Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States serving from 1889 – 1893. As the Republican nominee, Frederick Douglass campaigned for Harrison. After becoming President, Harrison removed Douglass as the D.C. Recorder of Deeds but gave him the far more glamourous job as the U.S. Minister to Haiti. Harrison also supported Douglass when other members of his cabinet wanted Douglass removed from the post.
“They did not trust the old abolitionist’s dedication to expansion, especially the quest for Mole Saint-Nicholas. Still roiling among them was their desire for a white ambassador for their schemes. President Harrison seems to have played the key role in not only sustaining Douglass, but in moderating the imperialism of his chief aides and their clients.”[1]
Benjamin Harrison died on March 13, 1901 at the age of 67. He was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Exact Grave GPS coordinates: 39.818916, -86.175665
[1] David W. Blight, Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2018), 702.