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

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

, U.S.A

Early life and education

Born in

Monmouth, Maine Monmouth is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. Monmouth is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 4,066 at the 2020 census. A popular summer resort area with many l ...

, 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, United States. Founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, it was renamed Waterville College in 1821. The donations of Christian philanthropist Gardner ...

), 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, United States. 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 Unit ...

. He served as delegate to the Free-Soil Convention at

Buffalo Buffalo most commonly refers to: * True buffalo or Bubalina, a subtribe of wild cattle, including most "Old World" buffalo, such as water buffalo * Bison, a genus of wild cattle, including the American buffalo * Buffalo, New York, a city in the n ...

in 1848. He went to

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

in 1849, remaining one year, then returned to Skowhegan, and studied law. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

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 Republican Party in the United States. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal o ...

in 1864. He served as paymaster in the Union Army in 1864 and 1865. He was appointed Major (United States), major and additional paymaster in the Bureau of Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, serving from May 1 to August 2, 1865, at Mobile, Alabama. Norris resided on a plantation in Wetumpka, Alabama, Wetumpka, Elmore County, Alabama, Elmore County until 1872. He served as member of the Constitutional convention (political meeting), constitutional convention of

in 1868. Upon the readmission of Alabama to representation, he was elected as a Republican Party (United States), Republican to the 40th United States Congress, Fortieth Congress and served from July 21, 1868, to March 3, 1869. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1870 to the 42nd United States Congress, Forty-second Congress. He also was the 2nd Chairman of The Alabama Republican Party holding the position from 1868 to 1870. He died in Montgomery, Alabama, 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 People from Monmouth, Maine 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives