Israel Smith

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For the leader of the RLDS Church, see Israel A. Smith.

Israel Smith
Lieutenant
Paul Brigham
Preceded byIsaac Tichenor
Succeeded byIsaac Tichenor
United States Senator
from Vermont
In office
March 4, 1803 – October 1, 1807
Preceded byNathaniel Chipman
Succeeded byJonathan Robinson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Vermont's 1st district
In office
October 17, 1791 – March 3, 1797
Preceded byDistrict created
Succeeded byMatthew Lyon
In office
March 4, 1801 – March 3, 1803
Preceded byMatthew Lyon
Succeeded byGideon Olin
Personal details
Born(1759-04-04)April 4, 1759
Democratic-Republican
SpouseAbiah Douglass (m. 1783-1810, his death)
ProfessionAttorney

Israel Smith (April 4, 1759 – December 2, 1810) was an American lawyer and politician. He held a wide variety of positions in the state of Vermont, including as a member of the United States House of Representatives, a member of the United States Senate, the fourth governor of Vermont.

Early life

Smith was born in

admitted to the bar. He began his law practice in Rupert, Vermont
.

He married Abiah Douglass (1767-1836), and they had two children, William (1785-1822) and Horace (1787-1790). After Israel Smith's death Abiah married Colonel William C. Harrington, who became an attorney in Burlington, Vermont.

Career

Smith began his political career in 1785 when he served as a member of the Vermont House of Representatives. He served in the Vermont House again from 1788 to 1791. During this period, he was active in solving Vermont's boundary disputes with other states and served as a delegate to the Vermont Constitutional Convention, at which Vermont ratified the American Constitution. By 1790 Smith had moved to Rutland, Vermont.

When Vermont became a state in 1791, Smith ran for Vermont's seat in the

Democratic-Republican Party.[3]

In 1797, Smith again briefly served in the Vermont State House. He became

Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court in 1797,[4]
but resigned the following year. In 1800, Smith was reelected to the United States House of Representatives, where he served until 1802.

In 1802, Smith was elected to the United States Senate from Vermont, and served in the Senate from 1803 to 1807. Smith challenged one of his old political rivals — governor Isaac Tichenor, who served as governor from 1797 to 1807 — six times. He was unsuccessful in his first five attempts in 1799,[5] 1800,[6] 1801,[7] 1802,[8] and 1806,[9] but finally defeated Tichenor in 1807. Smith resigned from the Senate and served as Governor of Vermont from 1807 to 1808,[10] when he was defeated for reelection by Tichenor,[11] who served for one last year before being defeated in 1809 by Jones Galusha.[12]

Death and legacy

After leaving the governorship, Smith resumed practicing law in Rutland. He became ill and died in Rutland. He was interred at West Street Cemetery in Rutland.[1] His home in Rutland has been preserved.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b "SMITH, Israel, (1759 - 1810)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  2. ^ "Sen. Israel Smith". govtrack.us. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  3. ^ "Governor of Vermont". NNDB. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  4. ^ "Vermont Justices of the Supreme Court" (PDF). Vermont State Archives and Records Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 15, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  5. ^ "Our Campaigns - VT Governor Race - Sep 03, 1799". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  6. ^ "Our Campaigns - VT Governor Race - Sep 02, 1800". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  7. ^ "Our Campaigns - VT Governor Race - Sep 01, 1801". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  8. ^ "Our Campaigns - VT Governor Race - Sep 07, 1802". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  9. ^ "Our Campaigns - VT Governor Race - Sep 02, 1806". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  10. ^ "Vermont Governor Israel Smith". National Governors Association. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  11. ^ "Our Campaigns - VT Governor Race - Sep 06, 1808". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  12. ^ "Our Campaigns - VT Governor Race - Sep 05, 1809". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  13. ^ "Israel Smith". Rutland Historical Society. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic-Republican nominee for Governor of Vermont
1799, 1800, 1801, 1802 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Jonathan Robinson
 Democratic-Republican nominee for Governor of Vermont
1806, 1807, 1808 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
District created
 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Vermont's 1st congressional district
1791-1797 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Vermont's 1st congressional district
1801-1803 		Succeeded by
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 1) from Vermont
1803–1807
Served alongside: Stephen R. Bradley 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Vermont
1807–1808 		Succeeded by
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