HARRISON, Benjamin
(1833–1901), 23d president of the U.S. (1889–93),
who directed a reformulation of the Monroe Doctrine that was to
end American isolationism and set the stage for future territorial
and trade expansion.
Harrison was born on Aug. 20, 1833, at North Bend, Ohio. The
grandson of President William Henry Harrison,
he grew up on his
father’s farm on the banks of the Ohio River. After graduating
from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, he took a law clerkship in
Indianapolis and married his college sweetheart, Caroline Scott
(1832–92). He soon became involved in the newly formed
Republican party, serving as secretary to the state convention and
as a popular campaign speaker.
During the American Civil War, Harrison helped raise Indiana’s
70th Infantry and became its commander. He was promoted to brigadier
general after serving with distinction in the Atlanta campaign.
When peace came, he returned to his law practice in Indianapolis
and resumed activities in the Republican party. Defeated in a bid
for the governorship of Indiana in 1876, he served in the U.S. Senate
from 1881 to 1887.
In 1888 party factionalism prevented the nomination of the leading
presidential contender, James G. Blaine, and Harrison, a dark horse,
won the Republican party’s nomination for the presidency.
Harrison defeated the incumbent, Grover Cleveland, on a platform
of protectionism. As president, however, Harrison was never a charismatic
leader, nor was he able to negotiate alliances with Congress to obtain
support for his policies. His isolation from Congress promoted further
charges of coldness (“cold as ice” had been a
description of his gubernatorial candidacy) and lost him the support
of many party members. He continued the civil service reforms of
his predecessors, but at a moderate pace, alienating both those Republicans
who were looking for spoils and those urging more rapid reform.
Moreover, although he had campaigned on a platform of liberalizing
veterans’ pensions, he was forced to remove his own commissioner of
pensions for lavishly and scandalously distributing awards.
Harrison experienced difficulty in maintaining a stable national
economy. The Bland-Allison Act of 1878 required the treasury to
buy $2 million of silver for coinage each month. As the
market value of silver fell, the president sought to limit coinage.
Advocates of free coinage forced a compromise bill, the Sherman
Silver Purchase Act (1890), which required the government to buy
more silver but limited coinage. The increased purchase drained
gold from the reserves, and Harrison twice had to avert panic by
releasing more currency.
Harrison had campaigned on a platform of increasing protectionist
tariffs. Although the public supported increased tariffs at the
time of the election, the effect of the McKinley Act (1890) was
to contribute to inflationary prices for necessities, and protectionist
tariffs ultimately became unpopular.
Harrison admitted several new states to the Union during his
term. He increased the size of the merchant marine to facilitate
expanded trade and of the navy to protect commercial interests abroad.
The first Pan-American Conference, held during his administration,
created new commercial and diplomatic ties between the U.S. and
independent republics in Latin America.
A loyal Republican, Harrison continued to serve as his party’s
spokesman after his defeat by Grover Cleveland in 1892. He resumed
his law practice, taking on the international border dispute between
Venezuela and British Guiana (now Guyana) and earning respect for
his legal expertise. He also wrote several addresses and articles
on governmental affairs that were well received and widely read.
He died a respected elder statesman, on March 13, 1901.