Charles Benjamin Norton was born on July 1, 1825, in Hartford, Connecticut.

He was an American archivist, historian, publisher, editor, and bookseller. In 1857, he founded and published Norton's Literary Letter, a series of historically informative catalogues. Before 1861, Norton was a dealer in rare books in New York City, making occasional trips to Europe, buying books from distinguished libraries, and donating or reselling them for public and private use. In 1861, he donated many books to the library at Harvard University. He was mostly known for his Literary Gazette, the country's first library periodical. In 1853, the Literary Gazette organized the first library convention, becoming the predecessor to the American Library Association. During the American Civil War, Norton served with distinction in the Union Army as a quartermaster in a New York Regiment and later as a Lieutenant Colonel in the 5th Army Corps on the staff of Gen. Fitz John Porter. In 1867, he was appointed and served as US Commissioner to the Paris Exposition Universelle.

He died on January 29, 1891, in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.