Benjamin Harrison Biography

Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd president of United States and the grandson of William Henry Harrison, 9th president of United States. After completing his education, he started law practice and became an active member of the Republican Party. He joined the military to fight in the Civil War, marched on Atlanta with General Sherman and was promoted to Brigadier General. After the war, he left the military service and resumed his law practice. Later he was elected as a U.S. Senator, a post which he held for six years. In the 1888 elections, he was nominated as the presidential candidate by the Republican Party. It was a close campaign in which his opponent won the popular vote but failed to carry his home state of New York and lost in the Electoral College to him. He became the president when the reforms were beginning to become popular and one of the most significant reforms, which was passed during his time in office was the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The Act which prohibited certain anti-competitive business practices was an important first step towards reining monopolies. He is remembered as a man of strong principles who possessed a keen intellect and a phenomenal memory. He was known before, during, and after his years of public service as a man of moral courage.