Truman Smith
Encyclopedia
Truman Smith was a politician, lawyer and judge from Connecticut
. He was the nephew of Nathaniel Smith
and Nathan Smith
.
Born in Roxbury, Connecticut
, Smith completed preparatory studies and graduated from Yale College
in 1815. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1818, commencing practice in Litchfield, Connecticut
. He was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives
from 1831 to 1832 and again in 1834. He was elected a Whig
to the United States House of Representatives
in 1838, serving from 1839 to 1843, declining renomination in 1842. He was a presidential elector on the Whig ticket in 1844
and was elected back to the House of Representatives the following year, serving again from 1845 to 1849. Smith declined the appointment to be the first United States Secretary of the Interior
from President
Zachary Taylor
in 1849 having been elected to the United States Senate
. He served from 1849 until his resignation in 1854. Afterwards, he lived in Stamford, Connecticut
with his wife Mary Ann Dickinson Smith while practicing law in New York City, New York
. In 1862, President
Abraham Lincoln
appointed Smith judge of the Court of Arbitration
under the treaty of 1862 with Great Britain
for the suppression of the slave trade
which he served as until 1870. He retired from business that year and died in Stamford, Connecticut
on May 3, 1884. He was interned in Stamford in Woodland Cemetery.
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. He was the nephew of Nathaniel Smith
Nathaniel Smith
Nathaniel Smith was a Representative to the United States Congress from Connecticut. He was born in Woodbury, Connecticut on January 6, 1762. He was the brother of Nathan Smith and uncle of Truman Smith....
and Nathan Smith
Nathan Smith (senator)
Nathan Smith was a United States Senator from Connecticut, and was the brother of Nathaniel Smith and uncle of Truman Smith. He was born in Woodbury, Connecticut and received a modest education. He read law, and was admitted to the bar in 1792 and commenced the practice of his profession in New...
.
Born in Roxbury, Connecticut
Roxbury, Connecticut
Roxbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,136 at the 2000 census.-History:Roxbury, whose Indian name was "Shepaug", a Mahican name signifiying "rocky water", was settled about the year 1713...
, Smith completed preparatory studies and graduated from Yale College
Yale College
Yale College was the official name of Yale University from 1718 to 1887. The name now refers to the undergraduate part of the university. Each undergraduate student is assigned to one of 12 residential colleges.-Residential colleges:...
in 1815. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1818, commencing practice in Litchfield, Connecticut
Litchfield, Connecticut
Litchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is known as an affluent summer resort. The population was 8,316 at the 2000 census. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town...
. He was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives
Connecticut House of Representatives
The Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency containing nearly 22,600 residents...
from 1831 to 1832 and again in 1834. He was elected a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in 1838, serving from 1839 to 1843, declining renomination in 1842. He was a presidential elector on the Whig ticket in 1844
United States presidential election, 1844
In the United States presidential election of 1844, Democrat James K. Polk defeated Whig Henry Clay in a close contest that turned on foreign policy, with Polk favoring the annexation of Texas and Clay opposed....
and was elected back to the House of Representatives the following year, serving again from 1845 to 1849. Smith declined the appointment to be the first United States Secretary of the Interior
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
from President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
in 1849 having been elected to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. He served from 1849 until his resignation in 1854. Afterwards, he lived in Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
with his wife Mary Ann Dickinson Smith while practicing law in New York City, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 1862, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
appointed Smith judge of the Court of Arbitration
Arbitration in the United States of America
Arbitration, in the context of United States law, is a form of alternative dispute resolution — specifically, a legal alternative to litigation whereby the parties to a dispute agree to submit their respective positions to a neutral third party for resolution...
under the treaty of 1862 with Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
for the suppression of the slave trade
History of slavery
The history of slavery covers slave systems in historical perspective in which one human being is legally the property of another, can be bought or sold, is not allowed to escape and must work for the owner without any choice involved...
which he served as until 1870. He retired from business that year and died in Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
on May 3, 1884. He was interned in Stamford in Woodland Cemetery.
External links
- Truman Smith at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...