Robert Smith (Cabinet member)
| Robert Smith | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 6th United States Secretary of State | |
|
In office March 6, 1809 – April 1, 1811 |
|
| President | James Madison |
| Preceded by | James Madison |
| Succeeded by | James Monroe |
|
United States Attorney General Acting |
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In office March 2, 1805 – August 7, 1805 |
|
| President | Thomas Jefferson |
| Preceded by | Levi Lincoln |
| Succeeded by | John Breckinridge |
| 2nd United States Secretary of the Navy | |
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In office July 27, 1801 – March 4, 1809 |
|
| President | Thomas Jefferson |
| Preceded by | Benjamin Stoddert |
| Succeeded by | Paul Hamilton |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 3, 1757 Lancaster, Province of Pennsylvania |
| Died | November 26, 1842 (aged 85) Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican Party |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Smith |
| Alma mater | Princeton University |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Presbyterianism |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | Continental Army |
| Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War |
Robert Smith (November 3, 1757 – November 26, 1842) was the second United States Secretary of the Navy from 1801 to 1809 and the sixth United States Secretary of State from 1809 to 1811. He was the brother of Senator Samuel Smith.
Smith was born in Lancaster in the Province of Pennsylvania. During the American Revolutionary War, he served in the Continental Army and participated in the Battle of Brandywine. He graduated from Princeton in 1781 and began to practice law in Maryland. Smith became the Presidential Elector in the Electoral College for Maryland in 1789, then a member of state's senate from 1793 to 1795, and finally a member of Maryland's house of delegates from 1796 to 1800. President Thomas Jefferson appointed him as Secretary of the Navy in July 1801 after William Jones declined the position. On March 2, 1805, the Senate confirmed the appointments of Smith as United States Attorney General and Jacob Crowninshield as Secretary of the Navy. However, Crowninshield declined his appointment, so Smith briefly served as both Attorney General and Secretary of the Navy. Eventually, President Jefferson appointed John Breckinridge to replace Smith as Attorney General and Smith resumed his role as a full-time Secretary of the Navy. Smith finally left the office of Secretary of the Navy with the end of President Jefferson's administration on March 4, 1809. Jefferson's successor, President James Madison, immediately appointed Smith as Secretary of State, an office which he held from March 6, 1809, until his forced resignation on April 1, 1811.
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