View source for William Smith (South Carolina politician, born 1762)

{{Short description|American politician (c. 1762–1840)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = William Smith
| image               = William Smith-SC.jpg
| jr/sr               = United States Senator
| state               = [[South Carolina]]
| term_start          = November 29, 1826
| term_end            = March 3, 1831
| predecessor         = [[William Harper (South Carolina politician)|William Harper]]
| successor           = [[Stephen Decatur Miller|Stephen Miller]]
| term_start1         = December 4, 1816
| term_end1           = March 3, 1823
| predecessor1        = [[John Taylor (South Carolina governor)|John Taylor]]
| successor1          = [[Robert Y. Hayne|Robert Hayne]]
| state_senate2       = South Carolina
| district2           = [[York County, South Carolina|York]]
| term_start2         = November 28, 1831
| term_end2           = December 17, 1831
| predecessor2        = Benjamin Person
| successor2          = William Hill
| state_house3        = South Carolina
| district3           = [[York County, South Carolina|York]]
| term_start3         = November 22, 1824
| term_end3           = November 29, 1826
| predecessor3        = ''Multi-member district''
| successor3          = William McGill
| birth_date          = {{circa|1762}}
| birth_place         = [[York County, South Carolina]]
| death_date          = June 26, {{death year and age|1840|1762}}
| death_place         = [[Huntsville, Alabama|Huntsville]], [[Alabama]], [[United States|U.S.]]
| party               = [[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]] (Before 1825)<br>[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] (1828–1840)
}}
'''William Smith''' ({{circa|1762}}{{spaced ndash}}June 26, 1840) was an American politician from the state of [[South Carolina]]. He served two terms as a Senator in the [[United States Senate]], the first from 1816 to 1823 and the second from 1826 to 1831. During his life Smith was one of the most prominent political leaders in the state of South Carolina.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Smith, William|url=http://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/smith-william/|access-date=2020-06-09|language=en-US}}</ref> He formed an intense rivalry with [[John C. Calhoun]], arguing against Calhoun's [[American nationalism|nationalist views]], and advocating for [[states' rights]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=William Smith - Online Library of Liberty|url=https://oll.libertyfund.org/people/william-smith|access-date=2020-06-09|website=oll.libertyfund.org}}</ref>
== Biography ==
=== Early life and career ===
Smith was born {{circa|1762}} in either [[North Carolina]] or [[York County, South Carolina]]. Not much is known about his early life outside of his education. He first attended a school named Bullock's Creek, where he befriended classmates [[Andrew Jackson]] and [[William H. Crawford]].<ref name=":0">O'Neall, John, B. (1859) ''Biographical Sketches of the Bench and Bar of South Carolina.'' Vol. 1. p. 106-114.</ref>{{rp|106}} Then, he attended [[Mt. Zion Institute|Mt. Zion College]] in [[Winnsboro, South Carolina]], which was the first [[College-preparatory school|preparatory school]] in the region.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-02-04|title=Mt. Zion Institute|url=https://www.scpictureproject.org/fairfield-county/mt-zion-institute.html|access-date=2020-06-10|website=SC Picture Project|language=en-US}}</ref> He once stated to a friend stated that his life could be described as "wild, reckless, intemperate, rude and boisterous, yet resolute and determined."<ref name=":0" />{{rp|107}} To that same friend he also credited all of his success to a promise he once made to his wife, Margaret Duff, to forego alcohol.<ref name=":0" />{{rp|107}}
Smith's law career began on January 6, 1784 when he was admitted to the bar. In one notable case, his client who had been charged for killing a horse failed to appear before the court. Smith did not see the man for a number of years until he ran into him in the Hall of the House of Representatives. The man, known to Smith by the surname "Elchinor", now went by the name [[John Alexander (Ohio politician)|John Alexander]] and was a Representative for the state of [[Ohio]]. Smith ensured that Representative Alexander paid him for his previous services.<ref name=":0" />{{rp|108}}
=== Political career ===
Smith became a member of the [[South Carolina Senate]] in the early 1800s and ended his career in that body as Senate President. In 1808 he became a judge. As a jurist his temperament was considered "tyranical but fair."<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Freehling, William W., 1935-|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/24955035|title=Prelude to Civil War : the nullification controversy in South Carolina, 1816-1836|date=1992|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0-19-507681-8|location=New York|oclc=24955035}}</ref>{{rp|97}} Then In 1816, Smith was elected a [[United States Senate|United States Senator]], after defeating Charles D. Pringle for the seat. Shortly after taking office, Smith began a political feud with [[John C. Calhoun]] which would last the duration of his political career in South Carolina.<ref name=":1" />{{rp|98}}
The feud between Calhoun and Smith resided in their different political philosophies, when Smith joined the Senate, Calhoun was still a nationalist who believed in internal infrastructure improvements and a "broad construction" of the [[Constitution of the United States|Constitution]], two concepts which Smith found repugnant.<ref name=":1" />{{rp|98}} In response to Calhoun's growing popularity, Smith formed a coalition of States' Rights allies which included [[Thomas Cooper (American politician, born 1759)|Thomas Cooper]], [[Stephen Decatur Miller]], [[Josiah J. Evans]], and [[David Rogerson Williams]].<ref name=":1" />{{rp|98}} The South Carolina nationalists led by Calhoun "favored a few national roads because of national military necessity", they repudiated small-scale local appropriations.<ref name=":1" />{{rp|98}} But, to the Smith faction, even roads for purported military use would instead be used to bolster the economy of other states.<ref name=":1" />{{rp|99}} This concept of South Carolina in competition with the nation for economic prosperity was common at the time in the South Carolina elite.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Downey|first=Tom|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/46403540|title=Planting a capitalist south : the transformation of western South Carolina, 1790-1860|publisher=Louisiana State University Press|year=2005|isbn=978-0-8071-3531-0|pages=70–71|oclc=46403540}}</ref>
A member of the [[planter class]], Smith owned several [[Plantation complexes in the Southern United States|plantations]] and at least 71 [[Slavery in the United States|slaves]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/smith-william/ | title=Smith, William }}</ref> Smith was one of the first Southerners to argue, at the time of the [[Missouri Compromise]] in 1820, that American slavery was a [[Slavery as a positive good in the United States|"positive good"]], arguing that the enslaved were "so domesticated, or so kindly treated by their masters, and their situations so improved" that few would express discontent with their condition. In 1828, seven electors from [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] chose him for vice president, instead of Calhoun, the Democratic nominee. He was also a  splinter candidate for vice president in 1836: Virginia refused to accept [[Richard Mentor Johnson]] as the Democratic vice presidential candidate, and voted for the ticket of [[Martin Van Buren]] and William Smith, putting Johnson one [[Electoral College (United States)|electoral vote]] short of a majority; the Senate went on to elect Johnson.
In 1832, he moved to Louisiana, having lost his political base in South Carolina. In 1836, he moved on to [[Huntsville, Alabama]], and was elected to the [[Alabama House of Representatives]] for [[Madison County, Alabama|Madison County]] from August 1, 1836, holding that seat for the rest of his life.
On March 3, 1837, outgoing President [[Andrew Jackson]] nominated Smith to the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]]. Five days later, the newly seated [[United States Senate|Senate]] of the [[25th United States Congress|25th Congress]] confirmed Smith's nomination by a vote of 23–18. However, Smith declined the appointment and did not serve.<ref>{{cite web|title=Supreme Court Nominations: present-1789|url=https://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/nominations/Nominations.htm|publisher=Office of the Secretary, United States Senate|location=Washington, D.C.|access-date=August 26, 2018}}</ref>
==References==
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==External links==
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{{s-bef|before=[[John Taylor (South Carolina governor)|John Taylor]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of United States Senators from South Carolina|U.S. Senator (Class 2) from South Carolina]]|years=1816–1823|alongside=[[John Gaillard]]}}
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{{s-bef|before=[[William Harper (South Carolina politician)|William Harper]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of United States Senators from South Carolina|U.S. Senator (Class 3) from South Carolina]]|years=1826–1831|alongside=[[Robert Y. Hayne|Robert Hayne]]}}
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{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]] nominee for [[Vice President of the United States]]<sup>(1)</sup>|years=[[1828 United States presidential election|1828]]}}
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{{s-ttl|rows=3|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] [[List of United States Democratic Party presidential tickets|nominee]] for [[Vice President of the United States]]<sup>(2)</sup>|years=[[1836 United States presidential election|1836]]}}
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{{s-aft|after=[[Littleton Waller Tazewell|Littleton Tazewell]]<sup>(3)</sup>}}
{{s-ref|The [[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]] nominee split this year between Smith and [[John C. Calhoun|John Calhoun]].|The [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee split this year between Smith and [[Richard Mentor Johnson|Richard Johnson]].|The [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee was split this year between three candidates.}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, William}}
[[Category:1760s births]]
[[Category:1840 deaths]]
[[Category:Democratic Party (United States) vice presidential nominees]]
[[Category:Democratic-Republican Party United States senators]]
[[Category:Democratic Party United States senators from South Carolina]]
[[Category:Members of the Alabama House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Democratic Party South Carolina state senators]]
[[Category:South Carolina lawyers]]
[[Category:South Carolina Democratic-Republicans]]
[[Category:1828 United States vice-presidential candidates]]
[[Category:1836 United States vice-presidential candidates]]
[[Category:Unsuccessful nominees to the United States Supreme Court]]
[[Category:19th-century American lawyers]]
[[Category:19th-century American judges]]
[[Category:19th-century American legislators]]
[[Category:American proslavery activists]]
[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]]
[[Category:United States senators who owned slaves]]
[[Category:19th-century Alabama politicians]]