Our Presidents
                       Benjamin Harrison
                          Twenty-third
                          1889 - 1893

"President Benjamin Harrison" our twenty-third President was born in North Bend, Ohio, the son of a Congressman, grandson of the ninth United States President, "President William Henry Harrison" and great grandson of  the signer of the "Declaration of Independence".

President Benjamin Harrison went to a log schoolhouse on his father's farm, graduated from "Miami University", (now Ohio University), studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1854. In 1853, President Benjamin Harrison married "Caroline Lavinia Scott". President Benjamin Harrison and Caroline Lavinia Scott had two children.

President Benjamin Harrison and his family moved to Indianapolis, Indiana after their marriage and there President Benjamin Harrison began his law career by serving as court crier and taking any small cases he could get.

As President Benjamin Harrison became more successful, he interested himself in politics and became an enthusiastic Republican, holding a few minor political offices.

When the "Civil War" broke out, President Benjamin Harrison organized a regiment and was  "Colonel Benjamin Harrison" for three years during which he served well. Toward the end of the "Civil War" President Benjamin Harrison was promoted to "Brigadier General Benjamin Harrison."

After the "Civil War", President Benjamin Harrison's law practice thrived and he became prominent enough in Republican politics to run for "Governor of Ohio" in 1876. President Benjamin Harrison lost the election, but was elected "United States Senator" in 1881.

In the Senate, President Benjamin Harrison supported civil reform and was much interested in "Indian Affairs" and the government of the territories. At the"1888 Republican Convention", President Benjamin Harrison was nominated to run against "President Grover Cleveland".

In the campaign, President Benjamin Harrison's backers made the most of his distinguished family and his farm and log schoolhouse beginnings, and President Benjamin Harrison won the electoral vote by a small margin, although President Grover Cleveland had the greater popular vote.

As soon as President Benjamin Harrison became President, he realized that his party only wanted him as a figurehead to hand out jobs to Republican office seekers. President Benjamin Harrison developed a dislike for the Republican Party bosses and their pressures, but President Benjamin Harrison was no fighter, and Congress took over the leadership of his administration.

In the campaign, President Benjamin Harrison had promised to raise tariffs to protect eastern manufacturers, and President Benjamin Harrison carried out his promise with the "McKinley Tariff Act". Congress was generous with money, giving a pension to any veteran who could not do hard work.

"The Silver Purchase Act", passed in 1890 was intended to please farmers and silver-producing states, but it started the gold drain on the Treasury that President Grover Cleveland faced in his second term.

Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison died in 1892, and President Benjamin Harrison, after he had lost the election of that year, retired to his law practice. President Benjamin Harrison married "Mary Scott Lord Dimmick" (Caroline Lavinia's niece) in 1896. President Benjamin Harrison and Mary Scott Lord Dimmick Harrison had one child. President Benjamin Harrison died in 1901.

Written by:
Karen Palumbo
Photography "NOT" by:
Robert Palumbo
3/25/2010  (c)