Benjamin Joseph Franklin
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Joseph Franklin (March 1839 – May 18, 1898) was a U.S. Representative
from Missouri
, and territorial governor of Arizona
.
Born in Maysville, Kentucky
, in March 1839, Franklin attended private schools, and Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia (now West Virginia) from 1849 to 1851.
He taught school.
He studied law.
He was admitted to the bar in 1859 and commenced practice in Leavenworth, Kansas
.
Franklin was elected to the State senate of Kansas in 1861, but due to the outbreak of the Civil War
never served.
He entered the Confederate States Army
as a private.
He was promoted to the rank of captain and served throughout the Civil War
.
He moved to Columbia, Missouri
, and engaged in agricultural pursuits.
He moved to Kansas City, Missouri
, in 1868 and resumed the practice of law.
He served as prosecuting attorney for Jackson County, Missouri from 1871 to 1875.
Franklin was elected as a Democrat
to the Forty-fourth and Forty-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1879).
He served as chairman of the Committee on Territories (Forty-fifth Congress).
He was a candidate for renomination, but withdrew.
He again engaged in the practice of law in Kansas City, Missouri
.
He was appointed United States consul at Hankow, China, in 1885.
He returned to the United States in 1890 and settled in Phoenix, Arizona
, and engaged in the practice of law.
He was appointed Governor of the Territory of Arizona and served from April 18, 1896, to July 29, 1897.
He died in Phoenix, Arizona
, May 18, 1898.
He was interred in Rosedale Cemetery.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, and territorial governor of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
Born in Maysville, Kentucky
Maysville, Kentucky
Maysville is a city in and the county seat of Mason County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 8,993 at the 2000 census, making it the fiftieth largest city in Kentucky by population. Maysville is on the Ohio River, northeast of Lexington. It is the principal city of the Maysville...
, in March 1839, Franklin attended private schools, and Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia (now West Virginia) from 1849 to 1851.
He taught school.
He studied law.
He was admitted to the bar in 1859 and commenced practice in Leavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth is the largest city and county seat of Leavenworth County, in the U.S. state of Kansas and within the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area. Located in the northeast portion of the state, it is on the west bank of the Missouri River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
.
Franklin was elected to the State senate of Kansas in 1861, but due to the outbreak of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
never served.
He entered the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
as a private.
He was promoted to the rank of captain and served throughout the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
He moved to Columbia, Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
, and engaged in agricultural pursuits.
He moved to Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, in 1868 and resumed the practice of law.
He served as prosecuting attorney for Jackson County, Missouri from 1871 to 1875.
Franklin was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the Forty-fourth and Forty-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1879).
He served as chairman of the Committee on Territories (Forty-fifth Congress).
He was a candidate for renomination, but withdrew.
He again engaged in the practice of law in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
.
He was appointed United States consul at Hankow, China, in 1885.
He returned to the United States in 1890 and settled in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, and engaged in the practice of law.
He was appointed Governor of the Territory of Arizona and served from April 18, 1896, to July 29, 1897.
He died in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, May 18, 1898.
He was interred in Rosedale Cemetery.