Benjamin Harrison

Harrison's presidency enacted major legislation—most notably the Sherman Antitrust Act, the McKinley Tariff, and the Sherman Silver Purchase Act—which expanded federal authority over business and shaped late-19th-century economic policy. Those measures, combined with high tariffs, provoked criticism and contributed to Republican losses in the 1890 midterms and Harrison's defeat in 1892.

On the national stage he oversaw the admission of six western states and pushed for naval modernization, projecting American power overseas; he also negotiated a treaty to annex Hawaii that was later withdrawn by his successor. Historians view Harrison's record as mixed: influential in legislative and institutional growth but politically costly, leaving a complex legacy.

Signed the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890); Enacted the McKinley Tariff (1890); Approved the Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890); Oversaw admission of six states to the Union (1889–1890); Advanced naval modernization and increased defense spending; Negotiated a treaty to annex Hawaii (submitted to the Senate)