Born in North Bend, Ohio, Benjamin Harrison was the grandson of President William Henry Harrison. After studying at Miami University, Benjamin Harrison began practicing law in Indianapolis. During the Civil War, he commanded the 70th Regiment Indiana Volunteers and fought in General Sherman’s Atlanta campaign. In 1876 he unsuccessfully sought the governorship of Indiana. He was later elected to the U.S. Senate and served from 1881 to 1887. A Republican, Harrison defeated Grover Cleveland for the presidency in 1888. During Harrison’s term, Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust Act and six new states joined the Union. In 1892, after being defeated for re-election by Cleveland, Harrison returned to Indianapolis to practice law. In 1898 he represented Venezuela in its boundary dispute with Great Britain.
