Benjamin Hanford was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 politician during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He made two unsuccessful runs for the post of Vice President of the United States

Vice President of the United States

The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...

, as Eugene Debs' running mate as a candidate of the Social Democratic Party

Social Democratic Party (United States)

The Social Democratic Party of America was a short-lived political party in the United States, established in 1898. The group was formed out of elements of the Social Democracy of America , and was a predecessor to the Socialist Party of America, established in 1901.-Forerunners:Following the...

, in 1904 and 1908.

Early life

Benjamin Hanford was born in Cleveland

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

, the son of George Byington Hanford and Susan Elizabeth (Martin) Hanford. Susan died in Benjamin's infancy, and his father married Frances Jane Thompson, who influenced Benjamin by helping him develop a taste for literature. He later married Alice M. Burnhand. While working in Marshalltown

Marshalltown, Iowa

Marshalltown is a city in and the county seat of Marshall County, Iowa, United States. The population was 27,552 in the 2010 census, an increase from the 26,009 population in the 2000 census. -History:...

, Iowa

Iowa

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

, for the newspaper the Republic, Hanford learned the trade of printing. Hanford later moved to Chicago, Illinois, and became a member of the Chicago Typographical Union.

Political career

During his political career, Hanford was a three-time Social Democratic Party candidate for governor of the state of New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. Hanford ran unsuccessfully in 1898, 1900, 1902. During this time, he was also the Socialist Democratic party candidate for mayor of New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

in 1901, although he was unsuccessful. Hanford was later the running mate to Eugene Debs during the 1904 and 1908 United States presidential elections. During his middle and later life, Hanford was known to take about three months out of each year to tour the United States and make political addresses. When not on the political trail, Hanford was known for using his printing background to further aid the Socialist cause; leaflets and pamphlets produced by Hanford's printing press were said to have been distributed in the millions. In 1909, Hanford produced a book titled Fight for Your Life!: Recording Some Activities of a Labor Agitator.

Works

• McKinley, Bryan or Debs? New York : G. Speyer, 1900
• What workingmen's votes can do Chicago : National Committee of the Socialist Party, 1904
• The labor war in Colorado New York: Socialistic Co-operative Pub. Association, 1904 (Volkszeitung library Vol. VI #4)
• Speeches of acceptance of Eugene V. Debs and Ben. Hanford: candidates of the Socialist Party for President and Vice-President; delivered at the National Convention of the Socialist Party held at Chicago, May 1-6, 1904. Chicago: National Committee of the Socialist Party, 1904
• Fight for your life! Recording some activities of a labor agitator. New York, Wilshire Book Co., 1909