Benjamin Glover Shields (January 9, 1811 – November 15, 1892) was an American politician and a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

Early life

Shields was born at his family's plantation in Abbeville, South Carolina on January 9, 1811. He was a son of Milley Harris Glover Shields and Samuel Bayard Shields. His father was originally from Newcastle County, Delaware, but his maternal grandfather was a wealthy planter from Abbeville. He later moved with his father to

Clarke County, Alabama Clarke County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,087. The county seat is Grove Hill. The county's largest city is Jackson. The county was created by the l ...

, and later resided at Demopolis, Alabama, in

Marengo County Marengo County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,323. The largest city is Demopolis, and the county seat is Linden. It is named in honor of the Battle of ...

where he completed preparatory studies, before entering Franklin College in

Athens, Georgia Athens, officially Athens–Clarke County, is a consolidated city-county and college town in the U.S. state of Georgia. Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta, and is a satellite city of the capital. The University of Georgia, the sta ...

Career

Shields became a member of the Alabama House of Representatives in 1834. Between March 4, 1841, and March 3, 1843, he served as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

in the

Twenty-seventh Congress The 27th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. between March 4, 1 ...

. In 1845, he was commissioned by President

James K. Polk James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. He previously was the 13th speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and ninth governor of Tennessee (183 ...

as United States Chargé d'Affaires to

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

. He remained in this position until January 7, 1850. Upon returning to the United States, he became an opponent of secession, ran unsuccessfully for Governor as a Union Democrat. After the

U.S. Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states t ...

, Shields moved to Texas and became one of the few

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

s in Texas. From 1874 to 1879, he served as U.S. Collector of Customs at the

Port of Galveston The Port of Galveston is the port of the city of Galveston, Texas. It was established by a proclamation issued by the Congress of Mexico on October 17, 1825, while the land known today as Texas was still part of Mexico. The Port of Galveston is ...

Personal life

In April 1832, Shields was married to Sarah Thomas Harwell, a daughter of Dr. Ishmael P. Harwell. He died at his home near

Marlin, Texas Marlin is a city in Falls County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,462 at the 2020 census. Since 1851, it has been the county seat of Falls County. Marlin has been given the nickname "The Hot Mineral Water City of Texas" by the 7 ...

on November 15, 1892, as a result of a cold he caught while riding in the rain to cast his vote for president on behalf of

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 23rd president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia–a grandson of the ninth pr ...

and for governor on behalf of Jim Hogg.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shields, Benjamin Glover 1811 births 1892 deaths Democratic Party members of the Alabama House of Representatives 19th-century American diplomats Ambassadors of the United States to Venezuela People from Abbeville, South Carolina People from Demopolis, Alabama Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama 19th-century American legislators