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Birth of Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was born to John Scott Harrison and Ramsey Elizabeth Irwin in North Bend, Hamilton County, Ohio, as the second of eight children. -
Graduated from Miami University
Harrison attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. While there, he studied law and was a member of the fraternity Phi Delta Theta. -
Harrison's first marriage
While at college, Harrison met a women named Caroline Lavinia Scott who he fell in love with. They later married in Oxford, Ohio, with Caroline's father performing the ceremony. They also had two children, Russell Benjamin Harrison and Mary Scott Harrison McKee. -
Served in the Civil War
Harrison joined the Union army at the age of 28 and served 3 years earning himself the rank of Brigadier General in the XX Corps of the Army of the Cumberland. -
Served in the U.S. Senate
Harrison served as a U.S. senator for exactly 6 years where he was chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Transportation Routes to the Seaboard and U.S. Senate Committee on Territories. He advocated for pensions for Civil War veterans and equal education for freed slaves. He also pushed for the annexation of new western states. -
Nominated for President
Harrison was nominated for President on the eighth ballot at the 1888 Republican Convention with Levi P. Morton of New York chosen as his running mate. -
Sworn into Presidential Office
After winning the election against opponent Grover Cleavland, Benjamin Harrison is sworn into office by Chief Justice Melville Fuller. He represented the Republican party with his vice-president Levi Morton. -
Harrison's Policies
Harrison's domestic policies focused on controlling foreign trade, regulating coroporal giants, and allowing equal rights to freed African-Americans in order to increase national unity. Harrison reaffirmed the Monroe Doctrine as a mainstay of foreign policy, while also commiting to international peace by not interferring in the affairs of foreign governments.
He once said, "We Americans have no commission from God to police the world." -
Inaugural Address
In his inaugural address, Harrison credited the nation's growth to education, religion, and national honor.
"Each State will bring its generous contribution to the great aggregate of the nation's increase. And when the harvests from the fields, the cattle from the hills, and the ores of the earth shall have been weighed, counted, and valued, we will turn from them all to crown with the highest honor the State that has most promoted education, virtue, justice, and patriotism among its people." -
Sherman Antitrust Act enacted
This act, written by Senator John Sherman and signed into law by President Harrison, was the first federal statute to limit cartels and monopolies. It was created in order to oppose the combination of entities that could potentially harm competition among businesses. -
Sherman Silver Purchase Act enacted
This act, proposed by Senator John Sherman and made law by President Harrison, increased the amount of silver the government was required to buy every month by 4.5 million ounces. It was passed in order to boost the economy in response to growing complaints of farmers in debt and mining companies whose silver was becoming unprofitable to mine. -
McKinley Tariff passed
The McKinley Tariff was an act framed by Representative William McKinley and passed by President Harrison that raised the average duty on imports to almost fifty percent. It was designed to protect domestic industries from foreign competition. -
Ōtsu Incident occurs
This incident was a failed assassination attempt on Tsar Nicholas II of Russia while visiting Japan to foster better Russo-Japanese relations. He was attacked by one of his escort policeman Tsuda Sanzō, who struck at his face with a saber. Tsar Nicholas was treated and left with only a scar while Sanzō was sentenced to life imprisonment. This event was one of the many that influenced the Russian government and led to the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905. -
Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty is signed
This treaty was an agreement between Great Britain and the German Empire concerning territorial interests in Africa. Germany agreed to give Britain the islands of Heligoland in exchange for the protectorate of Zanzibar. Both countries also vowed not to interfere with each other's African territories. -
Baltimore Crisis
Tension was already high between the U.S. and Chile after Patrick Egan, the U.S. minister to Chile, refused to return Chileans given asylum at the request of Chilean officials. So when, 117 American soldiers were given shore leave in Valparaiso, a riot erupted leaving 2 U.S. sailors dead. This threatened diplomatic relations between the two countries and war and the possibility for war was more present then ever until the Chilean government apologized and paid $75,000 in reparations. -
"A Very Mischevious Boy" is published
On this day, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about the Baltimore Crisis, a diplomatic dispute and war scare between the United States and Chile. It blames Patrick Egan, the U.S. minister to Chile, by showing him as a mischievous boy who has cranked up a menacing Jack-in-the-box, that holds a sword labeled “Chilean War Scare.” -
"Puck" magazine publishes "Billion Dollar Congress" cartoon
This cartoon, that was published on the cover of one the 1892 "Puck" magazines, portrays Benjamin Harrison, whose legislative branch was known as the "Billion Dollar Congress," as a little man wasting the surplus of money gained by predecessor Grover Cleveland. He was seen as throwing all the nation's money into a whole by using it on various acts he passed, especially the Sherman Silver Purchase Act. -
Pledge of Allegiance first used in public schools
On this day, Congress and President Benjamin Harrison announced a national proclamation making the public school flag ceremony the center of the national Columbus Day celebrations. -
Harrison's second marraige
At age 62, Harrison married his deceased wife's neice Mary Scott Lord, who was 25 years younger than him. They married at St. Thomas Protestant Episcopal Church in New York City, and Harrison's own children did not attend because they were opposed to the marraige. Together they had one daughter, Elizabeth. -
Benjamin Harrison dies
Harrison developed a cold that kept getting worse and soon died from influenza and pneumonia at his home. He is buried in Indianapolis's Crown Hill Cemetery, along with both of his wives.
