1888
Benjamin Harrison and the 1888 map
Incumbent Grover Cleveland won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College to Republican Benjamin Harrison, grandson of President William Henry Harrison. The election centered on the tariff — Harrison championed high protective tariffs while Cleveland sought reduction. Harrison carried the key states of New York and Indiana. Cleveland's gracious acceptance of defeat ('I have tried so hard to do right') was widely admired; he would return to win back the presidency four years later.
Protective tariff policy; federal surplus management
Cleveland won popular vote but lost Electoral College; became the only president to serve non-consecutive terms
States · 39 reporting
Embed
Drop this map on your site · coming soon
Free iframe with attribution. White-label option in the works.
Get notified →Classroom
All 300 packets, free
60 cycles · K-2 through AP · open download.
Browse packets →Poster
Wall-worthy print · coming soon
Every-election grid and single-state series in the works.
Get notified →Read further
Curated picksThe Republic for Which It Stands
Richard White
Reconstruction through the Gilded Age.
Buy on Amazon →The Populist Vision
Charles Postel
Bancroft-winning history of Populism.
Buy on Amazon →As an Amazon Associate, The American Vote earns from qualifying purchases. Links are tagged for tracking. Recommendations are editorial.
Free, ad-light, no paywall
Built by one person. Tips fund the next 60 elections of editorial.