The 23rd U.S. President

 

Benjamin Harrison

Born: August 20, 1833

Died: March 13, 1901

Term in Office: 1889-1893

The 23rd U.S. President, grandson of William Henry Harrison (the 9th President), Benjamin was born in Ohio but moved to Indiana as a young lawyer, a state for which his grandpa William had previously served as territorial governor.

He fought in the Civil War, rising to the rank of Brigadier General before the war was over.

As president, the economy proved to be his toughest challenge. He favored high tariffs as a way to protect U.S. corporations, with the result of higher consumer prices; something that cost him votes in his bid for re-election. His economic policies are largely blamed by some historians for leading to the depression the country experienced after he left office.

During his term he endorsed the Federal Elections Bill in 1890, meant to stop southern states from denying African Americans the right to vote, a measure that was defeated in the Senate. We've been working on strengthening voters' rights forever, it seems, only to face major reversals brought by the Republicans (ironically, the party of this post's subject) in the 2020s.

A couple of small bits of trivia:

• Six states were brought into the Union during his administration; North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, Idaho, and Wyoming.
• Harrison's first wife, Caroline, is credited with putting up the first Christmas tree in the White House. She is said to possess an outgoing personality, in contrast with to that of the reserved Benjamin, who was known as "the human iceberg." Caroline died during Harrison's term, devastating him and contributing to a lackluster campaign for a second term.

Peace to all, and keep campaigning for expanded voters' rights.

Thanks to www.millercenter.org, which served as a resource for this post.