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 Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

, including as a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

, a member of the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

, the fourth

governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of the U.S. state of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold guberna ...

Early life

Smith was born in Suffield in the Colony of Connecticut, where he spent his childhood. He studied at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

and graduated in 1781. He studied law with his brother Noah Smith, and was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

. He began his law practice in

Rupert, Vermont Rupert is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 698 at the 2020 census. The town is home tThe Maple News a trade publication focused on the maple syrup industry, and the former Jenks Tavern, built around 1807, ...

. 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 Burlington, officially the City of Burlington, is the List of municipalities in Vermont, most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the county seat, seat of Chittenden County, Vermont, Chittenden County. It is located south of the Can ...

Career

Smith began his political career in 1785 when he served as a member of the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives a ...

. 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

. In a bitterly fought election between Smith,

Matthew Lyon Matthew Lyon (July 14, 1749 – August 1, 1822) was an Irish-born American printer, farmer, soldier and politician, who served as a United States representative from both Vermont and Kentucky. Lyon represented Vermont in Congress from 1797 to ...

and Isaac Tichenor, Smith received second place, 35% of the vote in the first round, but won the runoff against Lyon. Smith represented Vermont's 1st District in the U.S. House from 1791 to 1797. In 1792 and 1794, Lyon unsuccessfully ran against Smith, but in 1796 Smith was defeated by Lyon. By this time, Smith had become a member of the

Democratic-Republican Party The Democratic-Republican Party (also referred to by historians as the Republican Party or the Jeffersonian Republican Party), was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early 1790s. It championed li ...

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

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The court ...

in 1797, 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

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, 1800, 1801, 1802, and 1806, but finally defeated Tichenor in 1807. Smith resigned from the Senate and served as

Governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of the U.S. state of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold guberna ...

from 1807 to 1808, when he was defeated for reelection by Tichenor, who served for one last year before being defeated in 1809 by Jones Galusha.

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. His home in Rutland has been preserved.

References

External links

Israel Smith biography
at National Governors Association *
govtrack.us

A Guide to the Papers of Vermont's Governors

Rutland Historical Society

Vermont: The Official State Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Israel Governors of Vermont United States senators from Vermont Members of the Vermont House of Representatives 1759 births 1810 deaths People from Rupert, Vermont Yale University alumni Democratic-Republican Party United States senators Vermont lawyers Justices of the Vermont Supreme Court Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Vermont Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century United States senators 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 18th-century members of the United States House of Representatives Candidates in the 1799 United States elections Candidates in the 1800 United States elections Candidates in the 1801 United States elections Candidates in the 1802 United States elections