Smith Thompson graduated from Princeton University and practiced law in New York. He served in various capacities within the New York State government and judiciary, including as an associate and chief justice of the New York State Supreme Court. Thompson transitioned to federal service, first as Secretary of the Navy and later as a justice of the United States Supreme Court. Throughout his career, he demonstrated leadership in significant legal cases, including dissenting in *Cherokee Nation v. Georgia* and presiding over the Circuit Court trial in the Amistad case.

Smith Thompson's judicial career reveals a unique blend of ideological rigor and calculated flexibility. His dissent in *Cherokee Nation v. Georgia* showcases an unexpected challenge to federal authority on Native American rights, hinting at a nuanced approach to sovereignty. Thompson's promotion of religious values in the Navy, through distributing Bibles, juxtaposes with his judicial stance, suggesting a complex interplay between personal beliefs and legal interpretation.