Benjamin Joseph Franklin (March 1839 – May 19, 1898) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

, and territorial governor of

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

. Born in

Maysville, Kentucky Maysville is a "Home rule in the United States, home rule" class city in Mason County, Kentucky, Mason County, Kentucky, United States, and is the county seat of Mason County. The population was 8,873 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

, in March 1839, Franklin attended private schools, and Bethany College,

Bethany, Virginia Bethany is a town in southern Brooke County, West Virginia, Brooke County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 756 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is part of the Weirton–Steubenville metropolitan area. It is best k ...

(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 () is the county seat and largest city of Leavenworth County, Kansas, Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States. Part of the Kansas City metropolitan area, Leavenworth is located on the west bank of the Missouri River, on the site o ...

. Franklin was elected to the State senate of Kansas in 1861, but due to the outbreak of the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

never served. He entered the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

as a private. He was promoted to the rank of captain and served throughout the

. He moved to

Columbia, Missouri Columbia is a city in Missouri, United States. It was founded in 1821 as the county seat of Boone County, Missouri, Boone County and had a population of 126,254 as recorded in the 2020 United States census, making it the List of cities in Misso ...

, and engaged in agricultural pursuits. He moved to

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

, 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 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 (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

to the Forty-fourth and Forty-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1875 – March 4, 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

. 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 ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

, 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

, May 19, 1898. He was interred in Rosedale Cemetery, a section of the Pioneer and Military Memorial Park in Phoenix.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Franklin, Benjamin J. 1839 births 1898 deaths Lawyers from Kansas City, Missouri Lawyers from Phoenix, Arizona Kansas lawyers Politicians from Leavenworth, Kansas People from Maysville, Kentucky People of Kansas in the American Civil War Bethany College (West Virginia) alumni Kansas state senators Governors of Arizona Territory Confederate States Army officers Arizona Democrats Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri Kansas Democrats 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the Kansas Legislature

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