John Smilie

John Smilie (1741 – December 30, 1812) was an American politician from Fayette, Pennsylvania.

He served in both houses of the state legislature and represented Pennsylvania in the U.S. House from 1793 until 1795 and from 1799 to 1812. Smilie was a prominent Jeffersonian, and was identified with the "'Quid" branch of the party. In 1806-07, during the debates over the abolition of the slave trade, Smilie was among the most outspoken against the evils of the slave trade. He argued that slaves illegally imported after 1808 should be freed, and that slave smugglers deserved the death penalty. Neither provision was adopted.

Smilie was born in Ireland and immigrated around 1760, settling first in Lancaster County. He moved to Fayette in 1780. He was elected to the Thirteenth Congress in 1812 but died before it opened.

He died in Washington, D.C., aged 71, and is buried in the Congressional Cemetery there.

Further reading

• Everett, Edward. "John Smilie, Forgotten Champion of Early Western Pennsylvania." Western Pennsylvania Historical Magazine 33 (September–December 1950), 77–89.

External links

• Biographic sketch at U.S. Congress website
• Grave Location in the Congressional Cemetery

Political offices
Preceded by John Woods	Member, Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, representing Fayette County November 2, 1786 – November 19, 1789	Succeeded by Nathaniel Breading
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by None	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's at-large congressional district 1793-1795	Succeeded by None
Preceded by William Findley	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 11th congressional district 1799–1803	Succeeded by John Baptiste Charles Lucas
Preceded by Andrew Gregg	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 9th congressional district 1803–1812	Succeeded by Isaac Griffin