Benjamin Harrison

Benjamin Harrison's Presidency President Harrison's single term fell between the two terms of Grover Cleveland, a Democrat. Cleveland was popular with the people but unpopular with political leaders. Harrison was popular with neither. There was indeed something of a mystery in his being elected at all. He was serious and dignified, not a hand-shaking politician and not a leader of men. On July 1, 1862, Lincoln called for more troops. Harrison went to the governor, who asked …

…treasury surplus that had troubled earlier administrations. Six states were admitted to the Union. Four were Western mining states. Congressmen from these Western states wanted more silver dollars coined to raise the price of silver. Congressmen from the East wanted higher tariffs. The two groups agreed to support each other. The McKinley Tariff Act raised duties on almost every article that competed with American products, thus making permanent the duties enacted during the Civil War.