The colorful lives of the controversial Bentons provide us with a fascinating look at two great Missourians.
The fiery Senator Thomas Hart Benton survived several duels, championed the territorial expansion of the US and bravely fought to keep Missouri in the union. His great grand-nephew and namesake, the renowned painter who gained fame for his murals and the style called regionalism, became Missouri’s most famous 20th-century artist. The fascinating histories of these two strong, independent, gifted men encompass vividly different and exciting periods in our state history.