Benjamin White Norris (January 22, 1819 – January 26, 1873) was a

U.S. Representative 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 c ...

from

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

Early life and education

Born in Monmouth, Maine, Norris prepared for college at Monmouth Academy, and was graduated from Waterville College (now

Colby College Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. It was founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, then renamed Waterville College after the city where it resides. The donations of Christian philanthr ...

), Maine, in 1843. He taught one term in Kents Hill Seminary. He engaged in the grocery business in

Skowhegan, Maine Skowhegan () is the county seat of Somerset County, Maine. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 8,620. Every August, Skowhegan hosts the annual Skowhegan State Fair, the oldest continuously-held state fair in the United States. Skowh ...

. He served as delegate to the Free-Soil Convention at Buffalo in 1848. He went to

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

in 1849, remaining one year, then returned to Skowhegan, and studied law. He was admitted to the bar of Somerset County in January 1852 and commenced practice there.

Political career

Norris served as land agent for the State of Maine 1860-1863, and was a delegate to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

in 1864. He served as paymaster in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

in 1864 and 1865. He was appointed

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

and additional paymaster in the Bureau of Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, serving from May 1 to August 2, 1865, at

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...

. Norris resided on a plantation in Wetumpka, Elmore County until 1872. He served as member of the

constitutional convention Constitutional convention may refer to: * Constitutional convention (political custom), an informal and uncodified procedural agreement *Constitutional convention (political meeting), a meeting of delegates to adopt a new constitution or revise an e ...

in 1868. Upon the readmission of Alabama to representation, he was elected as a Republican to the

Fortieth Congress The 40th 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. from March 4, 1867, ...

and served from July 21, 1868, to March 3, 1869. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1870 to the Forty-second Congress. He also was the 2nd Chairman of The Alabama Republican Party holding the position from 1868-1870. He died in

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 202 ...

, January 26, 1873. He was interred in South Cemetery, Skowhegan, Maine.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Norris, Benjamin White 1819 births 1873 deaths Maine lawyers People from Wetumpka, Alabama Colby College alumni Alabama Free Soilers People from Skowhegan, Maine Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama 19th-century American politicians People from Monmouth, Maine 19th-century American lawyers