[1] His mother was from a prominent Philadelphia family; her father, William West, was known for supporting the Patriot cause during the American Revolution.

[8] In 1826, Stewart was selected to serve as secretary of a meeting of supporters of Democratic-Republican John Montgomery, who was running for reelection as mayor of Baltimore.

[20][21] In 1845, he was a member of the committee Baltimore's Democrats formed to arrange civic honors to commemorate the death of Andrew Jackson.

[25] In early 1848, Stewart was one of the managers of a Baltimore Democratic Party ball held to celebrate American success in the war with Mexico.

[26] In mid to late 1848, he was one of the prominent Democrats who organized the Baltimore campaign for the presidential ticket of Lewis Cass and William O.

[27] Stewart was also active in civic causes; In May 1848, he was one of the leaders of a mass public meeting held to plan and implement relief efforts for victims of a recent fire that had destroyed 60 Baltimore homes and several commercial buildings.

[28] In August 1848, was named a vice president of Baltimore's Friends of Ireland, an organization created to provide aid to the Irish people during the famine of 1845 to 1852.

[29] In June and July 1849, Stewart was one of the Baltimore Democrats who took part in organizing and conducting honors to commemorate the death of former president James K.

[30][31] In December 1849, Stewart was appointed to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Reverdy Johnson.

[38] In February 1851, he was among several prominent Baltimore residents who publicly petitioned Congress for regular steamship routes between the U.S. and Liberia as part of the colonization movement.

[39] In September 1851, Stewart was a delegate to that year's state Democratic convention,[40] which was held to nominate candidates for statewide offices in that November's elections, and he called the meeting to order as its temporary chairman.

[42] During that month, Stewart was also named a manager of the mayoral committee created to organize a public reception for Hungarian revolutionary Lajos Kossuth, who was then visiting the United States.

[43] In December 1851, Stewart was one of the managers of a ball sponsored by the city Democratic committee which celebrated the new year and also honored Kossuth.

[44] Stewart continued to remain active in the Democratic Party, and took part in numerous organizational meetings and conventions as an officer and delegate.

[47] After Pierce won the November 1852 election, in December Stewart was one of the organizers of a celebratory ball sponsored by Baltimore's Democratic Party.