John Smith
Member of theUnited States House of Representatives fromVermont's4th district
In office March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1841
Preceded by	Heman Allen (of Milton)
Succeeded by	Augustus Young
Speaker of theVermont House of Representatives
In office 1831–1834
Preceded by	Robert B. Bates
Succeeded by	Ebenezer N. Briggs
Member of theVermont House of Representatives fromSt. Albans
In office 1827–1837
Preceded by	Benjamin Swift
Succeeded by	Lawrence Brainerd
Personal details
Born	(1789-08-12)August 12, 1789 Barre, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	August 26, 1858(1858-08-26) (aged 69) St. Albans, Vermont, U.S.
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Maria W. Curtis Smith[1]
Children	7 (includingJ. Gregory Smith andWorthington Curtis Smith[2]
Alma mater	University of Vermont
Profession	Lawyer

John Smith (August 12, 1789 – November 26, 1858) was an American lawyer, businessman, and politician fromVermont. He served as aU.S. Representative for one term, prior to which he served asSpeaker of the Vermont House of Representatives.

Smith was born inBarre,Massachusetts^[3] to Deacon Samuel Smith and Patience Gregory Smith. His family moved toSt. Albans in 1800, and he attended thecommon schools. Smith laterstudied law, first with his brother in law Roswell Hutchins, and later withBenjamin Swift. He wasadmitted to the bar in 1810 and began thepractice of law in St. Albans as Swift's partner.

He wasState's Attorney forFranklin County from 1826 until 1832. Smith was a member of theVermont House of Representatives from 1827 until 1837, and served asSpeaker from 1831 until 1833.^[4]

He was elected as aDemocrat to theTwenty-sixth Congress, serving from March 4, 1839, until March 3, 1841.^[5] He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1840 to theTwenty-seventh Congress.

While in Congress, Smith delivered the speech, ""The Defense of the Independent Treasury Idea", which gained national attention and was considered one of the best speeches on this subject.^[6] Smith received anhonorary Master of Arts degree from theUniversity of Vermont.^[7]

After leaving Congress, Smith became involved in railroad enterprises and helped establish theVermont and Canada Railroad.^[8]

John Smith married Maria Waitstill Curtis in 1814. Their children included Harriet Maria,J. Gregory, Edward Curtis,Worthington Curtis, Julia Pierpont, Francis Curtis, and Louisa Ten Broeck.^[9][10][11]

He was the grandfather ofEdward Curtis Smith. In addition, his family was related by marriage to those ofLawrence Brainerd,Amaziah Bailey James andF. Stewart Stranahan.

Smith was also the great-great-grandfather ofWilliam Scranton, who served asGovernor of and aCongressman fromPennsylvania. The genealogical line runs from John Smith (great-great-grandfather) to Worthington C. Smith (great-grandfather) to Katherine Maria Smith Scranton (grandmother) to Worthington Scranton (father) to William Scranton.

Smith died on November 26, 1858, inSt. Albans, Vermont. He in interred atGreenwood Cemetery in St. Albans.^[12]

• "Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 2" by Hiram Carleton, published by Lewis Publishing Company, 1903.

• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• John Smith atFind a Grave
• Govtrack.us
• The Political Graveyard
• History 50 States

• 1789 births
• 1858 deaths
• Democratic Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives
• Speakers of the Vermont House of Representatives
• Vermont lawyers
• People from Barre, Massachusetts
• Politicians from St. Albans, Vermont
• Burials at Greenwood Cemetery (St. Albans, Vermont)
• Democratic Party United States representatives from Vermont
• American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law
• State's attorneys in Vermont
• 19th-century American lawyers
• 19th-century United States representatives
• 19th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly

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• Use mdy dates from December 2012