Benjamin Cromwell Franklin (April 25, 1805 – December 25, 1873) was the first judicial officeholder in the Republic of Texas.
The Republic of Texas was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846. It was bordered by Mexico to the west and southwest, the Gulf of Mexico to the southeast, the two U.S. states of Louisiana and Arkansas to the east and northeast, and United States territories encompassing parts of the current U.S. states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico to the north and west. The citizens of the republic were known as Texians.
Franklin was born in Georgia, and educated at Franklin College at the University of Georgia in Athens, before being admitted to the bar in 1827. In 1835, he travelled to Texas, and supported a declaration of war against Mexico. On April 7, 1836, he was appointed a captain in the Texas army.
Georgia is a state in the Southeastern United States. It began as a British colony in 1733, the last and southernmost of the original Thirteen Colonies to be established. Named after King George II of Great Britain, the Province of Georgia covered the area from South Carolina south to Spanish Florida and west to French Louisiana at the Mississippi River. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788. In 1802–1804, western Georgia was split to the Mississippi Territory, which later split to form Alabama with part of former West Florida in 1819. Georgia declared its secession from the Union on January 19, 1861, and was one of the original seven Confederate states. It was the last state to be restored to the Union, on July 15, 1870. Georgia is the 24th largest and the 8th most populous of the 50 United States. From 2007 to 2008, 14 of Georgia's counties ranked among the nation's 100 fastest-growing, second only to Texas. Georgia is known as the Peach State and the Empire State of the South. Atlanta, the state's capital and most populous city, has been named a global city. Atlanta's metropolitan area contains about 55% of the population of the entire state.
The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences is the founding college of the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens, Georgia, United States. The college was named in honor of Benjamin Franklin. Today, the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences comprises 30 departments in five divisions: fine arts, social sciences, biological sciences, physical and mathematical sciences, and the humanities.
The University of Georgia, also referred to as UGA or simply Georgia, is a public flagship research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia. Founded in 1785, it is one of three schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States.
In March 1836, the Republic of Texas captured a U.S.-owned brig, Pocket. Upon realising that this action could alienate the United States, the Texan government took steps to investigate the matter, and President David G. Burnet appointed Franklin district judge of Brazoria to investigate the matter. Franklin resigned his judgeship in 1839, moving to Galveston to practice law.
The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or America, is a country composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe's 3.9 million square miles. With a population of over 327 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the largest city by population is New York City. Forty-eight states and the capital's federal district are contiguous in North America between Canada and Mexico. The State of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west. The State of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, stretching across nine official time zones. The extremely diverse geography, climate, and wildlife of the United States make it one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.
David Gouverneur Burnet was an early politician within the Republic of Texas, serving as interim President of Texas, second Vice President of the Republic of Texas (1839–41), and Secretary of State (1846) for the new state of Texas after it was annexed to the United States of America.
Brazoria is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, in the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area and Brazoria County. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 3,019.
Franklin was elected to represent Galveston in the House of Representatives in the Third, Fifth, and Eighth Texas Legislatures. Franklin was also elected to serve in the Senate of the Fourteenth Texas Legislature, but died 25 December 1873, 2½ weeks before the start of the regular session
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 Census, each member represents about 167,637 people. There are no term limits, with the most senior member, Tom Craddick, having been elected in 1968.
The Third Texas Legislature met from November 5, 1849 to December 3, 1850 in its regular session and two called sessions. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1849.
The Fifth Texas Legislature met from November 7, 1853 to February 13, 1854 in its regular session. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1853.
Although it is not officially recorded, Franklin County is generally believed to have been named in his honor.
Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,605. The county seat is Mount Vernon.
