JAMES MADISON DOCUMENT APPOINTING SAMUEL SMALLWOOD AND SAMUEL SMITH JUSTICES OF THE PEACE

Madison, James

Published by [City of Washington], 1808

Autograph document signed by James Madison, dated October, A.D. 1808. One sheet, w 19.5 cm. x h 25.5 cm., folded across center. In Very Good condition. Light plus age-toning overall, with some minor tears and edgewear. The text is both typeset and handwritten, legible, and reads as follows: "Samuel N. Smallwood and Samuel H. Smith Esqrs. whose names are subscribed to the annexed instrument in writing, are and were at the date thereof Justices of the Peace for the County of Washington in the District of Columbia, duly appointed by the President of the U States." Document boldly signed as Secretary of State "James Madison", bearing an official wax and paper seal with ribbon. This formal document from the office of James Madison appoints Samuel Nicholas Smallwood (1772-1824) and Samuel H. Smith as Justices of the Peace. Outside of their role as justices, both Smallwood and Smith had instrumental careers in early D.C. history. The document is significant not only in its relevance to the office of James Madison, but also the career of Samuel H. Smith, who facilitated the purchase of Thomas Jefferson's collection for the Library of Congress, and Samuel Smallwood, the first popularly elected mayor of D.C. with an impactful career both inside and out of political office. Both Alexandria County and the District of Columbia were governed by levy courts of providentially appointed Justices of the Peace. Before 1802, justices were appointed by the governors of Maryland and Virginia; afterward, the President appointed justices until the role was disbanded in 1871. Samuel Nicholas Smallwood (1772-1824) was the first popularly elected mayor of Washington, D.C., serving as the fifth and seventh mayor of the city. Appointed to a one-year term in 1819, Smallwood was elected the following year to a two-year term, which he served from 1820-1822. Before his time as mayor, Smallwood facilitated the building of the two most prestigious construction projects in the new capital: he quarried rock for the foundation of the White House and was overseer of the enslaved people who built the U.S. Capitol in 1795. By 1804, he was a leading lumber and building supplies merchant in the city. Additionally, Smallwood owned a major pier in the city, Smallwood's Wharf, on the Anacostia River. He signed the article incorporating what would become Congressional Cemetery on April 4, 1807. He was also a bank director and an incorporator for the Washington Canal, which was built in 1815. Serving as an Alderman beginning in 1804, Smallwood became mayor of Washington in 1819. In 1820, the United States Congress amended the city charter to allow the mayor to be popularly elected, which Smallwood then was within the same year. In 1821, Mayor Smallwood and the Board of Aldermen imposed new, more onerous restrictions on free Black people to limit their movement and dissuade others from settling in Washington. Smallwood also worked on legislation to establish the District's prison and asylum, keep the river navigable, mandate that chimneys be swept regularly to avoid fires, and prevent the abuse of horses. He oversaw the 11th St. Bridge construction to connect D.C. with present-day Anacostia, replacing those burned by the British in the War of 1812. He also created the first City Hall, now the city's Supreme Court, and erected a brick wall around the Congressional Cemetery. Smallwood was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1804, 1807, 1812, 1817, and 1823. This document retroactively officialized his second term. Samuel H. Smith was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1807, 1812, 1817, 1823, 1828, and 1833. This document retroactively marks his first term holding the position. Five years after this appointment from James Madison, Samuel Smith was appointed Commissioner of the Revenue in 1813. [Treasury Department, Reve. office] As commissioner, Smith was responsible for receiving all incoming federal revenue for District projects and infrastructure, an incredibly significant posi. Seller Inventory # 1382461

Bibliographic Details

Title: JAMES MADISON DOCUMENT APPOINTING SAMUEL ...
Publisher: [City of Washington]
Publication Date: 1808
Signed: Signed by Author(s)