersey, United States.
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Smith himself was subjected to hostile criticism because of his views. His position upon the subject of divine grace was not approved, and he was constrained to discontinue his original lectures upon the evidence of religion and moral philosophy.
Smith showed a willingness to liberalize many of the old and more strict data of moral philosophy.
He flatly contradicted the theory of the separate creation of the different races. Independently of revelation, he arrived at a belief in the genetic unity of mankind, ascribing the existence of racial types to the influences of climate and "the state of society. " He gave much thought to the problem of slavery and devised a plan whereby, he believed, freedmen might become economically independent.
Quotations: "The minutest causes, acting constantly, and long continued, will necessarily create great and conspicuous differences among mankind".
Smith was an urbane and cultivated man.
He married Ann, daughter of John Witherspoon; nine children were born to them.