even more important. then of course, all the services but the navy uniquely has to dominate the site's domain and the space domains from a maritime environment. just as everything else, is going to be complex. thank you for the question. thank you all and i wish you all the very best. [applause] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2019] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> during this holiday week american history tv is on c-span3 every day at 8:00 p.m. eastern. tuesday, history through cartoons with the work of winning artist. wednesday, christmas day, the apollo 11 moon landing 15th anniversary with astronaut michael collins. thursday, environmental history with the look of the 1969 river fire. friday, the first africans in virginia for hundredth anniversary. watch american history tv all

weekend on c-span3. at the benjamin harrison presidential site where c-span is learning about the city's history. it is here that the 23rd president lived until his death in 1901. >> we are here at the home of benjamin harrison. this is an iconic spot. this is where he stood when people went to see him speak in 1888 when he was running for the presidency. he ran a front porch campaign. he didn't have the same from porch as you see behind us today. there was a stupa at the front door. he stood in that area and spoke to the crowds of people. >> harrison is probably one of the most under known president. the 23rd president of the united states. he falls in the middle of grover

cleveland's two terms. often times, people will find him confused with his grandfather, william henry harrison, who survived a month into his term of office. benjamin harrison was seven years old when his grandfather died. regiment harrison served a full four years. as president, he has a phenomenal legacy that is a little understood that we think is an opportunity to share that more deeply and to investigate what it means for the modern presidency. we were very lucky that our collection contains a lot of items that belonged to the harrison's, they had over 10,000 items. the family was very good at saving those items. that belong to or associate with benjamin harrison the third and the fourth, and william henry harrison. to an treasure for

his family through the years. we are happy to have that very large collection. >> the harrison's are immigrants from the u.k. start, the the harrison's came into the united states and settled in virginia. were harrison's that served in public office from the early 1600s through the 1970's. for benjamin harrison, his great-grandfather was benjamin harrison the fifth. the signer of the declaration of independence. his grandfather was william father,rrison, his own john scott harrison, served in congress representing ohio. benjamin harrison came from a family that understood the greater value of serving in public life. benjamin harrison grew up right on the border between ohio and indiana. he studied at miami university in ohio and studied law in

cincinnati. as he was finishing his law bedies he and his bride to were trying to decide where they wanted to make their lives. they considered staying in cincinnati. they talked about indianapolis, theiro, they decided prospects were best in indianapolis. caroline harrison joined him and they had two children. they really just started to find some measure of success at the outbreak of the civil war. for harrison, he had a very difficult decision to make. whether he would hire a substitute, wait and see what intons, he was called governor morton's. about lincoln's call for 300,000 new groups -- troops. harrison heard this whole story from governor morton and thought

about it. he said if needed, i will go. morton said i'm not asking you to serve, he just needed help raising additional troops. he made it clear that if you were to ask others to serve that he himself would serve. lead thement on to and started off as a second lieutenant. he had risen to brigadier general. we are now in the library. benjamin harrison spent a lot of time here actually, when he wasn't at his loft this might be somewhere he would come in the evening to read. here in the bay window on a hot august day and wrote a letter to what would be his second wife and it said the sweat was rolling down his chin.

we have a lot of items that relate to him. we have the civil war commission. harrison, a second lieutenant when he entered the war. by the time and ended he was a brigadier and was signed by abraham lincoln and not too long before he was assassinated. this was the civil war commission from that promotion. later inand service the grand army of the republic was very important to him. the civil war pensions were very important. benjamin harrison said he prefers the title of general to president because he had risked so much more to her that title. very influential on his life during that time period. over here at the desk we have some other items that were given to him. a key here that was a centennial item.

benjamin franklin was president 100 years after george washington. our artist made this for cart piece that had benjamin harrison at the bottom in george washington at the top with all the presidents in between on both sides. we have the cigar box. that was a gift to him. natural -- the statue over here was charles reagan. he unfortunately was killed in chile, there was an incident. the newspaper at the time collected to make a statue of him. harrison was smoothing things out diplomatically and we did not go to war during that time. know has been in the house, it was built by a german

cabinetmaker. stayed here ever since. it does not get moved very often. we found some original pieces of wallpaper in later years when we were doing some work. we have that to make it as authentic as possible. harrison came to greater renown in part because of his tremendous speaking skills. we had these ideals of being an american, he was called upon even during the civil war to speak to the troops during lincoln's reelection campaign. call people to action to the civic duty. i think as he continued to build his career through the constituency in the 1870's, there is high demand for harrison to come and speak and support a candidate. we moved into the back parlor

now. you have these wonderful pocket doors that could close between the rooms that are original to the house. this was actually the spot where harrison was standing when he accepted the nomination to run for the presidency. convention, the republican convention, it was held in chicago. benjamin harrison himself stayed here. other friends and family went to chicago. he was receiving information from them. the nomination committee learned they hadafter dominated him in chicago, they had a march here to the house. he was standing between the parlor doors when he accepted the nomination. >> benjamin harrison ran against grover cleveland and decided give a front porch

campaign. he based his campaign here in indianapolis. connectivity of trains, people were able to move about. they were excited. what you are able to see where the enormous crowds of people swelling in indianapolis. togave more than 80 speeches 300,000 people. indianapolis in you could still see today. to give these speeches and give them to groups one-on-one with a tremendous boon to him. it was good to control that narrative. someone would transcribe the speeches he gave them and he could wire them nationally to make sure they were recorded appropriately. the result of the campaign was that benjamin harrison won the electoral college but lost the popular vote.

it is a fairly narrow margin. it is interesting as you look at the 1888 campaign and the 1892 campaign, how much of voter suppression may have come into play. charles calhoun references this in a number of articles. time, the majority of that vote would have gone to benjamin harrison and the republican party. harrison, it clearly would've played into his thoughts with that campaign and the awareness of how important it was to protect african-american voting rights. not just because of the calculation of the larger percentage of that vote perhaps coming to his party but certainly going back into the 1850's, harrison was firmly and outspokenly in favor of african-american rights.

he was fiercely anti-slavery, even pre-civil war. he was outspoken and many public speeches to protect african-american voting rights during his campaign he actually spoke to 300 men who called themselves the harrison club. they came to harrison's front door to congratulate him on receiving the nomination for the presidency. harrison gave a deeply moving speech to them. talking about his own experiences as a child. forking about this harrison, he did everything within his power as a candidate and then as president to try to protect african-american voting rights. caroline harrison has a fascinating story of her own. she and benjamin harrison met during college, caroline harrison was college-educated. her father was a professor.

for the harrison's, education was deeply important to them, especially with their children. caroline harrison study language, music, art. i think that really carries through her priorities. the harrison's, as they were building the home here in indianapolis were very tasteful in doing so in a way that was decorated, certainly caroline harrison had a flair for art. we know she loved watercolor paintings. she loved china painting. we have one oil painting by her. she probably is best known as first lady for having protected the white house china collection. she actually went through the white house when they came to theington at a time when

white house was in total disrepair. she drove forward plans to significantly restore and fill the white house, expand it. while she was not able to get those plans approved by congress, she did get funds to remediate the dilapidation that the white house was in at that time. are in the dining room on the first floor of the home. on the top shelf of the china cabinet we have some of the harrison's white house china. she wrote a letter to the toghter, saying she wanted harrison the white house china to be similar to be similar to the lincoln china. the purple and white pieces are some of the lincoln white house china. the eagles are very similar. she wanted 44 stars around the outside edge for the 44 states

that were in the union during harrison's presidency. six of those coming in during his term. middle, we have some of caroline harrison's hand-painted china. she did quite a bit of china painting. she says she never knew -- there was an element of chance on a piece of how things will turn out. if you look at her china painting, it is not just a hobby. she is very devoted to her china painting. it is very delicate. with gold,s things which is very difficult to do. >> it is compelling when you look at benjamin harrison's legacy and how under known it is, many of his accomplishments were foundational. fantastic quote to that effect about those who of the century

can't seek that kind of recognition. for harrison, with so much of what he did being foundational work calling for and signing for thereserve act, protecting national resources and not let them go. also, his efficacy in the inaugural address for african-american voting rights came within a couple votes of what would have been very significant civil rights legislation. really unmatched until the 1960's. it is also interesting to see harrison's investment in the country's infrastructure. the need for a two shipment need for natural defense. bb1, thethe battleship uss indiana. to honor itsuntry promises to veterans. calling for and signing the pension act i think was one of his proud achievements.

he is also able to break the logjam nationally so six states were admitted to the union during his administration. there was a lot of national debate about the surplus and ton the budget was passed congress, somebody complained about it being a $1 billion budget. the retort was this is a $1 billion country. it was the first time across the $1 billion threshold. harrison saw it was wise to be able to make investments back into the country. i think he appreciated the need for the country to do so. he was stymied in the election of 1890 when the south grew fearful of the legislative changes harrison was making. being able to protect african-american voting rights.

how much voter suppression was in the election of 1890 two likely suppressed the african-american vote in the south. it certainly didn't help with caroline harrison, the first lady and her increasing illness. it became apparent she was on her deathbed. she actually died in october of 1892. harrison was consumed without loss. grover cleveland out of respect for harrison declined to campaign. it was a very somber election of 1892. harrison returned to washington and to the result of that 1890 two election shortly after caroline harrison's funeral in indianapolis. >> benjamin harrison's

post-presidency, upon learning news of his defeat said he felt like a man released from prison. while he appreciated the significant contributions he , ild make to the country think he also appreciated that beyondmore to give serving in office. he was relieved after the loss of his wife to be able to return to indianapolis and have time to think and reflect on what those next steps in his life would be. mid-1890'sd in the and had one of the few presidential children, child born post presidency. it is interesting because you ended up with a 19th-century family and a 20th-century family. he had two grown children and at the time of his death he had a four-year-old, elizabeth. >> we are in the president and misses harrison's bedroom.

, the bed,rniture dresser, items that belong to the harrison family. another interesting piece we have here is the whitney home gymnasium. it was made in new york. it belongs to the harrison's before they went to the white house. he took it to the white house with him. exerciselittle equipment. it has wooden dumbbells, wooden indian clubs that you would do arm exercises with. then a pulley system that has metal dumbbells at the bottom. we don't know how often benjamin harrison actually use this. it does show up in a white house photograph. presidency, we know the young daughter, elizabeth harrison recalled that she was playing with it one day and you would have to attach it to the wall to use the pulley system. apparently he did not have it

attached to the wall while she was playing with it. she pulled it over on herself. benjamin harrison died here in indianapolis in this house he and his wife caroline built in 1874. he died in 1901. it was a sudden illness. passed away fairly quickly before his adult children were able to arrive and yet his bedside. hill buried in crown cemetery here in indianapolis. it is inappropriate to for harrison and speaks to harrison's modesty as a leader and a president. the great sense you have is how understated. it is an extremely well-built house. you could see what phenomenal care has been taken of the structure since his departure in 1901. you get a real sense of

character and personality of the harrison's themselves just looking through the space. ifis not ostentatious, anything it speaks deeply of quality. is harrison's character, through and through. understated but of quality. our cities tour staff recently traveled to indianapolis to learn about its rich history. to watch more video from indianapolis and other stops on our torque visit c-span.org/cititeestour. you're watching american history tv, all weekend, every weekend on c-span3. team isampaign 2020 bus traveling across the country asking voters what issues should the presidential candidates address. i want a candidate who will advocate for everybody,

regardless of how old they are, what kind of background they come from, what race they are, what religion they are, what their sexual orientation or gender may be. i feel like that hasn't been happening the past few years and we need to get back to a president that will advocate for everybody. justice.us is social what you plan to do for issues across the nation. >> my top issue is wealth and how it affects american politics . >> [indiscernible] top 2020 issue is not a legislative issue but an ethics issue. i think political transparency is our biggest issue in washington, the government in general. i think something they need to focus on is making sure the

american public knows what is going on. there are meetings that we cannot know about that i think are detrimental to our perception of politics. if the candidates had spoken on their views and once they do get into office stating what is actually going on and allows the american public to be more involved in the democratic process that things will be a lot smoother in washington. >> voices from the road on c-span. american history tv products are now available at the new c-span online store. go to c-span store.org to see what is new from american history tv and check out all of the c-span products. >> this is american history tv, exploring our nation's past every weekend on c-spanthree.

museumhe clara barton hosts docent brad stone for a look at christmas traditions from the colonial era through the civil war. mr. stone also talks about the political role of christmas in america. at 8:00 p.m. eastern, its lectures in history. we visit the iowa state university classroom of professor carmen baines to learn about women's work on family farms during the 20th century. on "real:00 p.m. america," a film about artist norman rockwell -- on "reel america." >> all right, we are going to get started for this evening's event. i'm the director of interpretation here at the