Benjamin F. Livingston
Benjamin F. Livingston (April 1841[1] – 1926) was a politician, grocer, and brick mason in the United States.[1] An African American, he was born into slavery.[2] After emancipation, he was appointed a County Commissioner for Jackson County, Florida, serving from 1868 until 1870.[1][2] He served from 1871 until 1875 in the Florida House of Representatives representing Jackson County, Florida during the Reconstruction era.[1] While there he voted for a civil rights bill in 1873.[2]
In 1876 he was a delegate at the Republican Party's national convention.[2] By 1877 he was reported to be living in Marianna, Florida.[3] After serving in the Florida House of Representatives he became the Marianna postmaster for five years from 1880 until 1885.[1] While the postmaster he was also a Marianna councilman from 1882 until 1884.[1]
Livingston's 2-year-old son was killed in September 1869 during an assassination attempt on an African American constable who was escorting a church group.[2] After 1900, Livingston and his remaining eight children moved to Bartow, Florida, where he died in 1926.[2]
He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Bartow.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f Brown, Canter (September 23, 1998). Florida's Black Public Officials, 1867-1924. University of Alabama Press. ISBN 9780817309152 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d e f White, Diane Dean (March 30, 2013). "Finding and Remembering Benjamin F. Livingston — Slave, Politician, Father to a Murdered Child".
- ^ Florida, United States Congress House Special committee on investigation of the election in (September 23, 1877). "Testimony Taken Before the Special Committee on Investigation of the Election in Florida: Proceedings". U.S. Government Printing Office – via Google Books.
- ^ "The Polk County Democrat". ufdc.ufl.edu. p. 17. Retrieved 26 September 2020.