1) Samuel Smith was a prominent Quaker in New Jersey who helped establish the Brotherton Reservation in 1758, one of the first areas set aside for Native Americans. 2) Smith wrote the first published history of New Jersey in 1765 to document the contributions of Quakers to settling the colony. It was printed using Benjamin Franklin's old press from Antigua. 3) As a leader in New Jersey politics, Smith worked to peacefully resolve conflicts between colonists and Native Americans and advocated for the rights of Indians.

1. Alongwith other prominentNew
Jersey Quakers,Smith felt very stronglythata
peaceful solution could befound to the“Indian
War” thathad been weighingon New Jersey for
three years in the mid-1750s.In 1757,hedrafted
a Constitution fortheNew Jersey Association
for HelpingtheIndians.Agroup solely
comprised of Quakermembers, this Association
was responsible,in part, forthe formation of
the Brotherton Reservation in 1758for
dispossessed DelawareIndiansin Burlington,
New Jersey. Noted as “oneof the first charitable
institutions in thestate”,theBrotherton
Reservation is often considered thefirst“Indian
Reservation” in theUnited States;itwas not
until roughlythe1830s that thefederal
government began settingasidetracks ofland
to be used for reservation purposes. The
chapter entitled ThePresentState of IndianAffairs
in New Jersey in Smith’s History of NewJersey is
the most thorough sourceofinformation about
the formation of the Reservation.(The
manuscriptpictured aboveis held atthe
Morristown NHP,Lloyd W. Smith archival
collection.)
Sources By Samuel Smith
The History of the
Colony of Nova Cӕsaria,
or New Jersey
Archives ofthe State ofNew Jersey,Series I,Vol. IX, pgs. 394-
395.
Felcone,Joseph J. Printing in New Jersey 1754-1800.
Worcester: AmericanAntiquarian Society, 2012:
37-40.
Fennelly, Catherine. "WilliamFranklinofNew Jersey." The
WilliamandMary Quarterly, 3rd ser., 6, no. 3 (July
1949): 361-82.
Gummere,Amelia Mott. "The 'Friendly Institution'of
Burlington, NewJersey." The Pennsylvania
Magazine ofHistory andBiography 21,no. 3
(1897): 347-60.
Green, James N. Philadelphia Library Co. "Informationon
Benjamin Franklin's Antigua Press."E-mail
message.June 26, 2014.
Larrabee, EdwardMcM. "Recurrent Themes andSequences in
North AmericanIndian-European Culture
Contact." Transactions ofthe American
Philosophical Society 66, no. 7 (1976): 1-52.
Schermerhorn, WilliamE. History ofBurlington,New
Jersey (Enterprise Publishing Company: Burlington,
NJ, 1927), pgs. 254-255.
Sutton, Imre. "SovereignStates andtheChanging Definition
ofthe IndianReservation." GeographicalReview
66, no. 3 (July 1976): 281-95.
Samuel Smith and the Native
Americans
Influence on Other Works
Theresearch thatSmith had donefor his
book was used in numerous otherhistories,and
he directlycontributed his timeand knowledgeto
the followingbooks:
TheHistory of Pennsylvania byRobertProud
History of the Quakers(1772 ed.)byWilliamSewel
Laws of New Jersey by Samuel Allinson
TheGrants, Concessions,and Original Constitutions
of the Provinceof New Jersey by Aaron Leamingand
JacobSpicer
CelebratingNew Jersey’s 350th Anniversary
Morristown NHP, LloydW. Smith rare book collection
Morristown National
Historical Park

2. Benjamin Franklin’s Antigua
Press
Samuel Smith’s bookwas printed on a
press (similartothe oneshown above) supplied
by Benjamin Franklin tobeused by his
apprentice,Thomas Smith (norelation to
Samuel Smith),in Antigua in 1748.Franklin’s
nephew,Benjamin Mecom, apprenticetoJames
Parker,took over the production in Antigua
after Thomas’ death in 1752.Afterbeing
relocated from Antigua several times,the press
landed in storagein New York, whereit stayed
until 1765.
James Parker, a partnerof Franklin’s,
ran a press in Woodbridge,New Jersey. He
wrote in a letter to Franklin thathewould like
to havethe Antigua press broughtto
Burlington,New Jerseybecausehehad
promised Samuel Smith that,if he were to print
his book, it would be donein Smith’s
hometown.Thepress,dulyarrived in
Burlington,enabled James Parkertopublish the
History of New Jersey for his friend Samuel
Smith.When the printingwas finished in 1766,
the press was senttoFranklin’s old housein
Philadelphiawhereitwas used byWilliam
Goddard to printthePennsylvania Chronicle
until 1774.
Biography: Samuel Smith
(1720-1776)
Samuel Smith was the eldestson of
Richard Smith and Abigail Raper.Richard was
the grandson ofRichard Smith theelder,who,
alongwith his sons John and Daniel,signed as
original proprietors ofWestJersey in 1677.
When hewas young, Samuel worked
with his fatheras a merchantin the West India
tradebusiness in Philadelphia.Aftermoving
backto his home in Burlington,New Jersey,he
becamea very active politician. His longlistof
titles includes:firstrankleaderin theassembly
of New Jersey’s Council;memberand Secretary
of the King’s Council; and Treasurerofthe
Western Division ofthe Colonyof New Jersey.
Samuel served on the council under
GovernorWilliamFranklin (son ofBenjamin
Franklin),whohandpicked his assemblymen
from thearistocrats oftheprovince,those
whomhe considered personal friends.Franklin
had nopatiencefor disorder;therefore, hesided
with the British to subdueanycommotion
stirred up by the colonists.His council,
includingSmith, remained loyal tohimuntil
late1775 when hewas forced to concedeto a
more liberal policy. Earlierthatyear, Samuel
Smith had resigned dueto health concerns
leavingopen a position thatFranklin was
unableto fill.Smith passed awayJuly13,1776.
It is unclearwhetherhehad formed an
allegiancetoeitherside of the independence
debate atthe time of his passing.
Published in 1765, Smith’sbookwas not
made likebooks today.A press printed each page
alongsideseven others on onelargesheet.The sheet
was then folded and cutin orderto get a grouping
of eight pages.Each groupingwas then fastened to
the nextwith thread which resulted in theridges
visibleon the exterior spineofthe book; similarto
how a threering binderholds papers forus today.
Thecover of thebook is calfskin and thepages are
made of linen fiberpaper.Accordingto Joseph J.
Felcone,the Morristown edition is theonly
survivingcopyof the first issueof the book that
includes theflowerornamentin each compartment
alongits spine.
The Book
The History of New Jersey:
Why did he write this book?
As a Quakerhimself, Samuel Smith was
very involved with the Quakercommunity of New
Jersey and Pennsylvania. Thecommunityhad long
desired thata historybewritten of the twocolonies
emphasizingtheFriends’ contribution tothe
settlementof thearea. Though Smith produced the
manuscript,itwas neverpublished (This
manuscriptis believed held attheNew Jersey
Historical Society).Smith,however,used this
research as themain sourcefor his book on New
Jersey which becamethefirst published historyof
the colonyin 1765.