Presidents 22-24

Grover Cleveland

No man had a swifter rise to the presidency than Grover Cleveland. A lawyer in Buffalo, New York, Cleveland had held only one political office in his life before being elected mayor of Buffalo in 1881. But he so successfully reformed the corrupt government of that city that New York Democrats nominated him for governor in 1882. Cleveland easily won the governorship, and continued his reforms to the state level. The Democrats soon realized that the popular crusading governor could make a winning presidential candidate.

Cleveland's opponent in the 1884 presidential election was Republican James Blaine. Cleveland won the election by a very narrow margin. He was the first Democrat to win the White House since James Buchanan was elected in 1856.

Cleveland was a hard-working President who did his best to reform the federal government. He vetoed hundreds of congressional bills that he thought wasted government money.

Benjamin Harrison challenged Cleveland for the presidency in 1888. Cleveland won more popular votes, but Harrison won in the electoral college. When the time came to leave the White House, First Lady Frances Cleveland told the servants that they would be back in four years. Her prediction came true. In 1892, Cleveland defeated President Harrison and became the only President ever to have two nonconsecutive terms of office.

Unfortunately, a depression hit the nation early in Cleveland's second term. The President was unable to improve the economy. He soon lost popularity with both the public and his party.

Cleveland retired to Princeton, New Jersey, where he served as lecturer and trustee at Princeton University. By the time of his death at age 71, he had reclaimed his reputation as a supporter of honesty in the government.

William Henry Harrison

The grandson of President William Henry Harrison, Benjamin Harrison resisted comparisons with his grandfather. "I believe every man should stand on his own merits," he would insist. Throughout his life, Benjamin Harrison commanded respect for his bravery in battle and for his honesty in political office. While President, he supported several important new laws.

Benjamin Harrison was an Indiana lawyer and politician. During the Civil War he commanded a company of Indiana volunteers and rose to the rank of general. Harrison had a reserved personality, yet was a brilliant speaker. In 1881, he was elected to the Senate and in 1888, the Republicans chose him as their presidential candidate.

The main issue of the election was tariffs: Grover Cleveland advocated lower tariffs, Harrison called for high tariffs. Cleveland won more popular votes than Harrison, but Harrison received more votes in the electoral college and won the presidency.

Harrison made good on his promise to support high tariffs. The McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 created the highest tariffs in American history. The prices of many goods rose as a result. He also passed the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, designed to curb the growth of monopolies, and the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, which helped farmers and small businesspeople by increasing the amount of money in circulation.

Harrison also supported the growth of the navy, and encouraged American involvement in international conferences. Harrison's administration was one of the first to recognize the role of the United States as a world power.

Harrison did not much enjoy the presidency, but he campaigned for reelection out of a sense of duty to his party. Harrison's wife, Caroline, died of tuberculosis two weeks before the election. After the death of his wife, Harrison found that the loss of the presidency to Grover Cleveland "had no sting in it."

Harrison retired to Indianapolis. There he resumed his law practice and, in 1896, married Mary Dimmick, his first wife's niece. He died of pneumonia on March 31, 1901.

Grover Cleveland

Grover Cleveland served a second term as President here. See above for more information! 

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