Benjamin Harrison, Hoosier Statesman

The second volume of this trilogy should come the closest to appealing to the readers seeking the political life of Benjamin Harrison. There are six full chapters-- the last six chapters of Volume 2--dedicated to Harrison's successful campaign against Grover Cleveland in 1888. Actually, there is a seventh chapter that should also be included in this group of political chapters dealing with the 1888 campaign. This is the chapter called "The Assault on Grover Cleveland" which covers the two years prior to the 1888 campaign which Harrison spent in the United States Senate representing the State of Indiana. As the title of the chapter indicates, much of Harrison's work during this time from 1886 through 1887 was engaged in criticism of the sitting president in preparation for the campaign in 1888. Accordingly, over 1/3 of the whole volume deals with the political events of the 1888 campaign.