Smith A. Boughton was an American physician and political activist. Nicknamed "Big Thunder", he was best known as one of the leaders of upstate New York's Anti-Rent War in the 1830s and 1840s.

The Anti-Rent War was a tenants' revolt in upstate New York between 1839 and 1845. The Anti-Renters declared their independence from the manor system run by patroons, resisting tax collectors and successfully demanding land reform. The conflict resulted in the passage of laws that made feudal tenures illegal and outlawed leases greater than 12 years.