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 the ...

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 = 135,7 ...

Early life

Shields was born at his family's plantation in

Abbeville, South Carolina Abbeville is a city and county seat of Abbeville County, in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is located west of Columbia and south of Greenville. Its population was 5,237 at the 2010 census. Settled by French Huguenot settlers, it was ...

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 Demopolis is the largest city in Marengo County, in west-central Alabama. The population was 7,162 at the time of the 2020 United States census, down from 7,483 at the 2010 census. The city lies at the confluence of the Black Warrior River and ...

, in Marengo County 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 st ...

Career

Shields became a member of the

Alabama House of Representatives The Alabama State House of Representatives is the lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of state of Alabama. The House is composed of 105 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency contain ...

in 1834. Between March 4, 1841, and March 3, 1843, he served as a Democrat in the Twenty-seventh Congress. 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 (18 ...

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 ...

. 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 ''The Union Democrat'' is a newspaper that serves the Sonora and Sierra Nevada foothills area of Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearl ...

. After the U.S. Civil War, Shields moved to Texas and became one of the few Republicans 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 James Stephen "Jim" Hogg (March 24, 1851March 3, 1906) was an American lawyer and statesman, and the 20th Governor of Texas. He was born near Rusk, Texas. Hogg was a follower of the conservative New South Creed which became popular followin ...

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