Samuel Harrison Smith (January 27, 1772 – November 1, 1845) was an American journalist and newspaper publisher. He founded the ''

National Intelligencer The ''National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser'' was a newspaper published in Washington, D.C., from October 30, 1800 until 1870. It was the first newspaper published in the District, which was founded in 1790. It was originally a Tri- ...

'' at

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

in 1800. He was elected a member of the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

in 1797.

Career

In 1800, Smith founded '' National intelligencer, and Washington advertiser'', which became the dominant newspaper of the capital.

Joseph Gales Joseph Gales Jr. (June 15, 1786 – July 21, 1860) was an American journalist and the ninth mayor of Washington, D.C., from 1827 to 1830. He was the only Mayor born outside the United States or the American colonies. Early life Joseph Gales Jr ...

joined the newspaper becoming his assistant in 1807, and took over the paper as its sole proprietor in 1810. Smith was a friend, confidant and counselor to the third

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

. In February 1801, Smith published Jefferson's ''Manual'', "''A Manual of Parliamentary Practice for the Use of the Senate of the United States''." In 1813, Smith was appointed

Commissioner of the Revenue The Commissioner of the Revenue is one of five locally elected constitutional officers whose authority is specifically conveyed in the Virginia Constitution. The other four are the treasurer, sheriff, Commonwealth's attorney, and clerk. In gen ...

for the

United States Treasury Department The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the Treasury, national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an United States federal executive departments, executive department. The departme ...

by President Madison. On September 30, 1814, he was appointed as

Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

, ad interim, until a new cabinet officer was chosen. During the period 1809–19, Smith served as president of the Bank of Washington. He served as president of the Washington branch of the Bank of the United States from 1819 until the position was abolished in 1835.

Personal life

Smith was the son of

Jonathan Bayard Smith Jonathan Bayard Smith (February 21, 1742 – June 16, 1812) was an American politician and merchant from Philadelphia who was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Smith served as a delegate for Pennsylvania to the Continental Congre ...

, signatory to the Articles of Confederation. On September 29, 1800, Smith married Margaret Bayard (1778–1844), his second cousin and a daughter of

John Bubenheim Bayard John Bubenheim Bayard (11 August 1738 – 7 January 1807) was a merchant, soldier, and statesman from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He achieved the rank of colonel while serving with the Continental Army, and was a delegate for Pennsylvania t ...

and Margaret (Hodge) Bayard. His wife was a first cousin of

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

James A. Bayard, who was highly influential in the 1800 presidential election where Jefferson was elected. They moved to Washington, DC, the new seat of government. Soon after the birth of their first child was born in 1801, the family bought a farm, Turkey Thicket, three miles from town (now part of

Catholic University Catholic higher education includes universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher education privately run by the Catholic Church, typically by religious institutes. Those tied to the Holy See are specifically called pontifical univ ...

). They renamed the farm Sidney. Together, they were the parents of: * Julia Harrison Smith (b. 1801) * Susan Harrison Smith (b. 1804) * Jonathan Bayard Harrison Smith (1810–1889), became a lawyer in the capital and married Henrietta Elizabeth Henley, daughter of Com. John Dandridge Henley in 1842. * Anna Maria Harrison Smith (b. 1811) Margaret died on June 7, 1844. Samuel died a little more than a year later on November 1, 1845 in Washington.

References

;Notes ;Sources *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith (printer), Samuel Harrison 1772 births 1845 deaths American male journalists American publishers (people)