NAME William Henry Harrison
WHAT FAMOUS FOR William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States, remembered for having the shortest presidency in American history — just 31 days — and for being the first U.S. president to die in office. He was also a distinguished military leader known by the nickname “Old Tippecanoe.”
BIRTH William Henry Harrison was born on February 9, 1773, at Berkeley Plantation, the home of the Harrison family on the James River in Charles City County, Virginia. He was the seventh and youngest child of Benjamin Harrison V and Elizabeth Bassett Harrison. He became the last United States president not born as an American citizen, having been born before American independence was secured.
FAMILY BACKGROUND Harrison came from one of Virginia's most prominent and wealthy families, with ancestors who had been in Virginia since the 1630s. His father, Benjamin Harrison V (1726-1791), was a Virginia planter who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress, signed the Declaration of Independence, and served three terms as the fifth governor of Virginia (1781-1784). His mother, Elizabeth Bassett Harrison, came from one of the colony's earliest and most prestigious families. His older brother Carter Bassett Harrison represented Virginia in the House of Representatives from 1793 to 1799.
The family owned Berkeley Plantation, a substantial tobacco plantation worked by enslaved African Americans.
CHILDHOOD William Henry Harrison grew up at Berkeley Plantation in considerable privilege, though he was the youngest of seven children. Under the laws and customs of the day, this limited his inheritance prospects, as family property typically went to the eldest son. He grew up amid the American Revolution, and at age eight witnessed the American victory at Yorktown, which occurred just thirty miles from his home. Harrison later referred to himself as a "child of the revolution".
EDUCATION He was tutored at home until age fourteen.At age fourteen, Harrison attended Hampden-Sydney College, a Presbyterian college in Virginia, where he studied for three years. His classical education included Latin, Greek, French, logic, and debate.
His Episcopalian father removed him from the college, possibly for religious reasons. After brief stays at an academy in Southampton County, Virginia, and with his elder brother Benjamin in Richmond, he went to Philadelphia in 1790.
When his father died in the spring of 1791, Harrison studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania under Doctor Benjamin Rush, a Founding Father and signer of the Declaration of Independence, and William Shippen Sr..
His older brother inherited their father's money, leaving Harrison without funds to continue his medical education. He also discovered he did not prefer medicine, so he withdrew from Penn, though school archives record him as a "non-graduate alumnus of Penn's medical school class of 1793".
CAREER RECORD 1791–1798 Served in the U.S. Army
1798-1799 Secretary of the Northwest Territory
1799-1800 Non-Voting Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives for the Northwest Territory
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| Harrison at age 27, as a delegate member of the U.S. House of Representatives |
1801-1812 Governor of the Indiana Territory serving 12 years and negotiating numerous treaties with Native American tribes
1812-1814 Commander of the Army of the Northwest during the War of 1812
1816-1819 U.S. Representative for Ohio
1819-1821 Ohio State Senator
1825-1828 U.S. Senator for Ohio .
1828-1829 Minister Plenipotentiary to Gran Colombia
1834-1840 Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of Hamilton County, Ohio
1841 Ninth President of the United States
APPEARANCE Harrison was slim and of average height. By the time he became president, he had thin brown hair that had grayed, which he combed rather carelessly straight down over his forehead or sloping slightly to the right.
He had a long, thin, angular face of fair complexion, distinguished by a long sharp-bridged nose, closely set eyes, thin lips, and a strong jaw.
A female observer once described his expression as "serene and engaging". (1)
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| William Henry Harrison, in March 1841, painted by Albert Gallatin Hoit |
FASHION He dressed conservatively in the formal style of his era — dark suits, cravats, and occasionally military attire during his campaigns.
During his 1840 presidential campaign, Harrison embraced a frontier image, wearing buckskins, fringed leather hunting shirts, and moccasins, and was portrayed drinking hard cider from clay jugs. This campaign strategy inspired "the first retro craze in American history," getting half the country to dress in similar frontier attire. (2)
For his inauguration on March 4, 1841, Harrison wore formal attire but famously refused to wear an overcoat or top hat despite the wet and cold weather. This decision may have contributed to the illness that killed him, though modern scholarship disputes this.
CHARACTER Harrison was widely viewed as honest, disciplined, and patriotic, with a soldier’s sense of duty. Contemporaries described him as brave in battle but also kind and modest in private life.
The Reverend Timothy Flint, a frequent visitor to his North Bend, Ohio home, described him as urbane, hospitable, kind, and utterly unpretentious. (1)
Despite these warm qualities, he was also a cautious man whose nickname "General Mum" reflected his avoidance of speaking out on controversial issues during his presidential campaign.
Politically, he was ambitious and believed he had a role to play in history.
SPEAKING VOICE Historians speculate he likely had a Tidewater accent typical of Virginia aristocrats of his era. Some accounts suggest he may have had what would later be called a mid-Atlantic accent.
He was known to be a capable public speaker who gave extensive speeches during his campaign. Accounts of his oratory suggest he was formal, deliberate, and verbose. His inaugural address was the longest in U.S. history, lasting an hour and forty minutes in cold, wet conditions.
SENSE OF HUMOUR The successful adoption of the "Log Cabin and Hard Cider" presidential campaign image, which started as a political jab from a Democratic newspaper, suggests the Whigs (and Harrison) were able to turn a potential insult into a winning strategy, indicating the ability to laugh at a slight and to connect with common people in a lighthearted manner.
RELATIONSHIPS On November 25, 1795, at age 22, Harrison married Anna Tuthill Symmes at the North Bend, Ohio, home of Stephen Wood, who was treasurer of the Northwest Territory, in a clandestine ceremony. Anna was the daughter of Judge John Cleves Symmes, a prominent figure who initially disapproved of the match, not wanting his daughter to face the hard life of frontier forts. The couple eloped, marrying in secret while her father was away. Eventually, Judge Symmes accepted the marriage upon seeing his daughter's happiness.
Anna was well-educated, well-read, and adept on horseback, traits that served her admirably in frontier life.
William and Anna Harrison had ten children together, though eight died during Anna's lifetime. Their children included John Scott Harrison, who became the father of Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States. At least three children were born at Grouseland, the family home in Vincennes, Indiana.
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| Anna Harrison c. 1820 |
MONEY AND FAME Despite being born into a wealthy Virginia family, Harrison experienced financial difficulties throughout his life. His father's estate went primarily to his older brothers. Harrison's various government positions often paid poorly, and he struggled to support his large family. He briefly opened a distillery to make money but shut it down after his sales induced widespread public drunkenness. Bad weather destroyed his wheat and corn crops, contributing to his financial troubles. Harrison had to make do with a small military pension for extended periods. However, he established a successful horse breeding enterprise by the end of the eighteenth century and was considered one of the most distinguished breeders in the Northwest Territory.
Harrison achieved considerable fame. His military victories, particularly at Tippecanoe and the Thames, made him a national hero. His 1840 presidential campaign was wildly popular, drawing crowds of 30,000 people at events. Congress awarded him a gold medal for his wartime contributions.
FOOD AND DRINK Harrison had a taste for simple, hearty frontier foods. His favorite dish was reportedly squirrel stew (also called burgoo), a rustic meal rooted in frontier lifestyle that was easily expandable to feed large crowds during his campaign rallies. (3)
The area around his Indiana home was reportedly loaded with grouse, a small game bird that was one of his favorite things to eat, which inspired the name "Grouseland" for his mansion.
He enjoyed fresh vegetables and reportedly loved having an excellent garden wherever he lived, writing from Bogota about his abundance of beans, peas, cabbages, cauliflower, celery, artichokes, and beets.
During his 1840 campaign, Harrison became known as "the Hard Cider Candidate" for distributing copious amounts of hard cider at campaign events and drinking straight from clay jugs during speeches. (4)
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| Encyclopaedia Virginia |
MUSIC AND ARTS Harrison's 1840 presidential campaign inspired the most famous political campaign song of all time, "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" (originally titled "Tip and Ty"). The tune was written by an Ohio jeweler and debuted at a New York Whig Party rally, becoming so popular that it quickly spread throughout the country.
LITERATURE Harrison received a classical education that included extensive study of literature and he developed an interest in military history, especially Roman military history. His inaugural address demonstrated his knowledge of classical history, containing numerous classical allusions that Senator Daniel Webster had to edit, reportedly killing "seventeen Roman proconsuls as dead as smelts".
NATURE Harrison spent much of his career on the American frontier in Ohio and Indiana. He established farms and worked the land, famously being portrayed in his 1840 campaign as plowing his own ground.
PETS During his brief presidency, Harrison owned a cow named Sukey, purchased from a Maryland farmer before he took office. She was one of the last purchases Harrison made before his death and was likely kept with his widow and children after he died. The cow was a practical animal kept for milk and meat, as was common for households of that era.
HOBBIES AND SPORTS Harrison's primary hobby outside his public duties was horse breeding. After finishing his military career and before entering politics full-time, he established a very successful horse breeding operation. By the end of the eighteenth century, he was considered one of the most distinguished breeders in the Northwest Territory.
He was also an accomplished horseman, having learned cavalry riding from Colonel "Light Horse" Harry Lee during his youth. As a young man, he enjoyed acting out military raids with his sister and servants' children at Berkeley Plantation.
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| Equestrian statue of Harrison in Cincinnati, by Louis Rebisso by Photo shot by Derek Jensen |
Harrison acquired land and established his home, Grouseland, in Vincennes, Indiana, so named because he enjoyed hunting grouse in the area.
SCIENCE AND MATHS Harrison's classical education at Hampden-Sydney College would have included some mathematical training as part of the curriculum of the era, and his medical studies at the University of Pennsylvania under Benjamin Rush would have exposed him to the scientific knowledge of the late 18th century.
PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Harrison was raised in a devout Presbyterian family and from a very young age observed the Sabbath without fail every Sunday. He officially became a member of the Presbyterian Church upon starting college.
After resigning his military commission in 1814, Harrison became a vestryman of Christ Episcopal Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.
He upheld strong religious and moral views in public life and attended church at every opportunity.
Harrison's campaign and political writings often referenced moral philosophy, and a Democratic newspaper once gibed that if given a small pension, he would "sit... by the side of a 'sea coal' fire, and study moral philosophy."
POLITICS Harrison began his political life in 1798 as Secretary of the Northwest Territory, which was about as glamorous as it sounds — long meetings, lots of paperwork, and a fair amount of frontier mud. Still, he took to it like a man who liked rules, maps, and the idea of America expanding ever westward. Before long, he’d become the territory’s first congressional delegate, where he developed an enthusiasm for dividing up large pieces of land — preferably into smaller pieces with nice straight lines. He lobbied for reforms to public land policies and, in 1800, helped carve the Northwest Territory into Ohio and Indiana, thereby ensuring that America had one more place for farmers to argue about fences.
From 1801 to 1812, Harrison served as governor of Indiana Territory — a record-setting run that might make him the original overachiever of the American frontier. During his tenure, he negotiated a truly staggering number of treaties with Native American tribes — eleven between 1803 and 1809 alone — acquiring millions of acres for settlers. It was the sort of land deal that made white pioneers cheer and Native leaders like Tecumseh furious. The resulting conflicts would become the stuff of legend and lead to Harrison’s enduring nickname, “Old Tippecanoe,” which sounds like either a war hero or a tavern mascot, depending on how much you’ve had to drink.
Harrison’s views on slavery were as consistent as the weather in an Indiana spring. He opposed the Ordinance of 1787’s ban on slavery in the Northwest Territory and even chaired a convention in 1802 to see if Congress might loosen up about it. He later backed an indenture law that let slavery sneak in through the back door. But when he campaigned for Congress in Ohio in 1822, he told voters he opposed slavery. This would have been more convincing if he hadn’t owned slaves himself. Like many politicians of his era, Harrison managed to hold positions that were mutually exclusive yet somehow still fit into the same speech.
After the War of 1812, Harrison’s résumé looked like a particularly ambitious game of political bingo: U.S. House of Representatives, Ohio State Senate, U.S. Senate, and finally U.S. Minister to Colombia — a posting that sounds exotic but mostly involved diplomatic headaches and tropical diseases. He ran for president in 1836 and lost, then ran again in 1840 with the slogan “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too,” which, to everyone’s surprise, worked. He crushed Martin Van Buren in the Electoral College (though not in the popular vote) and finally made it to the White House — where, alas, he would spend far less time than anyone expected.
PRESIDENCY William Henry Harrison’s presidency was so short you could almost miss it if you blinked too slowly. Sworn in on March 4, 1841, and dead by April 4, he managed just thirty-one days in office — not even long enough to unpack properly. Yet somehow, in that blink of a presidency, Harrison managed to set a constitutional precedent, define a political philosophy, and deliver a speech that felt longer than most geological eras.
Harrison’s big day began in weather that could have frozen a woolly mammoth, but he was having none of it. He rode to his inauguration on a white horse, declined a coat and hat as though frostbite were an optional accessory, and then proceeded to give the longest inaugural address in U.S. history. It clocked in at 8,445 words and nearly two hours — the kind of speech where even Daniel Webster, who had trimmed it down, must have thought, “Good grief, man, wrap it up.”
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| Harrison's inauguration 1841. |
The content was pure Whig sermonizing: no more imperial presidents like Andrew Jackson, more respect for Congress, and an end to handing out government jobs like candy at Halloween. Harrison promised to serve only one term, veto bills only when the Constitution demanded it, and restore fiscal sanity with a national bank and something called the “American System,” which mostly meant tariffs and internal improvements. He was, in short, the anti-Jackson.
On slavery, Harrison took a position that managed to annoy everyone equally. As a slaveholder, he insisted the issue was up to the states — meaning, effectively, that he didn’t plan to do much about it. He warned that abolitionist meddling would tear the Union apart, which it later did, though not because anyone had taken his advice.
From the start, Harrison’s presidency was less about governing and more about refereeing the Whig Party, particularly the towering ego of Henry Clay. Clay wanted a special session of Congress to ram through his economic agenda, and Harrison, ever the reluctant leader, eventually gave in. It was about the last major decision he made.
After a series of public appearances in the cold and damp — perhaps trying to prove that pneumonia was just a myth — Harrison fell seriously ill on March 26. The doctors of the day did their best, which meant they applied leeches, dosed him with opium and castor oil, and likely made things much worse. By April 4, the first president to die in office had done so, leaving behind a stunned nation and a cabinet wondering what, exactly, to do next.
That confusion gave rise to the “Tyler Precedent,” when Vice President John Tyler declared himself the new president rather than just “acting” in the role. It was a bold move that no one was entirely sure was legal at the time, but it stuck, eventually becoming enshrined in the 25th Amendment over a century later.
Harrison’s presidency may have been short, but his impact was unexpectedly long-lasting. His election campaign — the “Log Cabin and Hard Cider” extravaganza — revolutionized American politics. It introduced catchy slogans, sing-alongs, and mass rallies, transforming campaigns from genteel affairs into full-blown public spectacles.
Still, Harrison left behind something resembling a legacy: a blueprint for modest presidential power, a new style of campaigning, and a reminder that the most patriotic thing a leader can do is sometimes just stay indoors.
SCANDAL Harrison's political career was not without controversy. His most significant scandal involved his treatment of Native Americans and his land acquisition policies. The Treaty of Fort Wayne in 1809, which Harrison negotiated, acquired 2.5 to 3 million acres from Native American tribes for approximately two cents per acre. Shawnee leader Tecumseh vehemently contested the treaty's legitimacy, arguing that the tribal leaders who signed it had no authority to sell land held in common by all Native peoples. This controversy led directly to Tecumseh's War and the Battle of Tippecanoe.
Harrison's support for slavery in Indiana Territory despite the Northwest Ordinance's prohibition was also controversial. His enactment of indenture laws that essentially allowed slavery in the territory shocked antislavery advocates. Additionally, during his 1840 campaign, questions arose about his running mate Richard Mentor Johnson's previous relationships with enslaved women, though this affected the ticket rather than Harrison directly.
MILITARY RECORD Harrison's military career spanned from 1791 to 1814 and established his national reputation.
Northwest Indian War (1791-1795): On August 16, 1791, at age 18, Harrison was commissioned as an ensign in the Army and assigned to the First American Regiment at Fort Washington, Cincinnati where he served under General "Mad Anthony" Wayne. He participated in the Battle of Fallen Timbers (August 20, 1794), a decisive victory that ended the Northwest Indian War and opened Ohio to settlement. Wayne commended Harrison for his "conduct and bravery exciting the troops to press for victory". Harrison served as a signatory witness to the Treaty of Greenville (1795).
As governor of Indiana Territory, Harrison led approximately 1,000 troops against Tecumseh's confederation at the Battle of Tippecanoe on November 7, 1811. Though the battle was controversial and initially misreported as a defeat, Harrison's forces ultimately destroyed Prophetstown and scattered the Native American confederation. The victory earned him the nickname "Tippecanoe" and national fame.
The print below shows American troops under the leadership of General William Henry Harrison fighting the Indian forces of The Prophet, Tenskwatawa (the brother of Tecumseh) in a forest.
When war broke out in 1812, Harrison was commissioned as a major general and given command of the Army of the Northwest. After the British captured Detroit, Harrison constructed Fort Meigs along the Maumee River in northwest Ohio during the winter. In May 1813, he successfully defended Fort Meigs against a siege by British and Native American forces.
Following the American naval victory at the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813, Harrison advanced into Upper Canada and defeated the British and Native American forces at the Battle of the Thames on October 5, 1813. This victory, in which Tecumseh was killed, was considered one of the great American victories of the war and secured Harrison's national reputation. He resigned from the army in 1814.
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Throughout most of his life, Harrison was in generally good health, capable of enduring the rigors of frontier military campaigns and extensive travel. However, he reportedly had a history of severe indigestion.
On March 26, 1841, the day after a tense Cabinet meeting, Harrison caught a cold. He developed fever, chills, frontal headache, anorexia, cough, and muscle pain. By the third day, he experienced constipation and abdominal distension that persisted for five days despite repeated laxatives and enemas. On the sixth day, he developed severe, foul-smelling watery diarrhea. His pulmonary symptoms didn't arise until the fifth day and were intermittent rather than progressive. On the evening of April 3, Harrison suffered from painful bowel movements and became delirious. He died shortly after midnight the next day exactly one month after his inauguration.
While his attending physician, Dr. Thomas Miller, diagnosed pneumonia, Miller himself was uncomfortable with this diagnosis, noting that "the disease was not viewed as a case of pure pneumonia". Modern medical historians have concluded that Harrison likely died from enteric fever (typhoid fever) caused by contaminated drinking water in the White House, as Washington D.C.'s sewage was dumped into a marsh just seven blocks upstream from the executive mansion's water supply. This diagnosis better explains his dominant gastrointestinal symptoms and the relative bradycardia he exhibited throughout his illness. (6)
HOMES Harrison was born and spent his childhood at Berkeley Plantation in Charles City County, Virginia. Built in 1726 by his grandfather Benjamin Harrison IV, this Georgian-style three-story brick mansion overlooked the James River. The plantation comprised thousands of acres worked by enslaved people. Harrison visited Berkeley throughout his life and reportedly wrote his inaugural address in the room where he was born during a visit in 1841. The plantation is the ancestral home of two presidents (William Henry Harrison and his grandson Benjamin Harrison) and has been designated a Virginia and National Historic Landmark.
Between 1802 and 1804, Harrison built Grouseland on 300 acres of land he purchased in Vincennes, Indiana. This Federal-style two-story red brick mansion cost approximately $20,000 (about half a million dollars today). It was the first brick building in the Indiana Territory and was known as the "White House of the West". The home served simultaneously as his family residence, the seat of territorial government, and a fortress. Harrison reportedly named it Grouseland due to the abundance of grouse birds in the area, which were his favorite food. Five land-cession treaties with Native American leaders were signed at Grouseland, including the Treaty of Grouseland (1805). Harrison lived there from 1804 until 1812.
After leaving Vincennes in 1812, Harrison moved to a farm at North Bend, Ohio, on land his father-in-law had sold to the couple. He spent considerable time here during his years out of federal office, working the farm and establishing his horse breeding operation. The house burned in 1858, after which his widow Anna lived nearby with their son John Scott Harrison until her death in 1864. Harrison is buried at the Harrison Tomb State Memorial in North Bend.
TRAVEL Harrison's life involved extensive travel throughout the early American frontier and beyond. As a young officer, he traveled from Philadelphia to Fort Washington in Cincinnati (1791). He participated in military campaigns throughout the Northwest Territory during the 1790s. As Indiana Territory governor (1801-1812), he traveled extensively throughout the territory and to Washington D.C. for official business. From 1828 to 1829, he served as U.S. Minister to Colombia, requiring transoceanic travel to South America.
His 1840 presidential campaign involved unprecedented travel for a candidate. Harrison took the unusual step of going out on the campaign trail, participating in "stump speeches" where he spoke before mass audiences. His journey to Washington for his inauguration in February 1841 was an extended procession. He traveled by riverboat from Cincinnati down the Ohio River, with stops for receptions where he shook hands with crowds, sometimes switching to his left hand when his right grew weary. From Pittsburgh, he continued by land to Washington, with residents of every village and town along the route turning out to cheer him. The journey involved "jolting rides that required incessant waving, interspersed by receptions, handshaking, dinners, toasts, and meeting with a constant stream of visitors". (7)
DEATH William Henry Harrison died on April 4, 1841, at approximately 12:30 AM, exactly one month after his inauguration, making him the first U.S. president to die in office. He was 68 years old. His death created a constitutional crisis regarding presidential succession that was ultimately resolved when Vice President John Tyler took the oath of office and insisted on becoming the tenth president rather than merely acting president.
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| An illustration depicting the death of Harrison, April 4, 1841 |
The official cause of death was recorded as pneumonia, attributed to his decision to deliver his lengthy inaugural address in cold, wet weather without adequate clothing. However, modern medical analysis suggests this traditional explanation is likely incorrect. Medical historians Jane McHugh and Dr. Philip A. Mackowiak concluded in 2014 that Harrison likely died from enteric fever (typhoid fever) caused by contaminated drinking water in the White House. Washington D.C.'s sewage was dumped into a marsh just seven blocks upstream from the executive mansion's water supply before 1850. Harrison's symptoms—including persistent gastrointestinal distress, foul-smelling diarrhea, black stools suggesting gastrointestinal bleeding, relative bradycardia, and intermittent rather than progressive respiratory symptoms—are all consistent with enteric fever rather than pneumonia.
His final words, delivered to a nearby doctor while delirious, were: "Sir, I wish you to understand the true principles of the government. I wish them carried out. I ask nothing more". These were assumed to be intended for Vice President John Tyler.
Harrison's funeral took place in Wesley Chapel in Cincinnati, Ohio on April 7, 1841.
Harrison was initially buried in Washington D.C., but his remains were later moved to the Harrison Tomb State Memorial in North Bend, Ohio.
APPEARANCES IN MEDIA William Henry Harrison has received relatively limited attention in film and television compared to other presidents, likely due to his brief presidency. One of the few notable portrayals was in the 1952 film Stars and Stripes Forever, a John Philip Sousa biopic, where Roy Gordon played President Harrison in a scene showing Sousa performing at a White House reception.
A 2010 documentary titled The Triumph of William Henry Harrison was produced. He has also been mentioned or appeared in various historical documentaries about presidential history, the War of 1812, and Native American relations.
In popular culture, Harrison has been referenced in various contexts, though usually as a historical footnote. His short presidency and unusual death have made him a subject of interest in medical history discussions and presidential trivia. The television show Parks and Recreation featured an episode titled "William Henry Harrison" (Season 7, Episode 3).
Harrison's legacy has been more significantly preserved through historical sites and museums, including Grouseland in Vincennes, Indiana, and Berkeley Plantation in Virginia, both of which offer tours and educational programs.
ACHIEVEMENTS Ninth U.S. President.
Military hero of the Battle of Tippecanoe (1811) and the Battle of the Thames (1813).
First Governor of the Indiana Territory, a critical role in the settlement of the Old Northwest.
The first president to die in office, establishing a crucial precedent for presidential succession later codified by the 25th Amendment.
Ran the first truly modern presidential campaign in 1840, utilizing slogans, songs, mass rallies, and a compelling public image ("Log Cabin and Hard Cider").
Sources: (1) Presidential Ham (2) Racked (3) Eats History (4) Food Timeline (5) White House History (6) Mental Floss (7) The History Reader
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