Overview
James Smith was a lawyer, politician, and soldier who was born in Ireland and moved with his family to Pennsylvania in 1729. Educated in Philadelphia, he was admitted to the bar in 1745 and worked as a lawyer and surveyor near Shippensburg before returning to York, which remained his home for the rest of his life. Although he served as the town’s only lawyer until 1769 and launched an unsuccessful iron manufacturing business in 1771 that cost him about £5,000 before he sold out in 1778, he became a leading Patriot in the backcountry. In July 1774, he read his “Essay on the Constitutional Power of Great Britain over the colonies in America,” urged nonimportation, and supported the call for the First Continental Congress. He raised a volunteer company in December 1774, served in provincial and constitutional conventions, and was elected to the Continental Congress on July 20, 1776, where he signed the Declaration of Independence.
Personal Facts
- Born: September 17, 1719, in Northern Ireland.
- Parents: John Smith (father), mother unknown.
- Spouse: Eleanor Armor (1760).
- Died: July 11, 1806. He was 87.
- Buried: First Presbyterian Churchyard, York, Pennsylvania.
- Part of: Signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Significance
James Smith is important to American History for his role in the Patriot Cause in Pennsylvania and his involvement in the American Revolution. As a Signer of the Declaration of Independence, he is one of the nation’s Founding Fathers.
Biography
Early Life
James Smith, born around 1719 in Northern Ireland, grew up as the second son in a large family. His father, John Smith, moved the family to Pennsylvania around 1729 after being encouraged by relatives who had already settled in Chester County. The family bought land west of the Susquehanna River in what became York County, where Smith’s father worked as a farmer.
Education
James Smith studied in Philadelphia under the Reverend Francis Alison. He learned Latin, Greek, and surveying before reading law with his older brother, George, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in the office of Thomas Cookson.
Legal Career
Smith started his legal career in 1745 and moved to Cumberland County near Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. He worked as a surveyor and practiced law when he could. After several years, he returned to York and lived for the rest of his life. He was the only lawyer in town until 1769, but business was limited in his early years.
Iron Manufacturing Failure
In 1771, he tried iron manufacturing on Codorus Creek, but the effort cost him £5,000 before he sold the operation in April 1778. Reflecting on the failure, he joked that “the one was a knave, and the other a fool,” referring to the two managers involved.
Leader of the Patriot Cause in the Pennsylvania Backcountry
From the start of rising tensions with Great Britain, James Smith took on a leading role in the Patriot Cause in Pennsylvania’s Backcountry.
- At a provincial conference in July 1774, he read his essay titled “Essay on the Constitutional Power of Great Britain over the Colonies in America.”
- He also supported both the non-importation of British goods and a meeting of all the colonies to address their concerns, which became the First Continental Congress.
Military Leader
After returning to York, he raised a volunteer company in December 1774 and became its Captain. The unit later became a battalion, and he accepted the honorary title of Colonel while younger men handled direct command.
Pennsylvania Provisional Convention
Smith served as a delegate to the provincial convention in Philadelphia in January 1775 and later attended the provincial conference from June 18 to June 25, 1776. As a strong voice for Backcountry resistance to the power of eastern counties, he helped draft resolutions calling for independence and supported efforts to improve defenses and create a new government.
During the convention, he said, “If the British administration should determine by force to effect a submission to the late arbitrary acts of the British parliament, in such a situation, we hold it our indispensable duty to resist such force, and at every hazard to defend the rights and liberties of America.”
Pennsylvania Constitution
During Pennsylvania’s 1776 Constitutional Convention, Smith served on the committee responsible for drafting a new frame of government. Less than a week after the convention opened, he was elected as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress on July 20, 1776.
Declaration of Independence
Although it is unclear if Smith was present for the vote on independence, he signed the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776.
Ongoing Service in the Continental Congress
Smith was not originally included in the delegation that was sent to Congress in February 1777; however, he was elected again on December 10, 1777. He served for the next year and declined to run for election afterward.
Smith supported strong state authority and opposed any policies that he believed might interfere with local control.
During the Philadelphia Campaign (1777–1778), British forces threatened Philadelphia, and most of the members of Congress fled to York. While there, the Board of War held its meetings in Smith’s law office.
Later Years
After he left Congress, Smith held only a few public positions. He served one term in the assembly in 1779, worked as a judge on the Pennsylvania High Court of Errors and Appeals from November 20, 1780, to May 10, 1781, and became a Brigadier General of militia in 1782.
Smith also represented Pennsylvania during the Wyoming Controversy, also known as the Yankee-Pennamite Wars. The assembly elected him to Congress again in 1785, but he declined because of his age.
From 1781 to 1801, Smith focused mainly on practicing law, and by the time he retired, he had built a large estate. A fire in the fall of 1805 destroyed his office and nearly all of his papers.
Although some people saw him as unusual, he was known for his quick wit, energetic personality, and strong memory. He was a gifted storyteller and kept a circle of friends, including many young men who studied law under him. Smith died in York on July 11, 1806.
AHC Notes
- Yankee-Pennamite Wars (1769–1799) — The Yankee-Pennamite Wars were a series of conflicts fought between Connecticut (Yankees) and Pennsylvania (Pennamites) for control of the Wyoming Valley. There were three periods of conflict: the First Pennamite War (1769–1770), the Second Pennamite War (1774), and the Third Pennamite War (1784). A truce was declared during the Third Pennamite War, and the Wyoming Valley officially became part of Pennsylvania in 1799. Yankee settlers retained their land, but became Pennsylvanians.
Marriage and Family
In 1760, he married Eleanor Armor, the daughter of John Armor of New Castle, Delaware. She and two of their five children survived him. Smith’s daughter, Mary, was the only one to marry and have children. Mary’s children had no children of their own, so there are no living descendants of James Smith.
Accomplishments and Milestones
- 1719, September 17 — James Smith was born in Ireland.
- 1729 — Smith and his family settled in York County, Pennsylvania.
- 1745 — He Smith was admitted to the bar.
- 1774, July — Smith read “Essay on the Constitutional Power of Great Britain over the colonies in America” to a provincial conference.
- 1774, December — He raised a volunteer company and was elected Captain.
- 1775, January — Smith served as a delegate to the Pennsylvania Provincial Congress.
- 1776, June — He served as a delegate to another Provincial Congress.
- 1776, July 20 — Smith was elected to the Continental Congress.
- 1776, August 2 — He signed the Declaration of Independence.
- 1777, December 10 — Smith was re-elected to the Continental Congress.
- 1778 — He sold his iron business.
- 1782 — Smith was named as a militia Brigadier General.
- 1801 — He retired from law practice.
- 1806, July 11 — Smith died in York, Pennsylvania.
AP US History Alignment
Alignment
James Smith is part of the following units, topics, and chapters in the AP US History curriculum:
- The American Revolution (Unit 3.5)
- The Road to Revolution (1763–1775)
- America Secedes from the Empire (1775–1783)
Definition
James Smith (1719–1806) — Smith was an Irish-born lawyer who moved to York County, Pennsylvania, in 1729, studied in Philadelphia, and was admitted to the bar in 1745. After working as a lawyer and surveyor near Shippensburg, he returned to York and became a leader of the backcountry and Patriot causes. In July 1774, he read his “Essay on the Constitutional Power of Great Britain over the colonies in America,” urged nonimportation, and helped push for the First Continental Congress. He signed the Declaration of Independence and later held public posts after the war.
