Benjamin Harrison (1833 - 1901)

Born 20 Aug 1833 in North Bend, Miami Township, Hamilton, Ohio, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Caroline Lavinia (Scott) Harrison — married 20 Oct 1853 in Oxford, Butler, Ohio, United States

Husband of Mary Scott (Lord) Harrison — married 6 Apr 1896 in St. Thomas Protestant Episcopal Church in New York City

Descendants

Died 13 Mar 1901 at age 67 in Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana, United States

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Benjamin Harrison was the President of the United States. Join: US Presidents Project Discuss: presidents

Preceded by 22nd President Grover Cleveland Succeeded by Joseph E. McDonald

Benjamin Harrison 23rd President of the United States 1889—1893 US Senator (Class 1) from Indiana 1881—1887

Succeeded by 24th President Grover Cleveland Preceded by David Turpie

Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd US President. Small in stature he earned the nickname of "Little Ben." The Harrisons, were among the First Families of Virginia. Their immigrant ancestor was Benjamin Harrison, who arrived in Jamestown, Virginia in 1630. Benjamin was a grandson of President William Henry Harrison and the great-grandson of Benjamin Harrison V, a Virginia governor and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Harrison's boyhood was enjoyable, with much of it spent outdoors fishing or hunting.

Biography

1833 Aug 20

Born in 1833 North Bend, OH, USA on a farm by the Ohio River below Cincinnati

1850

In 1850, he transferred to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He joined the fraternity Phi Delta Theta^[1], which he used as a network for much of his life. He graduated in 1852.

1853 October 20

Marries Caroline Lavinia Scott daughter of college professor. Ohio in 1847.[6] Harrison attended the college for two years.[7][b] While there, he met Caroline Scott, one of the daughters of the science professor, John Witherspoon Scott.

1854

Harrison inherits $800 after the death of an aunt. He uses the money to move with Caroline to Indianapolis, Indiana where he establishes his legal career.

1860

Harrison ran as the Republican candidate for reporter of the Indiana Supreme Court, his first in partisan politics. Although this office was not political, he was an active supporter of his party's platform. During the election, he represented the Republican Party in debating Thomas Hendricks, the Democratic candidate for governor. (He was a future Vice President of the United States.)[21] His law partner Wallace was elected as county clerk in 1860, and Harrison opened a new firm with William Fishback, named Fishback & Harrison. They worked together until he entered the Army after the start of the American Civil War.[22]

1864 January 2

Civil War Harrison is promoted to command the 1st Brigade of the 1st Division of the XX Corps. He commands the brigade at the Battles of Resaca, Cassville, New Hope Church, Lost Mountain, Kennesaw Mountain, Marietta, Peachtree Creek and Atlanta. He musters out on 08 June 1865.

1876

Democrats defeated him for Governor of Indiana in 1876 by unfairly stigmatizing him as "Kid Gloves" Harrison.

1881 March 4 - 1887 March 4

In the 1880's he served in the United States Senate, where he championed Indians. homesteaders, and Civil War veterans.

1889 March 4

Elected President In the Presidential election, Harrison received 100,000 fewer popular votes than Cleveland, but carried the Electoral College 233 to 168. Although Harrison had made no political bargains, his supporters had given innumerable pledges upon his behalf. Won the 1888 electoral vote by 233 to 168 for his predecessor and successor Grover Cleveland, even though Cleveland had won the popular vote by 5,537,857 to 5,447,129. Lost the 1892 election to Cleveland. Chose Levi P. Morton to be his Vice-President.

1889 - 1890

When Harrison took office, no new states had been admitted in more than a decade, owing to Congressional Democrats' reluctance to admit states that they believed would send Republican members. Early in Harrison's term, however, the lame duck Congress passed bills that admitted four states to the union: North Dakota and South Dakota on 02 November 1889, Montana on 08 November, and Washington on 11 November.[111] The following year two more states held constitutional conventions and were admitted: Idaho on 03 July and Wyoming on 10 July 1890.[111] The initial Congressional delegations from all six states were solidly Republican.[111] More states were admitted under Harrison's presidency than any other since George Washington's.

1892 October 25

Harrison's wife Carolyn dies of tuberculosis while he is still in office.

1893

Harrison returns to Indianapolis to pick up his law practice.

1896 April 6

Harrison marries the widow Mrs. Mary Dimmick (30 April 1858 – 05 January 1948). Mary Dimmick is is 25 years younger than Harrison, and was the niece of his first wife.

1901 March 13

A dignified elder statesman, he died in 1901. He died the following year from complications from influenza. He is to date the only U.S. president from Indiana and the only one to be the grandson of another president Indianapolis, IN, USA Buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, IN, USA

Most Distant Known Ancestors

Paternal Robert Harrison Born 1540 in Stow Bathl, Northamptonshire, England husband to Elizabeth Fitzgiffory

Link to 10 Generation Paternal Chart

Maternal Elizabeth Irwin

Link to 10 Generation Maternal Chart

Sources

1. ↑ Benjamin Harrison also joined the Delta Chi fraternity

See also:

• Notable Kin, Volume One, by Gary Boyd Roberts, Carl Boyer, 3rd, Santa Clarita, California, 1998 (Published in cooperation with the New England Historic genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts)
• The University Magazine (1892) Vol. 7, Page 298C
• Keith, Charles Penrose. The Ancestry of Benjamin Harrison (Lippincott Co., Philadelphia, 1893)

External Links

• Benjamin Harrison on Wikipedia

• Benjamin Harrison Biography from Whitehouse.gov

• Benjamin Harrison on Find a Grave

• Famous Phis: Benjamin Harrison, Miami University 1853