Benjamin Gratz Brown

Unconditional Unionist Senator of Missouri

Congresses Served

Senate Terms

January 1, 1826 (59 years old)

Birthday

January 1, 1885

Death

Served as the 20th Governor of Missouri from 1871 to 1873.
Elected to the U.S. Senate as a member of the Unconditional Union Party, serving from 1863 to 1867.
Played a significant role in the founding of the Liberal Republican Party in 1870.
Was a vice presidential candidate for both the Liberal Republican and Democratic parties in the 1872 presidential election.
Advocated against slavery and was a key figure in the Free Soil movement in Missouri.
Worked to keep Missouri in the Union during the Civil War and served as a colonel in the Union Army.
Resigned from the Senate in 1867 due to health issues.
Opposed President Andrew Johnson’s Reconstruction policies and supported civil rights legislation.
Had a legal background, establishing a law practice in St. Louis, Missouri.
Engaged in a duel over the slavery issue, resulting in a lifelong limp from a leg injury.