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Gerrit Smith
Overview
Gerrit Smith (1797–1874) was one of the most consequential American abolitionists, reformers, and philanthropists of the nineteenth century. He served in the United States Congress, ran for president three times (as the Liberty Party candidate in 1848 and 1852, and as an independent in 1856), was a member of the Secret Six who covertly funded John Brown’s 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry, and was one of the largest landowners in New York State. He enrolled as a freshman at Hamilton College in 1814–15, placing him among the institution’s very first cohorts of students, roughly two years after the college received its charter.
Relevance to Research
Smith appears by name in the Hamilton College Catalogue for 1814–15, listed in the Freshman class as “Gerrit Smith, Smithfield” — referring to his family’s estate in Madison County, New York (later known as Peterboro). This is the primary Hamilton source documenting his connection to the college. The catalog places him among approximately 19 freshman students under President Rev. Azel Backus, S.T.D., at a time when the entire institution numbered roughly 50–60 students across four classes. The catalog source note flags his identification as requiring manual verification, but his name, class year, and listed hometown are consistent with his known biography. His Hamilton enrollment at approximately age 17–18 makes him one of the college’s earliest historically significant alumni.
Notes
Role: Alumnus; enrolled as Freshman, 1814–15 Key events: - Listed in the Freshman class of the Hamilton College Catalogue 1814–15 as “Gerrit Smith, Smithfield” - “Smithfield” refers to the Smith family estate in Madison County, NY (later the village of Peterboro), where his father Peter Sken Smith had established a major landholding - Enrolled under President Rev. Azel Backus in an institution with four faculty and approximately 50–60 students total - Did not complete his degree at Hamilton; later completed his education elsewhere - Became a major figure in the American antislavery movement and a central patron of radical abolitionism - Member of the Secret Six, the group that secretly funded John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry (1859) - Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives; ran for president under the Liberty Party in 1848 and 1852 - One of the largest landowners in New York State; donated land to formerly enslaved people as part of land reform efforts