Benjamin Harrison
23rd President of the United States
(March 4, 1889 to March 3, 1893)
Full Name: Benjamin Harrison
Nicknames: "Kid Gloves Harrison"; "Little Ben"
Born: August 20, 1833, in North Bend, Ohio
Died: March 13, 1901, in Indianapolis, Indiana
Father: John Scott Harrison (1804-1878)
Mother: Elizabeth Ramsey Irwin Harrison (1810-1850)
Married: Caroline Lavinia Scott (1832-1892), on October 20, 1853; Mary Scott Lord Dimmick (1858-1948), on April 6, 1896
Children: Russell Benjamin Harrison (1854-1936); Mary Scott Harrison (1858-1930); Elizabeth Harrison (1897-1955)
Religion: Presbyterian
Education: Graduated from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio (1852)
Occupation: Lawyer
Political Party: Republican
Other Government Positions:
- United States Senator, 1881-87
Presidential Salary: $50,000/year
Presidential Election Results:
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
1888 Benjamin Harrison 5,447,129 233
(map) Grover Cleveland 5,537,857 168
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
1892 Grover Cleveland 5,555,426 277
(map) Benjamin Harrison 5,182,690 145
James B. Weaver 1,029,846 22
Vice President Levi P. Morton (1889-93)
Cabinet:
- Secretary of State
- James G. Blaine (1889-92)
John W. Foster (1892-93) - Secretary of the Treasury
- William Windom (1889-91)
Charles Foster (1891-93) - Secretary of War
- Redfield Proctor (1889-91)
Stephen B. Elkins (1891-93) - Attorney General
- William H. H. Miller (1889-93)
- Postmaster General
- John Wanamaker (1889-93)
- Secretary of the Navy
- Benjamin F. Tracy (1889-93)
- Secretary of the Interior
- John W. Noble (1889-93)
- Secretary of Agriculture
- Jeremiah M. Rusk (1889-93)
Supreme Court Justices:
David Josiah Brewer (1890-1910)
Henry Billings Brown (1891-1906)
George Shiras, Jr. (1892-1903)
Howell Edmunds Jackson (1893-1895)
Notable Events:
- 1889
- The first Pan-American Conference begins in Washington, D.C.
- 1890
- Sherman Anti-Trust Act enacted forbidding business practices that restrain trade and commerce.
- Sherman Silver Purchase Act signed into law.
- McKinley Tariff passed Congress.
- 1891
- Circuit Court of Appeals created to relieve the demands on the Supreme Court.
- 1892
- A brawl between American sailors and Chilean nationals that killed two Americans led to escalating tensions and the threat of war. Chile back down three months later.
- On October 25, Harrison's wife, Caroline, died.
- 1893
- Harrison sent troops to Hawaii to protect the new provisional government. A month later he asked Congress to annex Hawaii. Congress did not act.
Internet Biographies:
- Benjamin Harrison -- from The Presidents of the United States of America
- Compiled by the White House.
- Benjamin Harrison -- from The American President
- From the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, in addition to information on the Presidents themselves, they have first lady and cabinet member biographies, listings of presidential staff and advisers, and timelines detailing significant events in the lives of each administration.
- Benjamin Harrison -- from Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Facts about Harrison and his presidency.
Videos:
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America's Presidents - Benjamin HarrisonPres. Benjamin Harrison’s Fear of Electricity - a Presidential Story Ep. 22Graverobbers Stole Body of Pres. Benj. Harrison’s Father - a Presidential Story Ep. 45Benjamin Harrison | 60-Second Presidents | PBSOldest Known Recording of a US President1 / 2
Historical Documents:
- Inaugural Address (1889)
- Public Papers and Addresses of Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)
- Benjamin Harrison Digital Collections - from the Library of Congress
Other Internet Resources:
- The Best Biographies of Benjamin Harrison
- In 2012, Stephen Floyd started his search for the best biography of each president. He usually has reviews of multiple biographies for each president.
- Health and Medical History of Benjamin Harrison
- Medical background of each president with references. Compiled by John Sotos, MD.
- The President Benjamin Harrison Home
- Tourist information available as well as short biographies of Harrison and his two wives. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Points of Interest:
North Bend, Ohio
1230 N Delaware St, Indianapolis, IN 46202
North Bend, Ohio
1230 N Delaware St, Indianapolis, IN 46202
Additional Facts:
- Harrison was the first grandson of a president to become president.
- Harrison was the first president to use electricity in the White House, installed by Edison General Electric Company. However, he and his wife would not touch the light switches for fear of being electrocuted and often went to bed with the lights left on.
- Harrison was the first president to have his voice recorded.
- More states joined the Union during Harrison's presidency than during any other president's term - six.
- During Harrison’s administration, Congress appropriated $1 billion in annual spending for the first time.