John Speed Smith was a U.S. Representative

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 from Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

, father of Green Clay Smith

Green Clay Smith

Green Clay Smith was a U.S. soldier and politician. He served as a major general during the Civil War, was a congressman from Kentucky and was the Territorial Governor of Montana from 1866 to 1869. He also ran for President of the United States on the Prohibition ticket in 1876...

.

Born near Nicholasville, Kentucky

Nicholasville, Kentucky

Nicholasville is the 11th largest city in state of Kentucky and the county seat of Jessamine County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 19,680 at the 2000 census...

, Smith attended a private school in Mercer County.
He studied law.
He was admitted to the bar

Admission to the bar in the United States

In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...

 in 1812 and commenced practice in Richmond, Kentucky

Richmond, Kentucky

There were 10,795 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. Of all households, 34.7% were made up of individuals and 8.8% had...

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During the War of 1812 enlisted as a private, and subsequently promoted to major.
He served as aide-de-camp to General Harrison with the rank of colonel.
He served as member of the state house of representatives in 1819.

Smith was elected as a Republican to the Seventeenth

17th United States Congress

The Seventeenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1821 to March 3, 1823, during the fifth and sixth...

 Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of George Robertson and served from August 6, 1821, to March 3, 1823.
He was not a candidate for renomination in 1822.
He was again a member of the state house of representatives in 1827, 1830, 1839, 1841, and 1845, and served as speaker in 1827.
United States district attorney for Kentucky 1828-1832.
He served as member of the state senate 1846-1850.
He died in Richmond, Kentucky

Richmond, Kentucky

There were 10,795 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. Of all households, 34.7% were made up of individuals and 8.8% had...

, June 6, 1854.
He was interred in Richmond Cemetery.

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