Return to Main Page
| Benjamin Harrison Mini Biography for April By Gary R. Wilson |  |
Born on his father’s Charles City County estate, Berkley, in 1726, Benjamin Harrison grew up in privilege unlikely to nurture a revolutionary patriot. Indeed, Harrison’s life was set on a path of comfort and success. After graduating from William and Mary in 1745, Harrison’s father died leaving him a large plantation. Harrison managed the property well and acquired more real estate including eight plantations, town properties, and businesses such as ship building firms. Harrison’s seeming destiny to success appeared capped by his election to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1749, he often serving as Speaker.
As a man of considerable means, Harrison lived life to its fullest drinking the best wines and eating the richest foods. He could often be found gaming in taverns in the evenings and enjoying all the luxuries that money could buy. It is remarkable then that someone known as the “Falstaff of Congress” would go on to risk all is worldly wealth and position for the ideals of liberty.
In spite of a conservative political and social background, Harrison quickly took on the mantle of opposition to the Stamp Act, the first colonial dispute with Great Briton. In 1764 he was one of the committee members that drew up the documents protesting the Crown’s decision to unjustly tax the colonies. Harrison’s entry into the protest, however, seemed to come from a distinctly moderate position where the injustice was opposed, but not the civil authority of the King. Harrison, therefore, opposed Patrick Henry’s (see March Mini-Biography) appeal to civil disobedience as a means to strike at the Stamp Act.
As tension mounted with Great Briton and the colonies drifted toward revolution, Harrison made his choice to uphold the rights of Englishmen even if it meant Englishmen must become Americans.
Harrison became a leader of the revolutionary movement in Virginia as he had led in more tranquil times. In 1774 he was appointed to the First Continental Congress where he worked at the committee level to advance the cause of American Independence. By 1776-1777, Harrison was chairman of the committee of the whole that adopted the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation.
More service to the Commonwealth was to follow in 1777 as Harrison returned to Virginia to serve in the legislature and assume the speakership in 1778-1781.
Three terms as governor followed from 1781-1784. Public service continued even after holding the chief executive’s position as Harrison returned to the legislature in 1784-1791.
In 1788 Harrison served the nation once more by serving on the Virginia ratification committee of the US Constitution. Americans own Harrison a lasting debt of gratitude for his steadfast insistence that the Constitution not be passed until a Bill of Rights was added to the document; a position also held by Patrick Henry even though Henry was far to the left of Harrison throughout their careers.
Benjamin Harrison’s life was one full of public service and dedication to Commonwealth and country. Unlike modern politicians, Harrison seemed to be highly flexible in operating outside of inbred standards and class expectations. Beyond any ideology, and aware of the challenges that surrounded the small and struggling United States, Harrison still insisted on the Bill of Rights as the foundation of individual liberty. It is that confidence in the American people to preserve freedom and it institutions that should guide all Americans even to this day.
Harrison died in 1794 on his beloved Berkeley plantation, a great Virginian and a great American.
[Public Service seems to have lived through and on after Benjamin Harrison as his son, William Henry became the 9th president of the United States and his great grandson Benjamin the 23rd president.]
Students may want to compare and contrast the careers and characters of Benjamin Harrison and Patrick Henry.