Representative Archibald Smith Clarke

Archibald Smith Clarke (1788 – December 4, 1821) was a U.S. Representative from New York and a Democratic-Republican officeholder in early nineteenth-century New York State politics. He was born in 1788 on a plantation in Prince George’s County, Maryland, into a family that would later produce multiple members of Congress; his brother, Staley Nichols Clarke, also served as a U.S. Representative from New York. Details of his parents and early family life are not extensively documented, but his upbringing on a Maryland plantation placed him within the agrarian society that shaped many early American political figures.

Clarke attended local grammar and high schools in his youth, receiving the foundational education typical of aspiring professionals of his era. He subsequently pursued legal studies, reading law in the customary manner of the time rather than through a formal law school. After completing his legal training, he was admitted to the bar and relocated to western New York, where he established a law practice in Niagara County. His move to New York coincided with the region’s rapid development following the American Revolution and reflected the broader westward movement of professionals and entrepreneurs seeking opportunity in the expanding state.

Clarke’s public career began at the county level. In 1808 he was appointed surrogate of Niagara County, a judicial and administrative office dealing primarily with probate and related matters, and he served in that capacity in 1808 and 1809. His work as surrogate brought him into closer contact with the legal and political affairs of the growing community and helped establish his reputation as a capable lawyer and public servant.

Building on this local prominence, Clarke entered state politics as a member of the New York State Assembly, serving from 1809 to 1811. His tenure in the Assembly placed him in Albany during a period of significant political realignment and debate over issues such as internal improvements and the balance of power between state and federal authorities. After a brief interval out of the legislature, he advanced to the upper chamber of the state legislature, serving in the New York State Senate from 1813 to 1816. During these years he represented the interests of western New York at a time when the region was still on the frontier of settlement and commerce. Concurrently, he held the office of Niagara County clerk in 1815 and 1816, managing important county records and further consolidating his role in local governance.

Clarke’s state-level experience led to his election to the national legislature. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, he was elected to the Fourteenth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Representative Peter B. Porter. He took his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives on December 2, 1816, and served until the end of the congressional term on March 3, 1817. His brief service in Congress occurred in the immediate aftermath of the War of 1812, during a period when issues such as war debt, military organization, and the nation’s economic recovery were before the House. Although his term was short and specific details of his committee assignments and floor activity are not extensively recorded, his election underscored the confidence his constituents in western New York placed in his judgment and experience.

After leaving Congress in March 1817, Clarke did not return to national office. He remained in western New York, where he continued his legal and civic activities amid the region’s ongoing growth, which would soon be accelerated by the planning and construction of the Erie Canal. His later years were spent in Clarence, New York, then a developing community in Erie County. Archibald Smith Clarke died in Clarence on December 4, 1821. His career, though relatively brief, reflected the trajectory of many early nineteenth-century American politicians who combined legal practice with service in local, state, and national offices, and his family’s continued presence in Congress through his brother Staley Nichols Clarke underscored the Clarke family’s role in the political life of New York during that era.