Benjamin Harrison: One-Term Wonder

PragerU
29 Jan 202405:45
EducationalLearning
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TLDRThe 23rd President Benjamin Harrison had a consequential yet overlooked one-term presidency. He accomplished major reforms like consumer protection laws, civil service expansion, admitting 6 new states, establishing national parks and bolstering the Navy. A principled leader, he pushed voting rights for Blacks despite total Democratic opposition. Though he won in 1888 via high tariffs, he lost in 1892 amid farm unrest over them and a federal budget busted by Civil War pensions. Grief-stricken by his wife’s death right before the election, he barely campaigned or noticed his loss.

Takeaways
  • 😲 Benjamin Harrison accomplished a lot in just one term as president
  • 👨‍⚖️ He strengthened consumer protection laws and civil service reforms
  • 🏞 He protected land by establishing national parks and forest reserves
  • 🚢 He grew the navy to make America a naval power
  • 🌎 He oversaw the addition of 6 new western states to the union
  • ⚖️ He passed antitrust legislation to break up monopolies
  • 🗽 He fought for the voting rights of African Americans
  • 🫂 He was deeply committed to racial justice and equality
  • 💔 His wife's illness and death may have cost him re-election
  • 🇺🇸 His legacy as an impactful one-term president endures
Q & A

  • What accomplishments did President Benjamin Harrison achieve in just one term?

    -In just one term, President Harrison pushed through consumer protection legislation, promoted merit-based government employment, added 6 new western states to the Union, established national parks, strengthened antitrust laws, grew the Navy, and reformed immigration.

  • How did Harrison's ancestry and family history influence his views and policies?

    -With a great-grandfather who signed the Declaration of Independence, a grandfather who was the 9th President, and a father who served in Congress, Harrison had an impressive legacy that shaped his strong moral convictions and commitment to civil rights.

  • What actions did Harrison take to protect the voting rights of African Americans?

    -Harrison endorsed legislation to protect African Americans' 15th Amendment right to vote, which was being subverted across the South. He pushed this despite unanimous opposition from Democrats and some Republicans.

  • How did Harrison distinguish himself as a public servant before becoming President?

    -As a lawyer, Civil War officer rising to Brigadier General, and U.S. Senator, Harrison established himself as honest, hardworking, and gifted - earning consideration for the Republican nomination in 1888.

  • What combination of political positions helped Harrison win the 1888 election?

    -Harrison combined high tariffs to protect American businesses (a Republican staple since Lincoln) with generous pensions for Civil War veterans, which Cleveland opposed.

  • How did personal tragedy contribute to Harrison's defeat for reelection in 1892?

    -In 1892, Harrison's wife Caroline was dying of tuberculosis. He refused to leave her side to campaign, and she died just 2 weeks before the election, which Harrison barely noticed he had lost.

  • What domestic legislation had the greatest budgetary impact during Harrison's term?

    -The generous Civil War pensions Harrison championed blew up the federal budget, consuming close to 40% of total spending and causing the first billion dollar Congress.

  • How did Harrison's tariff policy affect his reelection chances?

    -The high tariffs that helped Harrison win in 1888 by protecting eastern industry alienated western farmers and ranchers by 1892.

  • What guided Harrison's views on civil rights and racial injustice?

    -More than political calculation, Harrison held deeply moral convictions that black Americans must have full civil rights enshrined in law, which he worked to uphold as President.

  • How did personal tragedy contribute to Harrison's political defeat?

    -Harrison's wife was ill with tuberculosis in 1892 and died just before the election. Overcome with grief, he did not campaign and barely noticed his loss.

Outlines
00:00
😊 Benjamin Harrison's Impactful Presidency

Paragraph 1 discusses Benjamin Harrison's highly consequential yet underappreciated presidency. It lists his major accomplishments like pioneering consumer protection and civil service reform laws, rapidly expanding the union, establishing national parks, strengthening the Navy, regulating immigration, and championing Black voting rights. The paragraph emphasizes Harrison's moral opposition to racial injustice and his efforts against the racist Jim Crow laws of the post-Civil War South.

05:00
😔 Harrison's Failed Reelection Bid in 1892

Paragraph 2 covers the factors behind Benjamin Harrison's failed bid for reelection in 1892 against Grover Cleveland. It mentions how the generous Civil War pensions busted the federal budget, high tariffs hurt Western farmers, and Harrison's refusal to campaign while his sick wife was dying. The paragraph concludes by noting that Harrison barely reacted to his election loss, so distraught was he over his wife's death.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States, serving one term from 1889-1893. He is important in the video because it argues that while lesser known, Harrison had a consequential presidency in areas like civil rights, economic policy, and naval expansion.
💡Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th President, serving from 1885-1889 and then 1893-1897. He bookended Harrison's presidency, defeating him in 1892. Cleveland opposed Harrison policies like pensions for veterans.
💡civil rights
Civil rights refers to the basic legal rights of citizens like voting rights. Harrison pushed laws to protect black voting rights and oppose discrimination, though ultimately unsuccessful due to opposition.
💡Jim Crow
Jim Crow refers to the racist laws in the late 19th/early 20th century American South that enforced segregation and stripped rights from black Americans. The video argues Harrison tried to prevent this.
💡Meat Inspection Act
An early consumer protection law passed under Harrison in 1890 to regulate the meat packing industry by having mandatory federal inspection of processed meats.
💡naval power
Naval power means a country's strength at sea with a powerful navy. Harrison oversaw a naval buildup adding many steel ships, helping make America more of a global naval player.
💡high tariffs
High tariffs tax foreign imports to protect domestic businesses. This was a signature Republican economic policy, though it hurt Western farmers under Harrison.
💡pensions
Harrison approved generous pensions, or payment programs, for Civil War veterans. This was popular but very costly, consuming much of the federal budget.
💡Electoral College
Despite losing the popular vote to Cleveland in 1888, Harrison won the electoral college system and thus won the White House. The opposite happened in 1892 when he lost.
💡William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was Benjamin Harrison's grandfather, serving as the 9th President in 1841. He shows the long family history Harrison had in politics.
Highlights

Harrison was among the most consequential single-term presidents in American history

Pushed through the first serious legislation to protect consumers - the Meat Inspection Act

Promoted merit over patronage as the basis of government employment

Added six western states to the union - a presidential record

Designated 22 million acres as forest reserves, establishing Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks

Signed the Sherman Antitrust Act, enabling the federal government to break up monopolies

Made America a legitimate naval power by adding over two dozen steel ships to the fleet

Established Ellis Island, bringing order to the nation's immigration process

Was committed to doing something about the injustices inflicted on black Americans

Endorsed legislation to protect blacks' right to vote as enshrined in the 15th Amendment

Might have made institutionalized racism of Jim Crow an historical footnote rather than terrible stain

Harrison had a deeply moral opposition to the treatment of black Americans, with views established before entering the White House

His great-grandfather signed the Declaration of Independence and his grandfather was the 9th president

Refused to use his impressive lineage for his own advantage, wanting to stand on his own merits

His four years in office were incredibly productive across a range of areas

Transcripts

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