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Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States, from 1889 to 1893. His administration was known for the McKinley Tariff, the Sherman Antitrust Act, as well as the admission of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, Idaho, and Wyoming into the Union.

Early Life

  • Benjamin Harrison was born on August 20, 1833 in North Bend, Ohio. His parents were John Scott Harrison and Elizabeth Irwin, and he was  the grandson of the 9th U.S. President, William Henry Harrison.
  • Benjamin had nine siblings: Archibald Irwin, Mary Jane, Anna Symmes, John Irwin, Carter Bassett, Anna Symmes II, John Scott, James Findlay, and James Irwin. He also had two half-sisters, Elizabeth Short and Sarah Lucretia, and one half-brother, William Henry.
  • Benjamin was educated at a local school and he was later schooled by a private tutor, prior to entering Farmer’s College near Cincinnati, Ohio in 1847.
  • In 1852, he graduated with honors at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
  • Upon graduating, Benjamin became an apprentice at a law office in Cincinnati.
  • On October 20, 1853, Benjamin married Caroline Lavinia Scott and the couple had two children, Russell Benjamin and Mary Scott.
  • Later on, Benjamin returned to his father’s farm in order to finish his law studies and eventually moved to Indianapolis, Indiana in 1854.
  • In 1854, Benjamin was admitted to the bar and began his law practice.
  • Benjamin worked for the Supreme Court while building up his law practice as a court crier.
  • In 1856, Benjamin joined the Republican Party. The following year, he was elected as city attorney and he also worked as a reporter for the Supreme Court of Indiana.
  • Benjamin served in the 70th Indiana Infantry during the Civil War and obtained the rank of brigadier general until June of 1875.
  • Benjamin left the army in June 1875 and returned to Indiana where he continued his work in the Supreme Court.
  • Benjamin ran for governor of Indiana but lost twice, in 1872 and 1876.  By 1881, he was elected to the US Senate and served until 1887.
  • In the 1888 election, Benjamin was chosen as the Presidential nominee for the Republican Party.
  • Benjamin became the 23rd President of the United States after losing the popular vote but winning the electoral vote.

Presidency

  • On March 4, 1889, at the East Portico, U.S. Capitol, Benjamin took his oath of office.
  • In May 1889, Benjamin appointed Theodore Roosevelt as his Civil Service Commissioner.
  • Benjamin’s administration was known for admitting six new states into the Union. Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington in November 1889 and Idaho and Wyoming in July 1890.
    • During Benjamin’s administration, the following laws were signed:
    • Dependent and Disability Pension Act in June 1890 in which there would be a pension for all veterans who could not perform manual labor due to physical disabilities.
    • Sherman Silver Purchase Act in June 1890 in which the US Treasury was required to purchase 4.5 million ounces of silver at the current market price each month.
    • Sherman Antitrust Act in July 1890 which limited the creation of cartels and monopolies and prohibited anticompetitive business practices.
    • Anti-Lottery Bill in September 1890 which prohibited the selling of lottery tickets via mail.
    • McKinley Tariff in October 1890 wherein the tariffs on imports were increased to protect local products.
    • Land Revision Act of 1891 in which the president has the authority to set aside public lands as reserves. Yellowstone, Wyoming was the first forest reserve.
  • In 1891, Benjamin had the Edison General Electric Company install electricity in the White House.
  • In January 1980, Benjamin convened the First International Conference of the American States in Washington, D.C. Eventually, it would be known as the Organization of American States, or the Pan-American Union.
  • In May 1891, the Baltimore Crisis occurred. The event almost brought war with Chile when two American sailors died Valparaiso, Chile due to a brawl with the locals. Benjamin sent an ultimatum and Chile decided to pay an indemnity.
  • In July 1892, Benjamin ordered federal troops to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho during an intense strike by silver miners.
  • In February 1893, Benjamin approached Congress requesting the annexation of Hawaii, when its queen was deposed by rebels led by American Sanford B. Dole.
  • Benjamin Harrison ran for reelection but was defeated by Grover Cleveland.
  • Two weeks prior to the election, campaigning stopped due to the death of Harrison’s wife.

Post-Presidency & Death

  • Benjamin was the earliest president to have his voice recorded, which was sometime between 1894 and 1899. His recorded speech contained his remarks on the first Pan-American Congress in Washington, D.C.
  • In June 1893, Benjamin visited the World’s Columbian Exposition.
  • In 1894, Benjamin taught for a few months at Stanford University. From July 1895 to March 1901, he served on the Board of Trustees of Purdue University.
  • Benjamin married Mary Scott Lord Dimmick on April 6, 1896 and the couple had one child, Elizabeth.
  • In 1897, Benjamin published This Country of Ours. It is a series of articles regarding the federal government during his administration.
  • In 1889, Benjamin became an honorary member of the Pennsylvania Society of the Cincinnati. He also joined the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States and the Military Order of Foreign Wars, as a veteran companion in the former and an honorary companion in the latter.
  • In 1899, Benjamin was present at the First Peace Conference at The Hague.
  • Benjamin served as Venezuela’s attorney in 1900 during its border dispute with Great Britain over British Guiana. It was part of an international arbitration as requested by the United States on behalf of Venezuela.
  • Benjamin Harrison died on March 13, 1901, from pneumonia. He is interred at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana next to his two wives.
  • In 1908, the Benjamin Harrison Statue was erected in Indianapolis, IN. Furthermore, his home in Indianapolis was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964.

Benjamin Harrison Worksheets

This bundle contains 11 ready-to-use Benjamin Harrison Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about Benjamin Harrison who was the 23rd President of the United States, from 1889 to 1893. His administration was known for the McKinley Tariff, the Sherman Antitrust Act, as well as the admission of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, Idaho, and Wyoming into the Union.

Download includes the following worksheets:

  • Benjamin Harrison Facts
  • Benjamin Harrison Word Search
  • Fact or Bluff
  • Odd One Out
  • What am I?
  • Benjamin Harrison’s Timeline
  • My Two Cents on the Matter
  • Six New States
  • A Letter to the President
  • Benjamin Harrison’s Legacy
  • Benjamin Harrison Acrostic

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Link will appear as Benjamin Harrison Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, June 16, 2017

Use With Any Curriculum

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