John Smilie (1741 – December 30, 1812) was anIrish-American politician fromNewtownards, County Down, Ireland. He served in both houses of thestate legislature and representedPennsylvania in theU.S. House from 1793 until 1795 and from 1799 to 1812.
Smilie was born inIreland and immigrated on May 24, 1762, settling first inLancaster County. He moved to Fayette in 1780. He was a prominentJeffersonian and was identified with the "'Quid" branch of the party. In 1806–07, during the debates over the abolition of theslave trade, Smilie was among the most outspoken against the evils of the slave trade. He argued that slaves illegally imported after 1808 should be freed, and that slave smugglers deserved the death penalty. Neither provision was adopted.
He was elected to theThirteenth Congress in 1812 but died before it opened.
In 1791, Smilie was elected a member of theAmerican Philosophical Society.[1]
He died inWashington, D.C., aged 71, and is buried in theCongressional Cemetery there.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member,Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, representingFayette County November 2, 1786 – November 19, 1789 | Succeeded by Nathaniel Breading |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by None | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's at-large congressional district 1793-1795 | Succeeded by None |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 11th congressional district 1799–1803 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 9th congressional district 1803–1812 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
 | This article about a United States representative from Pennsylvania is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
