William Stephens Smith

William Stephens Smith

William Stephens Smith (born November 8, 1755 on Long Island , New York Province, †  June 10, 1816 in Lebanon , New York ) was an American officer and politician . Between 1813 and 1815 he represented New York State in the US House of Representatives .

Career

In 1774, William Smith graduated from the College of New Jersey , now Princeton University . For a short time he studied law. He joined the revolutionary movement and served in the Continental Army during the War of Independence . He took part in several battles and was promoted to lieutenant colonel. In the meantime he was also wounded. From 1780 to 1781 he was a general staff officer at General Lafayette . He then did the same job with General George Washington . Between 1784 and 1788 Smith was secretary to the American legation in London . There he met Abigail Adams , the daughter of John Adams , whom he married in 1786. This made him not only the son-in-law of future President John Adams, but also the brother-in-law of John Quincy Adams , who would later also become US President. His sister Sarah Smith later married Charles Adams, the second son of John Adams. He was thus related to the Adams family in two ways .

In 1789, Smith was named the first US Marshal for the District of New York by President Washington . It is unclear, however, whether his area covered the entire state of New York or just the city of New York . Later he headed the financial administration there. He was also a co-founder of the Society of the Cincinnati and its president from 1795 to 1797. In 1800, he was called to be overseer of the New York Harbor by his father-in-law, President John Adams . In 1806 he unsuccessfully supported an uprising in Venezuela as a filibuster . That earned him a charge of violating the 1794 Neutrality Act . He relied on alleged or actual instructions from President Thomas Jefferson and Secretary of State James Madison , neither of whom appeared in court. Eventually Smith was acquitted. In 1807 he moved to Lebanon. Politically, he joined the Federalist Party .

In the 1812 congressional elections , Smith was elected to the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC , in the 17th  electoral district of New York , where he took up his new mandate on March 4, 1813. This district was abolished between 1809 and 1813. Until March 3, 1815, he was able to complete a legislative period in Congress . This was largely shaped by the events of the British-American War . In 1814 Smith was confirmed, but his opponent Westel Willoughby Jr. appealed against the election result. Between March 4, 1815 and December 13 of this year, the seat remained vacant; then Willoughby's objection was granted and he was able to take up this mandate. William Smith died in Lebanon on June 10, 1816.

Web links

• William Stephens Smith in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)