Benjamin F. Rice
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Franklin Rice was a Republican
politician from Arkansas
who represented the state in the U.S. Senate from 1868 to 1873.
, on May 26, 1828; his schooling was private. He studied law, and upon his admission to the bar began practice in Irvine, Kentucky
, in which state's house of representatives he served from 1855 to 1856. In 1856 he served as a presidential elector for the Republican ticket; in 1860 he moved to Minnesota
, where he began service as a Union captain during the Civil War
. Eventually he gained promotion to the rank of major in position of judge advocate with the 3rd Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment
.
In 1864 Rice settled in Little Rock, Arkansas
and resumed his law practice. He was active in organizing the Republican Party in the state, and was appointed the chair of a committee which in 1868 prepared the state's code of practice. Upon readmission of Arkansas to the Union, Rice was elected to the Senate, serving from 1868 to 1873 and holding at one point the chairmanship of the Committee on Mines and Mining.
On returning home, Rice resumed his law practice; he moved to Colorado
for health reasons in 1875, then back to Washington, D.C.
in 1882, where he continued his practice until his death. He died in Tulsa, Oklahoma
on January 19, 1905, and was buried Oaklawn Cemetery in Tulsa.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician from Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
who represented the state in the U.S. Senate from 1868 to 1873.
Biography
Rice was born in East Otto, New YorkEast Otto, New York
East Otto is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,105 at the 2000 census. The town is named after an agent of the Holland Land Company, Jacob Otto.The Town of East Otto is on the northern border of the county....
, on May 26, 1828; his schooling was private. He studied law, and upon his admission to the bar began practice in Irvine, Kentucky
Irvine, Kentucky
Irvine is a city in and county seat of Estill County, Kentucky, United States. Its population was 2,843 at the 2000 census. It is located on the Kentucky River at the junction of Kentucky Route 52 and Kentucky Route 89....
, in which state's house of representatives he served from 1855 to 1856. In 1856 he served as a presidential elector for the Republican ticket; in 1860 he moved to Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, where he began service as a Union captain during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Eventually he gained promotion to the rank of major in position of judge advocate with the 3rd Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment
3rd Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 3rd Regiment, Minnesota Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union army during the American Civil War. It fought in several campaigns in the Western Theater.-Service:...
.
In 1864 Rice settled in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
and resumed his law practice. He was active in organizing the Republican Party in the state, and was appointed the chair of a committee which in 1868 prepared the state's code of practice. Upon readmission of Arkansas to the Union, Rice was elected to the Senate, serving from 1868 to 1873 and holding at one point the chairmanship of the Committee on Mines and Mining.
On returning home, Rice resumed his law practice; he moved to Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
for health reasons in 1875, then back to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1882, where he continued his practice until his death. He died in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
on January 19, 1905, and was buried Oaklawn Cemetery in Tulsa.