Thomas Smith (124)

Thomas Smith (5 September 1728–2 December 1793) was a merchant and a member of the American Philosophical Society, elected in 1768. Born in Philadelphia, he learned the mercantile business in his family’s counting houses and by the age of twenty-five had partnered with his father, Samuel Smith. Within four years Thomas had opened his own store where he sold oil, rum, spices, and powder and shot, among other items. A supporter of the colonies during the Revolutionary War, Smith signed the Non-Importation Agreement and became increasingly involved with the financial logistics of independence. He signed the bills of credit that Congress authorized in 1775 and the following year was appointed commissioner of the Pennsylvania Loan Office. In 1777 with the British army approaching Philadelphia, Smith was tasked with relocating public monies to a safe location outside the city. After the war, Smith continued his work in the Loan Office but failed to capture the position he had hoped for: state treasurer. Smith’s sons Richard Peters Smith and Thomas Peters Smith were APS members. (PI)