Noah Smith graduated from Yale University and was among the first two attorneys admitted to the Vermont bar. He played a pivotal role in Vermont's pursuit of statehood during the American Revolution, serving as a paymaster and an agent for negotiations. Smith held various judicial and legislative positions, including clerk of Bennington County’s court, member of the Vermont House of Representatives, and justice of the Vermont Supreme Court. He was instrumental in establishing local governance and community infrastructure in Milton, Vermont, where he contributed to the construction of key businesses and the Congregational church.

Noah Smith's political career reveals a unique blend of local governance and economic pragmatism, underscored by his foundational role in Vermont's statehood. His judicial service on the Vermont Supreme Court juxtaposes with his active involvement in local politics, suggesting a deeply localized approach to governance. Smith's advocacy for Vermont's economic interests during and after the American Revolution indicates a strategic alignment of personal ambition with regional development. His later imprisonment for debt, followed by a decline in mental health, adds a layer of complexity to his ideological consistency.