Benjamin O. Watrous

{{Short description|Texas politician}}

Benjamin O. Watrous(1819-?) was a wheelwright, minister, constitutional convention delegate, and state legislator in Texas. He was African American. He was known as Ben Carter when he was young. He was a Republican. He campaigned for a state senate seat in 1869 but lost to Matthew Gaines.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/watrous-benjamin-o|title=Watrous, Benjamin O.|first=Texas State Historical|last=Association|website=Texas State Historical Association}}

He was born in McMinn County, Tennessee. He was enslaved.{{Cite web |title=Forever Free The Biographies |url=https://www.tsl.texas.gov/exhibits/forever/biographies/page10.html |website=www.tsl.texas.gov}}

Carrie Watrous was his wife.{{Cite web|url=http://www.afrotexan.com/legislators/politicians/watrous.htm|title=Watrous|website=www.afrotexan.com}} He was a member of the Union Loyal League.{{Cite journal |last=Pitre |first=Merline |date=1988 |title=The Evolution of Black Political Participation in Reconstruction Texas |url=https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1970&context=ethj |journal=East Texas Historical Journal |volume=26 |issue=1 |article-number=8}}

He lost the vote to become speaker of the Texas House of Representatives by three votes. He was one of 52 African-American men who were in the Texas legislature or were delegates to the 1868-1869 Texas Constitutional Convention.{{Cite web|url=https://www.texasalmanac.com/articles/african-american-legislators-of-the-19th-century|title=African American Legislators of the 19th Century|first=Texas State Historical|last=Association (TSHA)|website=Texas Almanac}}