William Loughton Smith

William Loughton Smith ( * 1758 in Charleston, South Carolina, † December 19, 1812 ) was an American politician. Between 1789 and 1797 he represented the state of South Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Career

William Smith was born during the British colonial period in Charleston. Between 1770 and 1774, he attended schools in the mother country England. In London, he studied law in 1774 also. He then continued his education 1774-1778 in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1783 he returned to Charleston. There he was admitted to the bar in 1784, after which he was engaged in this profession. He also managed outside of Charleston an estate. At the same time Smith began a political career. In the years 1787 and 1788 he was a member of the House of Representatives of South Carolina. In addition, he held some local offices in Charleston. Smith has been a supporter of the pro- Administration Group of Alexander Hamilton and George Washington. Consequently, he later joined the Federalist Party, founded by Hamilton.

In the elections for the first Congress in 1788, Smith was elected in the first district of South Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives. There he entered on March 4, 1789, his new mandate. After four elections he could remain until his resignation on July 10, 1797 in Congress. In 1791, the first ten amendments were adopted to the Constitution of the United States. 1795 was followed by the 11th Amendment. Smith was 1793-1795 Chairman of the Election Committee. Since 1795 he was a member of the Committee on Ways and Means, which he chaired even temporarily.

Between 1797 and 1801, Smith was ambassador to Portugal. In the meantime he was also provided as ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. But he has not started this office. In the years 1804, 1806 and 1808, Smith competed unsuccessfully for his return to the Congress. In 1808 he was a lieutenant in the state militia. In the same year he was again elected to the House of Representatives of his State. Smith was also president of the Santee Canal Co. and vice president of the Charleston Library Society and the St. Cecilia Society. He died on 19 December 1812 in his hometown of Charleston.