James McCune Smith (1813 - 1865)

Born 18 Apr 1813 in New York City, New York, USA

Descendants

Died 17 Nov 1865 at age 52 in Williamsburg, Long Island, New York, USA

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Biography

James Smith is Notable.

No man in this country more thoroughly understands the whole struggle between freedom and slavery, than does Dr. Smith, and his heart is as broad as his understanding. ~ Frederick Douglass^[1]

James McCune Smith was a physician, statistician, writer, and abolitionist. He was the first Black American to earn a medical degree, though he had to leave the country to do it. Frederick Douglass also said that Smith was "the single most important influence on his life."^[1]

James McCune Smith was born into slavery in New York City on April 18, 1813, and freed at age 14 by the Emancipation Act of New York in 1827. His mother, Lavinia Smith, was born into slavery in South Carolina and had been brought to New York as a slave by his father, Samuel Smith, the white merchant who owned her. James did exceptionally well in school but was denied entry to Columbia. He applied to and was accepted by the University of Glasgow in Scotland. After attaining his medical degree in 1837, he returned to New York determined to fight for civil rights.^[2]

He married Malvina Barnett, a woman of African and European ancestry, c.1844 in New York. They had eleven children, but only five survived to adulthood.^[2] By 1850 he and Malvina had their first three children, James, Henry, and Amy, and were living in New York City with his mother and other possible relatives.^[3] Henry and Amy died before 1855,^[4] and so did two other infants, Peter William (c.1852-1854) and Frederick Douglas (1854-1854). Three more children, Mary Maud or Muriel, Donald, and John were born and lived to be counted on the census in 1860. His mother and a live-in servant were counted with them as well. ^[5]

By 1865 his mother had died and he'd moved the family to a safer neighborhood in Brooklyn. Another son, listed as George B. was Guy Beaumont (b.1862).^[6]

He died in Brooklyn, Kings, New York on November 17, 1865,^[7] of congestive heart failure at age 52,^[2] and is buried at Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn.^[8] His grave was unmarked until 2010 when a tombstone was placed at the site by newly-found descendants.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Heidi L. Lujan and Stephen E. DiCarlo, "First African-American to hold a medical degree: brief history of James McCune Smith, abolitionist, educator, and physician," Advances in Physiology Education, 43: 134 –139, 2019 (Article online : accessed 2 November 2020); quoting from Douglass' Monthly 1-3: 1859–1861 (United States, 1969).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Wikipedia contributors, "James McCune Smith," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_McCune_Smith (accessed January 23, 2021).
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (Census record : accessed 2 November 2020), James M Smith in household of Lavinia Smith, New York City, ward 5, New York, New York, United States; citing family 885, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

   Lavinia Smith Female 67 South Carolina

   Sarah Williams Female 57 New York

   Amelia Jones Female 47 New York

   Mary Hewlett Female 53 New York

   James M Smith Male 37 New York

   Malvina Smith Female 25 New York

   James W Smith Male 5 New York

   Henry M Smith Male 3 New York

   Amy G Smith Female 0 New York

4. ↑ "New York State Census, 1855," database with images, FamilySearch (Census record : accessed 2 November 2020), James Mccune Smith, E.D. 3, Ward 5, New York City, New York, New York, United States; citing p. , line #34, family #19, county clerk offices, New York; FHL microfilm 1,018,653.

   James McCune Smith Head Male 42

   Malvina Smith Wife Female 30

   James W Smith Son Male 9

   Lavina Smith Mother Female 65

5. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (Census record : 2 November 2020), Jas M Smith, 1860.

   Jas M Smith Male 47 New York

   Malvina Smith Female 35 New York

   James Smith Male 14 New York

   Mary Smith Female 4 New York

   Donald Smith Male 2 New York

   John Smith Male 0 New York

   Lavina Smith Female 75 South Carolina

   Catherine Grelis Female 23 Ireland

6. ↑ "New York State Census, 1865," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVNV-MJMN : 31 December 2020), James H Smith, Ward 13, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States; citing Census, p. 41, citing multiple county Clerks; Warren and Lewis County Board of Supervisors; multiple counties in New York; Utica and East Hampton Public Libraries, New York.

   James H Smith Male 52

   Melvina Smith Wife Female 40

   James W Smith Son Male 19

   Muriel Smith Daughter Female 9

   Donald B Smith Son Male 7

   John M Smith Son Male 5

   George B Smith Son Male 3

   Catharine Grelis Servant Female 28

   Sarah Williams Boarder Female 72

7. ↑ "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949," database, FamilySearch (Death record : accessed 2 November 2020), James McCune Smith, 17 Nov 1865; citing Death, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,323,661.
8. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com : accessed 02 November 2020), memorial page for Dr James McCune Smith (18 Apr 1813–17 Nov 1865), Find A Grave: Memorial #59240574, citing Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn, Kings County (Brooklyn), New York, USA; Maintained by contributor 46889469.
9. ↑ "Descendants of 1st black US doctor mark NYC grave," New York Daily News (Web page : accessed 2 November 2020).

See also:

• "America’s First Black Physician Sought to Heal a Nation’s Persistent Illness" in Smithsonian Magazine by Bryan Greene, published 26 Feb 2021. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/james-mccune-smith-america-first-black-physician-180977110/
• Thomas M. Morgan, MD, "The Education and Medical Practice of Dr. James McCune Smith," Journal of the National Medical Association, v.95 (7), (Jul 2003) pp. 603-614.
• "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (Census record : accessed 2 November 2020), James Smith, New York City, New York County, New York, United States; citing p. 108, NARA microfilm publication, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll ; FHL microfilm.
• 1859 NYC directory (residential address) - "U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995," database with images, Ancestry.com (Shareable record : accessed 2 November 2020), James Mccune Smith; citing New York, New York, City Directory, 1859.
• 1859 NYC Directory (business address) - "U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995," database with images, Ancestry.com (Shareable record : accessed 2 November 2020), James Mccune Smith; citing New York, New York, City Directory, 1859.
• 1862 IRS Tax Assessment - "U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918," database with images, Ancestry.com (Shareable image : accessed 2 November 2020), James McCune Smith, 1862, New York; citing The National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Internal Revenue Assessment Lists for New York and New Jersey, 1862-1866; Series: M603; Roll: 54; Description: District 4; Monthly Lists; Nov 1862-Dec 1863; Record Group: 58, Records of the Internal Revenue Service, 1791 - 2006.
• His son Donald's marriage record, evidence that James' wife Malvina's birth surname was Barrett - "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940," database, FamilySearch (Marriage record : accessed 2 November 2020), James Mccune Smith in entry for Donald Barnett Smith and Marie Munn Baker, 04 Nov 1877; citing Marriage, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York City Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,562,244.
• Dictionary of American biography Vol. 17, (American Council of Learned Societies, 1943) p. 288
• The Legacy of James McCune Smith, MD—The First US Black Physician JAMA, 14 Dec 2021, Volume 326, Number 22.