Benjamin Harrison

I am Benjamin Harrison V of Berkeley Plantation, known for my large size, my legacy and my levity. I studied at William and Mary, where I met young men named Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry. But sadly, my education ended abruptly. A lightning bolt struck my home, took my father, my sisters, and with them the future they imagined for me. So I returned to the James River. I ran the estate, built ships, bred horses, learned that storms come fast and one better be ready to lead when they do. In Philadelphia, I roomed with my cousin George Washington. As chairman of the whole, I helped steer the Congress through our stormiest debates. On July 1, they handed me Jefferson's draft. I read it aloud. Then I stood with him on July 2nd when we voted to sever the cord. And I signed on August 2 with a jest. To cut the tension, I said, when.

We'Re all hung for what we're now doing, from the size and weight of my body, I shall die in a few minutes. But you, Mr. Gary, will dance in the hour. For an hour or two before you're dead. My humor steadied the room.

My resolve carried me home. My sons followed in my footsteps. One of them, William Henry, led men at Tippin Canoe. He became the ninth president of the United States. My great grandson, Benjamin was the 23rd. But I never sought to start a legacy. I only sought liberty.