Benjamin Sweet

Benjamin J. Sweet
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 19th district
In office
January 1, 1861 – January 1, 1862
Preceded bySamuel H. Thurber
Succeeded byGeorge A. Jenkins
Personal details
Born
Benjamin Jeffery Sweet

(1832-04-24)April 24, 1832
Kirkland, New York, U.S.
DiedJanuary 1, 1874(1874-01-01) (aged 41)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Spouses
  • Lovisa Loveland Denslow
  • (died 1878)
Children
Parents
  • James Sweet (father)
  • Charlotte (Newell) Sweet (mother)
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Union Army
Years of service1861–1865
Rank
Commands21st Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

Benjamin Jeffery Sweet (April 24, 1832 – January 1, 1874) was an American lawyer, politician, public administrator, and Union Army officer. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate and a Deputy Commissioner of Internal Revenue.

Sweet is also an important figure in the history of women's rights. The founding document he prepared for the town of Lombard, Illinois, stated that "all citizens" are entitled to vote. In 1891, Ellen A. Martin invoked that provision and voted, 29 years before women were empowered by an amendment to the Constitution to vote in the United States. His two daughters, Ada Celeste Sweet and Winifred Bonfils were also important figures in the history of the battle for women's rights.