The Obscure Presidents: William Henry Harrison-Part 2 (Presidency and Legacy)
A t-shirt sold by zazzle.com proclaims William Henry Harrison's Presidency to be the "Best Month Ever" and for the 9th President, that's as long as it lasted. The W. H. Harrison Administration had began showing great promise. When Harrison came to Washington, he was determined to show that he was not anyone's puppet and he was not merely the Whig Party's trophy candidate.
The hero of Tippecanoe took the oath of office on March 4, 1841. It was a cold and wet day and Harrison did not wear an overcoat nor a hat. He rode to the ceremony on horseback rather than in the closed carriage that had been offered him. After he was sworn in he delivered the longest inaugural address in American history, 8,445 words, and that was after his friend Daniel Webster edited it for length. It took him nearly two hours to read it. Harrison then rode through the streets in the inaugural parade. That evening he attended three inaugural balls. One of them took place at Carusi's Saloon. It was called the "Tippecanoe" ball, and it was attended by 1000 guests. Contrary to popular misconception, Harrison did not immediately take ill, and it is unlikely that this is what led to his demise.
In his inaugural address, Harrison expressed the intention to break from Jackson's and Van Buren's policies. He promised to recharter the Bank of the United States and extend its capacity for credit by issuing paper currency. This was the system promoted by Henry Clay. He also promised to use his veto sparingly and to generally defer to Congress on legislative matters. He also promised to do away with Jackson's spoils system of executive patronage. The latter promise no doubt added to the number of office seekers that would approach Harrison for jobs that month.
As leader of the Whigs, Henry Clay expected to have substantial influence in the Harrison administration. Clay tried to influence Harrison's actions before and during his brief presidency, especially in putting forth his own suggestions for Cabinet offices, but Harrison did not appreciate this. He is quoted as saying: "Mr. Clay, you forget that I am the President." When Harrison named Daniel Webster, Clay's rival for control of the Whig Party, as Secretary of State, this upset Clay. Harrison also named Webster supporters to some highly coveted patronage positions. Harrison's only concession to Clay was to name his fellow Kentuckian John J. Crittenden as Attorney General.
As expected, large numbers of office seeking applicants came to the White House, which at the time was open to all who wanted a meeting with the President. Most of Harrison's business during his month-long presidency involved receiving visitors at the White House. On March 10, Harrison wrote: "I am so much harassed by the multitude that call upon me that I can give no proper attention to any business of my own."
Harrison sent a number of nominations for office to the Senate for confirmation during his month in office. Congress convened an extraordinary session to confirm Harrison's cabinet and other important nominees. Harrison visited each of the six executive departments to observe their operations. He issued order to all departments that electioneering by employees would be considered grounds for dismissal from then on. Harrison resisted pressure from other Whigs over partisan patronage. When a group arrived in his office on March 16 to demand the removal of all Democrats from any appointed office, an angry Harrison replied: "So help me God, I will resign my office before I can be guilty of such an iniquity!" At a March 25 cabinet meeting, Harrison overrode a cabinet decision concerning the appointment of a territorial governor. hetold his cabinet: "William Henry Harrison, President of the United States, tells you, gentlemen, that, by God, John Chambers shall be governor of Iowa!"
Harrison called Congress into a special session. Henry Clay did not agree with the necessity of such a session. When Clay pressed Harrison on the special session on March 13, Harrison told Clay not to visit the White House again and to address him only in writing.The session was scheduled to begin on May 31.
On March 26, Harrison became ill with a cold. His illness did not arise until more than three weeks after his inauguration and it is unlikely that the two events were connected. His cold worsened, turning into pneumonia and pleurisy. He tried to rest at the White House, but could not find a quiet room because of all the office seekers. His doctors tried to cure him by applying opium, castor oil, leeches, and Virginia snakeweed, but all of this only made Harrison's condition worse. At one point he became delirious.
William Henry Harrison died at 12:30 am on April 4, 1841. His doctor, Thomas Miller, diagnosed Harrison's cause of death as "pneumonia of the lower lobe of the right lung". He was the first United States president to die in office. His last words, uttered to his doctor, were: "Sir, I wish you to understand the true principles of the government. I wish them carried out. I ask nothing more."
Harrison served the shortest term of any president: March 4 – April 4, 1841, 30 days, 12 hours, and 30 minutes. His funeral took place in the Wesley Chapel in Cincinnati, Ohio, on April 7, 1841. His original interment was in the public vault of the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C., but he was later buried in North Bend, Ohio. The William Henry Harrison Tomb State Memorial marks his resting place as well as that of his wife.
John Tyler, Harrison's successor and a former Democrat, abandoned the Whig agenda, and became estranged from the party. Article II of the Constitution states that "In case of the removal of the President from office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President". It goes on to provide that the Vice President "shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, or a President shall be elected". After Harrison's death a debate ensured over whether the vice president would become president or was merely acting President. The Constitution did not experessly state whether the Vice President could serve the remainder of the President's term, until the next election, or if emergency elections should be held. Harrison's cabinet insisted that Tyler was "Vice President acting as President". After the cabinet consulted with the Chief Justice Roger Taney, they decided that if Tyler took the presidential Oath of Office, he would assume the office of President. Tyler obliged and was sworn in on April 6. In May, Congress convened. After a short period of debate in both houses, it passed a resolution that confirmed Tyler as President. This precedent of presidential succession remained in effect until the Twenty-fifth Amendment was ratified in 1967.
Harrison died without leaving much of an estate. Congress voted to give his wife a Presidential widow's pension, a payment of $25,000, one year of Harrison's salary. She also received the right to mail letters free of charge.
William Henry Harrison was not in office long enough to make much of an impact on the presidency. By all indications however, he would have been a strong willed chief executive, but would have also deferred to the will of Congress for the most part. Whatever reservations the Whigs may have had about Harrison, for those who wished him gone, it was likely a case of "be careful what you wish for" when Tyler became President. What if William Henry Harrison had lived? Would the Bank of the United States have returned? Would the annexation of Texas have been pursued or delayed? Would the debate over slavery have been accelerated or would things have progressed on that front pretty much as they did? Would the office of President have been weakened and the power of Congress enhanced? These questions make for interesting debates as well as an excellent topic for writers of alternative history.
Tomorrow: Franklin Pierce
The hero of Tippecanoe took the oath of office on March 4, 1841. It was a cold and wet day and Harrison did not wear an overcoat nor a hat. He rode to the ceremony on horseback rather than in the closed carriage that had been offered him. After he was sworn in he delivered the longest inaugural address in American history, 8,445 words, and that was after his friend Daniel Webster edited it for length. It took him nearly two hours to read it. Harrison then rode through the streets in the inaugural parade. That evening he attended three inaugural balls. One of them took place at Carusi's Saloon. It was called the "Tippecanoe" ball, and it was attended by 1000 guests. Contrary to popular misconception, Harrison did not immediately take ill, and it is unlikely that this is what led to his demise.
In his inaugural address, Harrison expressed the intention to break from Jackson's and Van Buren's policies. He promised to recharter the Bank of the United States and extend its capacity for credit by issuing paper currency. This was the system promoted by Henry Clay. He also promised to use his veto sparingly and to generally defer to Congress on legislative matters. He also promised to do away with Jackson's spoils system of executive patronage. The latter promise no doubt added to the number of office seekers that would approach Harrison for jobs that month.
As leader of the Whigs, Henry Clay expected to have substantial influence in the Harrison administration. Clay tried to influence Harrison's actions before and during his brief presidency, especially in putting forth his own suggestions for Cabinet offices, but Harrison did not appreciate this. He is quoted as saying: "Mr. Clay, you forget that I am the President." When Harrison named Daniel Webster, Clay's rival for control of the Whig Party, as Secretary of State, this upset Clay. Harrison also named Webster supporters to some highly coveted patronage positions. Harrison's only concession to Clay was to name his fellow Kentuckian John J. Crittenden as Attorney General.
As expected, large numbers of office seeking applicants came to the White House, which at the time was open to all who wanted a meeting with the President. Most of Harrison's business during his month-long presidency involved receiving visitors at the White House. On March 10, Harrison wrote: "I am so much harassed by the multitude that call upon me that I can give no proper attention to any business of my own."
Harrison sent a number of nominations for office to the Senate for confirmation during his month in office. Congress convened an extraordinary session to confirm Harrison's cabinet and other important nominees. Harrison visited each of the six executive departments to observe their operations. He issued order to all departments that electioneering by employees would be considered grounds for dismissal from then on. Harrison resisted pressure from other Whigs over partisan patronage. When a group arrived in his office on March 16 to demand the removal of all Democrats from any appointed office, an angry Harrison replied: "So help me God, I will resign my office before I can be guilty of such an iniquity!" At a March 25 cabinet meeting, Harrison overrode a cabinet decision concerning the appointment of a territorial governor. hetold his cabinet: "William Henry Harrison, President of the United States, tells you, gentlemen, that, by God, John Chambers shall be governor of Iowa!"
Harrison called Congress into a special session. Henry Clay did not agree with the necessity of such a session. When Clay pressed Harrison on the special session on March 13, Harrison told Clay not to visit the White House again and to address him only in writing.The session was scheduled to begin on May 31.
On March 26, Harrison became ill with a cold. His illness did not arise until more than three weeks after his inauguration and it is unlikely that the two events were connected. His cold worsened, turning into pneumonia and pleurisy. He tried to rest at the White House, but could not find a quiet room because of all the office seekers. His doctors tried to cure him by applying opium, castor oil, leeches, and Virginia snakeweed, but all of this only made Harrison's condition worse. At one point he became delirious.
William Henry Harrison died at 12:30 am on April 4, 1841. His doctor, Thomas Miller, diagnosed Harrison's cause of death as "pneumonia of the lower lobe of the right lung". He was the first United States president to die in office. His last words, uttered to his doctor, were: "Sir, I wish you to understand the true principles of the government. I wish them carried out. I ask nothing more."
Harrison served the shortest term of any president: March 4 – April 4, 1841, 30 days, 12 hours, and 30 minutes. His funeral took place in the Wesley Chapel in Cincinnati, Ohio, on April 7, 1841. His original interment was in the public vault of the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C., but he was later buried in North Bend, Ohio. The William Henry Harrison Tomb State Memorial marks his resting place as well as that of his wife.
John Tyler, Harrison's successor and a former Democrat, abandoned the Whig agenda, and became estranged from the party. Article II of the Constitution states that "In case of the removal of the President from office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President". It goes on to provide that the Vice President "shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, or a President shall be elected". After Harrison's death a debate ensured over whether the vice president would become president or was merely acting President. The Constitution did not experessly state whether the Vice President could serve the remainder of the President's term, until the next election, or if emergency elections should be held. Harrison's cabinet insisted that Tyler was "Vice President acting as President". After the cabinet consulted with the Chief Justice Roger Taney, they decided that if Tyler took the presidential Oath of Office, he would assume the office of President. Tyler obliged and was sworn in on April 6. In May, Congress convened. After a short period of debate in both houses, it passed a resolution that confirmed Tyler as President. This precedent of presidential succession remained in effect until the Twenty-fifth Amendment was ratified in 1967.
Harrison died without leaving much of an estate. Congress voted to give his wife a Presidential widow's pension, a payment of $25,000, one year of Harrison's salary. She also received the right to mail letters free of charge.
William Henry Harrison was not in office long enough to make much of an impact on the presidency. By all indications however, he would have been a strong willed chief executive, but would have also deferred to the will of Congress for the most part. Whatever reservations the Whigs may have had about Harrison, for those who wished him gone, it was likely a case of "be careful what you wish for" when Tyler became President. What if William Henry Harrison had lived? Would the Bank of the United States have returned? Would the annexation of Texas have been pursued or delayed? Would the debate over slavery have been accelerated or would things have progressed on that front pretty much as they did? Would the office of President have been weakened and the power of Congress enhanced? These questions make for interesting debates as well as an excellent topic for writers of alternative history.
Tomorrow: Franklin Pierce