On August 20, 1833, Benjamin Harrison was born in Ohio. He later became the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. Harrison’s administration focused on tariff policy, veterans’ pensions, and the admission of several new Western states. Under his presidency, the U.S. also took steps toward higher levels of federal regulation of business. Although he served only one term, his time in office bridged the period between Reconstruction and the more activist Progressive Era. His birth date appears in discussions of late nineteenth century political history.
