Meet Dutchess County’s Founding Father, Melancton Smith

MILLBROOK— If the name Melancton Smith doesn’t ring a bell, it’s not surprising, according to a presentation by Robert McHugh at the Millbrook Historical Society. But Smith played a very important role in early Dutchess County’s political history.

McHugh is a history teacher at Arlington High School, as well as a dedicated member of the Millbrook Historical Society. He often presents programs and has a following of students who attend. His talks are informative, often with wry touches of humor. McHugh knows obscure but fascinating facts about his subjects, so it’s not surprising his students enjoy being in the audience.

Smith was born in Queens in 1744 to a middle-class family, although by the time his father died, the family had amassed 200 acres of land. Smith was the ninth of 14 children.

Smith had little formal education, but throughout his life he was known as a man of good sense, with a keen interest for politics. When in his 20s he moved to Dutchess County, for a time, clerking in a store in Poughkeepsie. His brother, Sam, purchased land in Washington Hollow, Charlotte Precinct, in the late 1760s, and Smith joined him. The brothers owned a grist mill in Pleasant Valley.

Smith married in 1766, but his wife, Sarah, died in 1770. He remarried in 1772, to a Quaker, Margaret Mott, following a tumultuous courtship due to the intense dislike his future father-in-law felt toward him.

He first became active in politics in 1773 at the age of 29, being named first a poor master, and then highway overseer.

As the Revolution drew near, his sympathies were on the side of the Americans. In 1775 he was elected to the New York provincial congress, one of 10 members from Dutchess County. He was to become one of the most radical members. During the Revolution he wore many hats: he organized, and became leader of the first minute man brigade in the county.

Smith and two other men from Dutchess County were appointed commissioners for detecting and defeating conspiracies in the state against the liberties of America. When the need arose, they put people in prison, sometimes in Poughkeepsie, sometimes on prison ships that were anchored in the Hudson River.

Often Loyalists had land and goods confiscated, and Smith, along with Philip Hart and Samuel and Joseph Mabbett, bought confiscated lands. 

In 1777 he was appointed sheriff of Dutchess County, serving four one-year terms.

His political ally and patron, George Clinton, became governor of the state at this time.

In 1784, Smith sold his farm in Charlotte (which would shortly become Washington), and moved to New York City.   

Serving Confederation Congress from 1785 to 1787, he served with distinction in spite of the fact that some thought him below the honor, not having a formal education. He fought against slavery, advocated for Native American rights, religious freedom, and, in the Land Ordinance of 1784, he opposed the religious funding component of the ordinance.

Smith’s claim to fame, however, involves the Ratification of the Constitution. A document was sent to the states in September, 1787. By May 8 of the following year, eight states had ratified, but New York was still on the fence. The state was doing well, with major shipping from New York City all along the Hudson, importing and exporting.

New York chose 65 delegates; Smith represented one of those from Dutchess County despite having moved to the city. There were conventions, discussions and elections, many with Federalists leaning against ratification.

Ultimately, it was decided to go through the document line by line. Amendments were proposed, recalls took place.

After a period, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify and Virginia the 10th. If New York didn’t join them, it would no longer hold its informal place as the capital of the country — it would be outside of the new congress. 

Smith had reservations and persisted in blocking the ratification, but he finally relented when he was allowed to insist that it was upon consideration that if no Bill of Rights was laid out in two years, it would be null and void. He then further backed down, agreeing to use “in full confidence of” instead of “upon consideration of.” 

Many saw Smith as a turncoat, and it cost him a bid for the Senate and his friendship with Clinton. But his vote allowed for New York to help ratify the Constitution.