Remembering Old Tippecanoe
On April 4, 1841 (171 years ago today) William Henry Harrison, the 9th President of the United States, died after only a month on the job. He was 68 years of age.
Harrison has the distinction of being the President with the shortest time in office (from March 4 to April 4th, dying on his 32nd day in office). He was also the oldest man ever elected as president, 68 years and 23 days old when he was sworn into office. (Ronald Reagan would later break that record. Reagan was just over a month shy of his 70th birthday when inaugurated.)
Before election as president, Harrison was a soldier who later became the first territorial congressional delegate from what was the called the Northwest Territory (generally what is now Ohio and Indiana). He was appointed governor of the Indiana Territory and later as a U.S. representative and senator from Ohio. He gained national fame for leading U.S. forces against American Indians at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811 where he earned the nickname "Tippecanoe" (or "Old Tippecanoe"). Many historians claim that this wasn't much of a military victory and that Harrison did his best work as a general in the War of 1812. His most notable victory was at the Battle of the Thames in 1813, which brought an end to hostilities in his region.
After the war, Harrison moved to Ohio, where he was elected to the United States Congress, and in 1824 he became a member of the Senate. He was appointed as Minister Plenipotentiary (or what we would call an Ambassador) to Colombia in May 1828. He lost that job with the election of Andrew Jackson in November and returned to his farm in Ohio.
Harrison was nominated for the presidency in 1836. The Whig Party ran a bunch of regional candidates on the theory that no candidate would win a majority and the election would be decided by Congress. That plan didn't work, but Harrison had the best showing of all of the Whig candidates so they decided that he would be their best bet for a candidate in 1841. He won that election, campaigning as the candidate of hard cider and log cabins as opposed to the prissy and refined Martin Van Buren. He was elected President, but didn't live long enough to enjoy the job.
On March 26, Harrison became ill with a cold. It is a popular misconception that his illness was the result of giving a long speech at his inauguration in bad weather without a coat. However, Harrison didn't get sick until more than three weeks after his inaugural address. His cold worsened, rapidly turning to pneumonia and pleurisy. He tried to rest in the White House, but could not find a quiet room because of the steady crowd of office seekers.
Harrison's doctors sound like a bunch of quacks. They tried a variety of cures, applying opium, castor oil, leeches, and Virginia snakeweed. But, not surprisingly, the treatments only made Harrison worse, and he became delirious. He died nine days later at 12:30 am on April 4, 1841, from pneumonia and septicemia. He was the first United States president to die in office. His last words were to his doctor, but are assumed to be meant for his Vice-President, John Tyler. He said "Sir, I wish you to understand the true principles of the government. I wish them carried out. I ask nothing more." And then he breathed his last and shuffled off this mortal coil.
Harrison has the distinction of being the President with the shortest time in office (from March 4 to April 4th, dying on his 32nd day in office). He was also the oldest man ever elected as president, 68 years and 23 days old when he was sworn into office. (Ronald Reagan would later break that record. Reagan was just over a month shy of his 70th birthday when inaugurated.)
Before election as president, Harrison was a soldier who later became the first territorial congressional delegate from what was the called the Northwest Territory (generally what is now Ohio and Indiana). He was appointed governor of the Indiana Territory and later as a U.S. representative and senator from Ohio. He gained national fame for leading U.S. forces against American Indians at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811 where he earned the nickname "Tippecanoe" (or "Old Tippecanoe"). Many historians claim that this wasn't much of a military victory and that Harrison did his best work as a general in the War of 1812. His most notable victory was at the Battle of the Thames in 1813, which brought an end to hostilities in his region.
After the war, Harrison moved to Ohio, where he was elected to the United States Congress, and in 1824 he became a member of the Senate. He was appointed as Minister Plenipotentiary (or what we would call an Ambassador) to Colombia in May 1828. He lost that job with the election of Andrew Jackson in November and returned to his farm in Ohio.
Harrison was nominated for the presidency in 1836. The Whig Party ran a bunch of regional candidates on the theory that no candidate would win a majority and the election would be decided by Congress. That plan didn't work, but Harrison had the best showing of all of the Whig candidates so they decided that he would be their best bet for a candidate in 1841. He won that election, campaigning as the candidate of hard cider and log cabins as opposed to the prissy and refined Martin Van Buren. He was elected President, but didn't live long enough to enjoy the job.
On March 26, Harrison became ill with a cold. It is a popular misconception that his illness was the result of giving a long speech at his inauguration in bad weather without a coat. However, Harrison didn't get sick until more than three weeks after his inaugural address. His cold worsened, rapidly turning to pneumonia and pleurisy. He tried to rest in the White House, but could not find a quiet room because of the steady crowd of office seekers.
Harrison's doctors sound like a bunch of quacks. They tried a variety of cures, applying opium, castor oil, leeches, and Virginia snakeweed. But, not surprisingly, the treatments only made Harrison worse, and he became delirious. He died nine days later at 12:30 am on April 4, 1841, from pneumonia and septicemia. He was the first United States president to die in office. His last words were to his doctor, but are assumed to be meant for his Vice-President, John Tyler. He said "Sir, I wish you to understand the true principles of the government. I wish them carried out. I ask nothing more." And then he breathed his last and shuffled off this mortal coil.