Benjamin Harrison: Not Just Another Presidential Beard

Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States, was no ordinary commander-in-chief. Sure, he had a distinguished political career and a well-groomed beard that would have made even Grizzly Adams jealous, but there’s more to this guy than meets the eye.

Born in 1833 in North Bend, Ohio, Harrison was the grandson of William Henry Harrison, the ninth President of the United States, who famously served as commander-in-chief for only 32 days before succumbing to pneumonia. If you think that’s a bad start to a Presidential legacy, just wait until you hear about Benjamin’s years in office.

First of all, let’s talk about the man’s facial hair. Harrison’s beard was so impressive that it should have had its own zip code. It was the kind of beard that made people bow down in reverence and ask for grooming tips. In fact, some historians argue that the real reason Harrison won the 1888 Presidential election was because of his remarkable ability to grow facial hair. Unfortunately, his beard didn’t do much to help him once he was actually in office.

Harrison’s Presidency, which lasted from 1889 to 1893, was largely forgettable. He was known for his passion for tariffs (which is about as exciting as it sounds), and for being the first President to install electric lighting in the White House. But let’s be real here, those accomplishments don’t exactly make for great cocktail party conversation.

However, Harrison did have one big claim to fame: he signed the Sherman Antitrust Act into law. This groundbreaking piece of legislation was intended to prevent businesses from monopolizing particular industries and stifling competition. In other words, Harrison was trying to prevent the development of companies like Amazon and Google before they even existed. Unfortunately, his efforts were largely unsuccessful.

So, what can we say about Benjamin Harrison? He may have been forgettable as a President, but he sure knew how to grow a heck of a beard. And who knows? Maybe someday we’ll all look back on his legacy and see him as a visionary who was ahead of his time. But for now, we’ll just have to settle for admiring his facial hair from a distance.