Background
Smallwood was born in 1732 at Charles County, Maryland, United States.
He was the great-grandson of James Smallwood, who arrived in Maryland in 1664, settled in Charles County, became a large planter, served as sheriff and as county commissioner, received the rank of colonel with authority to raise a regiment for fighting Indians, and during nearly the entire period of the royal government of Maryland, 1692-1715, was a representative of his county in the Maryland Assembly. William Smallwood's father was Bayne Smallwood, a delegate for Charles County in the Maryland Assembly in 1738 and several succeeding years. His mother was Priscilla (Heaberd), who was born in Virginia.
Education
He is said to have been sent to school in England.
Career
He began his military career as a soldier in the French and Indian War. He took his seat in the Maryland Assembly in 1761 as a delegate for Charles County and became one of the liberal leaders of that body, speaking and voting on important questions with Thomas Johnson and William Paca.
He joined the Maryland non-importation association in June 1769, and as a delegate to the Maryland Convention of 1775 he joined the Association of the Freemen of Maryland. In January 1776, commissions were issued to raise a regiment of Maryland troops under Smallwood's command. The Maryland Convention withdrew its objections to a declaration of independence June 26, and five days after the famous declaration by the Continental Congress, Smallwood marched northward with a battalion of nine companies. Reinforcements followed, and in the battle of Long Island, although Smallwood was absent, the Maryland line established a reputation for valor.
Under Smallwood the survivors covered Washington's retreat. They fought with like valor at White Plains, where Smallwood was wounded. The Continental Congress elected him a brigadier-general October 23, 1776, and two months later he was ordered to Maryland to promote the raising of new levies. His men fought at Fort Washington, Trenton, Princeton, and Germantown.
In 1778-79 he was at Wilmington, covering Washington's stores at the head of the Elk River, watching for operations of the enemy on the Chesapeake, and suppressing a Tory uprising on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He was ordered to the South in April 1780, was promoted to the rank of major-general in September of that year, and for brave fighting near Camden he and his men received the thanks of Congress.
Upon the death of Baron de Kalb three days after the battle of Camden, Smallwood was placed in command of a division, but when Horatio Gates was removed, his position was that of a subordinate to Baron Steuben. He protested and threatened to resign rather than serve under a foreigner, but Washington expressed his displeasure at this attitude, Congress was firm, Greene sent him to Maryland to aid in procuring supplies and reinforcements, and he continued in the service until November 15, 1783.
When the war had ended, he enjoyed some of the usual popularity of a military hero. The Maryland Assembly elected him a delegate to the Continental Congress (December 4, 1784), but he declined to serve. He was elected governor the following year and served three consecutive terms of one year each.
He died in Prince George's County.
Politics
He advocated opposition by arms, to the British troops, employed to enforce obedience to the late acts and statutes of the British parliament, for raising a revenue in America.