Benjamin Harrison

Date of Birth: August 20, 1833

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Date of Death: March 13, 1901

Biography

Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was born into a politically prominent family, being the grandson of William Henry Harrison, the 9th President of the United States. Harrison was born in North Bend, Ohio, and grew up in a household steeped in politics and public service. He graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 1852 and then pursued a career in law. Harrison served as a colonel in the Union Army during the Civil War and was later promoted to brigadier general. His political career began with his election as a U.S. Senator from Indiana, where he served from 1881 to 1887. As President, Harrison is known for his vigorous foreign policy and for modernizing the U.S. Navy. Domestically, he supported protective tariffs and the Sherman Antitrust Act, which aimed to curb monopolies. After his presidency, Harrison returned to his law practice and remained active in public affairs until his death.

5 Interesting Facts about Benjamin Harrison

1. Benjamin Harrison was the first president to have his voice recorded.

2. He signed the Sherman Antitrust Act into law in 1890, which was the first legislation to prohibit monopolistic business practices.

3. He was known as the “Centennial President” because he was inaugurated 100 years after George Washington.

4. Harrison added six states to the Union: North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, Idaho, and Wyoming.

5. He was the last Civil War general to serve as President of the United States.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Benjamin Harrison

1. “We Americans have no commission from God to police the world.”

2. “Great lives never go out; they go on.”

3. “I pity the man who wants a coat so cheap that the man or woman who produces the cloth or shapes it into a garment will starve in the process.”

4. “The bud of victory is always in the truth.”

5. “The evil works from a bad system are not to be measured by the false practices of some men.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

$3 million (adjusted for inflation)

Children

Benjamin Harrison had three children with his first wife, Caroline Lavinia Scott: Russell Benjamin Harrison, Mary Scott Harrison McKee, and Elizabeth Harrison.