Benjamin Morgan Palmer was born on January 25, 1818 in Charleston, South Carolina. He attended Amherst College from 1832 until 1834, taught from 1834 until 1836, and then attended the University of Georgia, where he graduated with his bachelor’s degree in 1838. From 1839 until 1841, Palmer attended Columbia Theological Seminary. Palmer served as a pastor from 1842 through 1855, taught at Columbia Theological Seminary from 1853 until 1856 and served as a pastor at First Presbyterian Church of New Orleans from 1856 until 1902. Palmer defended slavery from the pulpit and advocated for secession from the Union. Benjamin Morgan Palmer was struck by a street car on May 5, 1902 and died twenty days later on May 25, 1902.