Benjamin Butler

Benjamin Butler
Name	Benjamin Butler
Caption	Benjamin Butler, c. 1870–1880
Order	33rd
Office	Governor of Massachusetts
Term start	January 4, 1883
Term end	January 3, 1884
Lieutenant	Oliver Ames
Predecessor	John Davis Long
Successor	George D. Robinson
Office2	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts
Term start2	March 4, 1867
Term end2	March 3, 1875
Term start3	March 4, 1877
Term end3	March 3, 1879
Predecessor3	John K. Tarbox
Successor3	William A. Russell
Constituency3	7th district
Office4	Military Governor of New Orleans
Term start4	May 1, 1862
Term end4	December 16, 1862
Appointer4	Abraham Lincoln
Predecessor4	Office established
Successor4	Nathaniel P. Banks
Birth date	November 5, 1818
Birth place	Deerfield, New Hampshire
Death date	January 11, 1893 (aged 74)
Death place	Washington, D.C.
Party	Democratic (before 1861, 1866–1878), Republican (1861–1866), Greenback (1878–1884), Democratic (1884–1893)
Spouse	Sarah Hildreth
Education	Waterville College (BA)
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Army
Serviceyears	1861–1865
Rank	Major General
Commands	Department of Virginia and North Carolina, Army of the James
Battles	American Civil War

Benjamin Butler was a polarizing United States Army officer, politician, and lawyer whose career spanned the American Civil War and Reconstruction era. Known for his controversial administration as military governor of New Orleans and his later tenure as Governor of Massachusetts, he was a Democratic congressman who switched to the Republican Party and later helped found the Greenback Party. His actions, particularly General Order No. 28 and his advocacy for Radical Reconstruction and early civil rights, made him a hated figure in the Confederacy and a complex, often scorned figure in the North.

Early life and education

Born in Deerfield, New Hampshire, he moved with his mother to Lowell, Massachusetts following the death of his father. He attended public schools before graduating from Waterville College (now Colby College) in Maine. He studied law, was admitted to the Massachusetts bar, and began a successful practice in Lowell, often representing the interests of the New England textile mill workers. This early connection to labor would profoundly influence his later political career. His legal acumen and political ambition led to his election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a Jacksonian Democrat.

Civil War service

Appointed a brigadier general in the Massachusetts Militia, he commanded troops during the Baltimore riot of 1861 and was a major general of United States Volunteers at the Battle of Big Bethel. His most famous and controversial role began with the capture of New Orleans in 1862, after which he served as its military governor. His administration was marked by strict order, including the infamous "Woman Order" (General Order No. 28), which led to his vilification as "Beast Butler" throughout the Confederacy. He later commanded the Army of the James during the Bermuda Hundred Campaign and the Siege of Petersburg, but his military performance was often criticized by superiors like Ulysses S. Grant and George B. McClellan.

Political career

Elected to the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts after the war, Butler became a leading Radical Republican. He served as a House manager during the impeachment of Andrew Johnson and was a vocal proponent of Reconstruction policies, civil rights legislation, and the prosecution of the Ku Klux Klan. He broke with the Republican Party over monetary policy, helping to organize the Greenback Party, which advocated for fiat money and debtors' rights. He also served as a member of the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Governor of Massachusetts

In 1882, he was elected Governor of Massachusetts as the nominee of both the Democratic and Greenback parties, defeating the Republican candidate. His single one-year term was contentious, marked by clashes with the Massachusetts General Court over patronage and his progressive advocacy for labor reforms, including an early push for an eight-hour workday. He was defeated for re-election by George D. Robinson.

Later life and death

After his gubernatorial defeat, he returned to his legal practice and remained politically active. He made an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 1884 on the Greenback Party and Anti-Monopoly Party tickets. He later returned to the Democratic Party and continued to write and speak on political issues until his death. He died of complications from bronchitis in Washington, D.C., and was interred in Hildreth Family Cemetery in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Legacy and historical assessment

Butler remains one of the most controversial figures of the 19th century. In the South, he is remembered as a tyrannical "Beast Butler," while modern historians often note his aggressive efforts to protect freedmen and his role as an early advocate for African-American civil rights during Reconstruction. His complex political journey from Democrat to Radical Republican to Greenback reformer illustrates the turbulent political realignments of his era. His legal career and his advocacy for New England's working class also form a significant part of his legacy.

Category:1818 births Category:1893 deaths Category:American military personnel of the American Civil War Category:Governors of Massachusetts Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts