Sparks Commentary: Benjamin Harrison: A president whose grandfather was another president

Benjamin Harrison’s grandfather was William Henry Harrison, who was the ninth president of the United States. This grandfather had served as president for 31 days in 1841. But William Henry Harrison had died of natural causes after only this month in office. William Henry Harrison had enjoyed a distinguished career as a general, especially in the War of 1812. But the grandfather, William Henry Harrison, did not live long enough to make much of a difference as president. By contrast, Benjamin Harrison would eventually serve out a full term as president. He never won the popular vote, but he still defeated the incumbent president Grover Cleveland anyway. Again, Benjamin Harrison served a full term before his fatal rematch with Grover Cleveland. Where did Benjamin Harrison come from? How did he become the 23rd President of the United States? And what exactly is Benjamin Harrison’s legacy? These are the questions that this post will attempt to answer, however briefly.

Benjamin Harrison

Early life, with brief mention of his ancestors who had held political office themselves

Benjamin Harrison was born in Ohio in 1833. His parents were Elizabeth Ramsey and John Scott Harrison. Benjamin Harrison was the second of what would eventually be ten children. Their great-grandfather, “Benjamin Harrison the Fifth,” had been a signer of the U. S. Declaration of Independence. “Benjamin Harrison the Fifth” had also been the Governor of Virginia. But, again, our subject (simply named “Benjamin Harrison”) was born in Ohio. Benjamin Harrison was seven years old when his grandfather was elected president, and still seven years old when that grandfather died of natural causes. But Benjamin Harrison’s own father, John Scott Harrison, also had political ambitions. That is, John Scott Harrison served two terms as a United States Congressman from Ohio. Politics was definitely in the Harrison family already. Benjamin Harrison himself later attended Farmer’s College in Cincinnati. There, he met his future wife Caroline Scott. She was the daughter of a local Presbyterian minister. In 1850, Benjamin Harrison transferred to Miami University – which was in Oxford, Ohio. Benjamin Harrison joined the Presbyterian Church in college, and became a lifelong Presbyterian. Benjamin Harrison graduated from college in 1852, and married his first wife Caroline Scott in 1853. When he finished his law studies, the young couple moved to Indianapolis, Indiana.

William Henry Harrison

Benjamin Harrison becomes a Republican, serves in the Civil War, and runs for president

His grandfather William Henry Harrison had been a member of the Whig political party while he was president. Thus, so (initially, at least) was Benjamin Harrison. But, in 1856, Benjamin Harrison joined the new Republican Party. Harrison would remain a Republican for the rest of his life. Soon, the Whig political party of his grandfather had all but disappeared. Benjamin Harrison was also a Presbyterian church leader. Harrison later held some minor political positions in Indiana. But when the Civil War started, Benjamin Harrison joined the Union Army. Harrison served as a colonel (and then as a general) in the war’s Atlanta campaign. After the Civil War, Benjamin Harrison held some further political positions, most of which were minor. Harrison then ran for the Governor of Indiana, but lost that election to someone else. Later on, Benjamin Harrison became a United States Senator from Indiana, serving for a six-year term. In 1887, his term ended, and Harrison returned to his law practice. But he stayed active in state and national politics. He was thus a mere “private citizen” when he first ran for president in 1888.

Grover Cleveland

Benjamin Harrison is elected president in 1888, defeating the incumbent Grover Cleveland

At that time, the incumbent was a Democrat named Grover Cleveland. In 1888, Mr. Cleveland was then finishing out his first term as president. President Cleveland easily secured his party’s nomination in 1888. On the Republican side, there were many popular candidates throwing their hats in the ring. These included Senator John Sherman, and former Governor Russell Alger. Thus, it was only on the eighth ballot that Benjamin Harrison secured the Republican nomination. Benjamin Harrison campaigned for keeping tariffs high, so that he would have the support of certain industrialists and factory workers. For the time being, at least, this was a good strategy. In the general election, Grover Cleveland won 48.6% of the popular vote. Benjamin Harrison won only 47.8% of the popular vote that year. Thus, Grover Cleveland had actually won the popular vote in 1888. But Grover Cleveland had won only 41.9% of the electoral vote. Thus, Benjamin Harrison won the election anyway, with 58.1% of the electoral vote. At the time that I write this, Benjamin Harrison thus is one of only five people to win a presidential election when he lost the popular vote. He was preceded in this by John Quincy Adams and Rutherford B. Hayes, and followed by both George W. Bush and Donald Trump. Benjamin Harrison had just been elected the 23rd President of the United States.

Benjamin Harrison

Harrison serves for four years, but then loses his rematch with Cleveland in 1892

Again, Benjamin Harrison would serve for much longer as president than his grandfather ever did. As Wikipedia puts it, “Hallmarks of [Benjamin] Harrison's administration were unprecedented economic legislation, including the McKinley Tariff, which imposed historic protective trade rates, and the Sherman Antitrust Act. Harrison also facilitated the creation of the national forest reserves through an amendment to the Land Revision Act of 1891. During his administration six western states were admitted to the Union. In addition, Harrison substantially strengthened and modernized the U.S. Navy and conducted an active foreign policy, but his proposals to secure federal education funding as well as voting rights enforcement for African Americans were unsuccessful.” (Source: Their page on “Benjamin Harrison”) Wikipedia then continues: “Due in large part to surplus revenues from the tariffs, federal spending reached one billion dollars for the first time during his term. The spending issue in part led to the defeat of the Republicans in the 1890 midterm elections.” (Source: This same page on “Benjamin Harrison”) When the presidential elections of 1892 rolled around, there were some challengers to Harrison from within his own party. These included the old-time candidate James G. Blaine, and the future president William McKinley. But Benjamin Harrison still defeated all of these Republican challengers on the first ballot that year. On the Democratic side, the former president Grover Cleveland also secured his party’s nomination on the first ballot. Thus, there was now a rematch between Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison. There was also a third-party candidacy from James B. Weaver, a member of the “Populist Party.” Mr. Weaver won 8.5% of the popular vote, and also won 5% of the electoral vote. Benjamin Harrison won 43% of the popular vote, and 32.6% of the electoral vote – a dismal showing. By contrast, Grover Cleveland won 46% of the popular vote, and 63.2% of the electoral vote. Thus, Grover Cleveland had won his rematch with Benjamin Harrison. Thus, Benjamin Harrison had been voted out. He was now “the president between Grover Cleveland and Grover Cleveland,” and a footnote to history.

Benjamin Harrison

Post-presidency life, with some brief conclusions about his administration

After his presidency (as Wikipedia puts it), Benjamin Harrison “returned to private life and his law practice in Indianapolis. In 1899 he represented Venezuela in its British Guiana boundary dispute with Great Britain. Harrison traveled to the court in Paris as part of the case and after a brief stay returned to Indianapolis. He died at his home in Indianapolis in 1901 of complications from influenza. Many have praised Harrison's commitment to African Americans' voting rights, and his work ethic and integrity, but scholars and historians generally rank him as an average President, due to the uneventful nature of his term.” (Source: Their page on “Benjamin Harrison”) I tend to agree with this standard verdict on Harrison. He wasn’t exactly one of our best presidents, but nor was he one of our worst. Benjamin Harrison then became a mere footnote to history, albeit a fairly important one. He is best known as the two-time challenger to Grover Cleveland, and as the only person between the two Grover Cleveland presidencies.

If you liked this post, you might also like:

The most fascinating man in American history

A review of PBS’s “Ulysses S. Grant: Warrior President”

A review of PBS’s “The Gilded Age” (American Experience)

A review of PBS’s “Murder of a President” (James A. Garfield)

Grover Cleveland: Serving two non-consecutive presidential terms

Part of a series about

The Presidents

1. George Washington
2. John Adams
3. Thomas Jefferson
4. James Madison
6. John Quincy Adams
7. Andrew Jackson

11. James K. Polk

16. Abraham Lincoln
18. Ulysses S. Grant
19. Rutherford B. Hayes
20. James A. Garfield

21. Chester A. Arthur