Jacob Benton

Jacob Benton (August 19, 1814 – September 29, 1892) was an American politician and attorney who served two terms as a United States Representative from New Hampshire. A member of the Republican Party, he represented New Hampshire’s third congressional district in the Fortieth and Forty-first Congresses during a significant period in American history, participating in the legislative process and representing the interests of his constituents in the years following the Civil War.

Benton was born in Waterford, Caledonia County, Vermont, on August 19, 1814, the son of Samuel S. Benton and Esther Prouty Benton. He was educated in the common schools and went on to attend Lyndon Academy and Randolph Academy in Vermont, institutions that provided a classical and preparatory education. He later enrolled at Burr and Burton Seminary in Manchester, Vermont, from which he graduated in 1839, completing the formal education that prepared him for a career in law and public life.

In 1841 Benton began the study of law with the firm of Heaton and Reed in Montpelier, Vermont. While pursuing his legal studies, he also engaged in education, becoming principal of the academy at Concord Corner, Vermont. During this period he continued his legal training under Henry A. Bellows of Littleton, New Hampshire, a prominent attorney who later became a justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Benton moved to Lancaster, Coös County, New Hampshire, in 1843, where he was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law in partnership with Ira Young. His legal practice in Lancaster established him as a leading member of the local bar and laid the foundation for his subsequent political career.

Benton entered public office as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, serving from 1854 to 1856. His legislative service in Concord coincided with the realignment of national politics in the decade before the Civil War and the rise of the Republican Party. Reflecting his growing prominence within the new party, he served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1860, participating in the convention that nominated Abraham Lincoln for the presidency. These roles underscored his engagement with the major political issues of the era and helped position him for national office.

Elected as a Republican to the Fortieth and Forty-first Congresses, Benton represented New Hampshire’s third congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1867, to March 3, 1871. His two terms in Congress came during the Reconstruction period, a time of intense national debate over the reintegration of the former Confederate states and the rights of newly freed African Americans. As a member of the Republican Party representing New Hampshire, Benton contributed to the legislative process over his two terms in office, participating in the democratic process and advocating for the interests of his constituents. In 1870 he declined to be a candidate for renomination, thereby ending his congressional service after four years.

After leaving Congress, Benton returned to Lancaster and resumed the practice of law, continuing his professional career in the community where he had long resided. In his personal life, he married Louisa Dwight in 1860, and they made their home in Lancaster. Benton remained a respected figure in local and state affairs, known for his long legal career and his service in both the state legislature and the national Congress.

Jacob Benton died in Lancaster, New Hampshire, on September 29, 1892, at the age of 78, as the result of being thrown from his carriage. He was interred at Summer Street Cemetery in Lancaster, New Hampshire. His life and career reflected the trajectory of a nineteenth-century New England lawyer-statesman who moved from local practice to state office and ultimately to service in the United States House of Representatives during one of the nation’s most consequential eras.