Gerrit Smith (1797-1874), American philanthropist and reformer, was a founder of the radical-abolitionist Liberty party.

Gerrit Smith was born on March 6, 1797. His father, a partner of merchant John Jacob Astor, was one of the biggest landowners in the nation. Smith graduated in 1818 from Hamilton College. He inherited not only the estate but also his father's intense concern for religious truth. He settled with his first wife, Ann Backus, daughter of Hamilton College's president, in the family home in Peterboro, N.Y.

Smith's concern for religious salvation took him into the Presbyterian Church, where he was associated with such reform causes as tract distribution and Sabbath observance. His developing views, however, caused him to build his own "Church of Peterboro" on more liberal principles, and he himself often preached in the church's chapel. His benefactions ranged from individual gifts to distributions of funds for the relief of old maids...