Benjamin Harrison

Benjamin Harrison
Adam Cuerden · Public domain · source
Name	Benjamin Harrison
Caption	Harrison c. 1896
Order	23rd
Office	President of the United States
Vicepresident	Levi P. Morton
Term start	March 4, 1889
Term end	March 4, 1893
Predecessor	Grover Cleveland
Successor	Grover Cleveland
Jr/sr1	United States Senator
State1	Indiana
Term start1	March 4, 1881
Term end1	March 4, 1887
Predecessor1	Joseph E. McDonald
Successor1	David Turpie
Office2	Republican nominee for , President of the United States
Term start2	1888
Term end2	1892
Party	Republican
Birth date	20 August 1833
Birth place	North Bend, Ohio
Death date	13 March 1901
Death place	Indianapolis, Indiana
Restingplace	Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis
Spouse	Mary Scott Lord Dimmick, April 6, 1896
Children	3, including Russell Benjamin Harrison
Alma mater	Miami University
Profession	Politician, Lawyer
Signature alt	Cursive signature in ink
Branch	Union Army
Serviceyears	1862–1865
Rank	Brevet Brigadier General
Unit	70th Indiana Infantry Regiment
Battles	American Civil War

Contents

Early Life and Political Career
Presidency and Civil Rights Stances
The Lodge Bill and Voting Rights
Post-Presidency and Legacy on Race

Benjamin Harrison. Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901), the 23rd President of the United States, served a single term from 1889 to 1893 during a pivotal era for the United States following the Reconstruction era. A member of the Republican Party, his administration grappled with the rising tide of Jim Crow laws in the South and made significant, though ultimately unsuccessful, efforts to protect the voting rights of African Americans through federal legislation. His presidency represents a critical, final attempt by the post-Civil War GOP to use federal power to enforce the Fifteenth Amendment before the consolidation of the Solid South and the Plessy v. Ferguson decision entrenched racial segregation.

Early Life and Political Career

Benjamin Harrison was born in North Bend, Ohio, into a prominent political family; his grandfather was President William Henry Harrison. He moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he established a successful career as a lawyer. He served with distinction in the Union Army during the American Civil War, rising to the rank of brevet brigadier general in the 70th Indiana Infantry Regiment. After the war, Harrison entered politics, aligning with the Radical Republicans who championed civil rights for freedmen. He was elected to the U.S. Senate from Indiana in 1880, where he supported federal aid to education and civil rights measures, establishing his credentials as a traditional Republican committed to the party's founding principles of national union and equality under the law.

Presidency and Civil Rights Stances

Upon his election in the 1888 election, Harrison took office with Republicans controlling both houses of Congress. His inaugural address affirmed a commitment to securing for all citizens, "of every race and color," the full enjoyment of their constitutional rights. His administration appointed several African Americans to prominent federal positions, including Frederick Douglass as Minister Resident to Haiti and Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia. Harrison also advocated for federal funding for black educational institutions and spoke against the lynching epidemic, though he often prioritized economic issues like the McKinley Tariff and fiscal stability, reflecting a cautious approach to expending political capital.

The Lodge Bill and Voting Rights

Post-Presidency and Legacy on Race

After leaving the White House, Harrison returned to his law practice in Indianapolis and remained active in public life. He served as a chief counsel for Venezuela in a boundary dispute, and later as a delegate to the Pan-American Conference in Washington, D.C.