Happy Birthday Old Tippecanoe
On February 9, 1773 (238 years ago today) William Henry Harrison, the 9th President of the United States was born in Charles City County in Virginia, the youngest of seven children born to Benjamin Harrison the fifth and his wife Elizabeth. He was born to a well-off political family on Berkeley Plantation. He was the last president born as a British subject before American Independence. His father was a signed the Declaration of Independence.
Harrison joined the army at the age of 18 and fought in the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794, the final battle in the Northwest Indian War..He served in Congress from 1799 to 1800 and was appointed as the Governor of the new Indiana Territory in 1801. He returned to military service in 1811,when he led an army of more than 1,000 men north to try to intimidate the Shawnee Indians under Tecumseh into making peace. The tribes launched a surprise attack on Harrison's army early on the morning of November 6, in what became known as the Battle of Tippecanoe. Harrison defeated the tribal forces at Prophetstown, next to the Wabash and Tippecanoe Rivers. Harrison was hailed as a national hero and the battle became famous.
When the War of 1812 broke out, Harrison was kept in command of the army in Indiana. After the loss of Detroit, General James Winchester became the commander of the Army of the Northwest. He offered Harrison the rank of brigadier general, but Harrison refused. President James Madison removed Winchester and made Harrison the commander on September 17, 1812. After receiving reinforcements in 1813, Harrison took the offensive and led hus army north to battle the Shawnee and their new British allies. He won victories in Indiana and Ohio and recaptured Detroit, before invading Canada. He defeated the British at the Battle of the Thames, in which Tecumseh was killed.
Secretary of War John Armstrong divided the command of the army, giving control to one of Harrison's subordinates. When Harrison was reassigned, he resigned from the army. After the war ended, Congress investigated Harrison's resignation and determined that he had been mistreated by the Secretary of War during his campaign and that his resignation was justified. They awarded Harrison a gold medal for his services during the War of 1812.
After the war, Harrison served in the House of Representatives from 1816 to 1819, and in the Senate from 1825 to 1828. He ran for President in 1836 against Martin Van Buren as the "Northern Whig" candidate. (The Whigs employed a dubious strategy of running different candidates in different regions of the country.) Harrison narrowly lost the election, narrowly losing Pennsylvania, which gave the election to Van Buren. He ran again in 1840 and won the election, winning the electoral college by a margin of 234 to 60.
His presidency was the shortest in history, he died a month after he was inaugurated. He took the oath of office on March 4, 1841, a cold and wet day. He didn't wear an overcoat or any headgear, and delivered the longest inaugural address in American history. It took him nearly two hours to read, even though his friend Daniel Webster had edited it for length. During his brief term he battled with Henry Clay, who expected to have substantial influence in the Harrison administration. Harrison refused to give in to Clay and said "Mr. Clay, you forget that I am the President." Things got worse when Harrison named Daniel Webster, Clay's arch-rival for control of the Whig Party, as his Secretary of State. When Clay pressed Harrison on the appointments, Harrison told him not to visit the White House again, but to address him only in writing.
On March 26, Harrison caught a cold that worsened rapidly and turned 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. His doctors tried cures, applying opium, castor oil, leeches, and Virginia snakeweed. But the treatments only made Harrison worse, and he became delirious. He died at 12:30 a.m. on April 4, 1841, of right lower lobe pneumonia, jaundice, and overwhelming septicemia. He was the first United States president to die in office. Harrison served the shortest term of any American president: March 4 – April 4, 1841, 30 days, twelve hours, and 30 minutes.
Harrison joined the army at the age of 18 and fought in the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794, the final battle in the Northwest Indian War..He served in Congress from 1799 to 1800 and was appointed as the Governor of the new Indiana Territory in 1801. He returned to military service in 1811,when he led an army of more than 1,000 men north to try to intimidate the Shawnee Indians under Tecumseh into making peace. The tribes launched a surprise attack on Harrison's army early on the morning of November 6, in what became known as the Battle of Tippecanoe. Harrison defeated the tribal forces at Prophetstown, next to the Wabash and Tippecanoe Rivers. Harrison was hailed as a national hero and the battle became famous.
When the War of 1812 broke out, Harrison was kept in command of the army in Indiana. After the loss of Detroit, General James Winchester became the commander of the Army of the Northwest. He offered Harrison the rank of brigadier general, but Harrison refused. President James Madison removed Winchester and made Harrison the commander on September 17, 1812. After receiving reinforcements in 1813, Harrison took the offensive and led hus army north to battle the Shawnee and their new British allies. He won victories in Indiana and Ohio and recaptured Detroit, before invading Canada. He defeated the British at the Battle of the Thames, in which Tecumseh was killed.
Secretary of War John Armstrong divided the command of the army, giving control to one of Harrison's subordinates. When Harrison was reassigned, he resigned from the army. After the war ended, Congress investigated Harrison's resignation and determined that he had been mistreated by the Secretary of War during his campaign and that his resignation was justified. They awarded Harrison a gold medal for his services during the War of 1812.
After the war, Harrison served in the House of Representatives from 1816 to 1819, and in the Senate from 1825 to 1828. He ran for President in 1836 against Martin Van Buren as the "Northern Whig" candidate. (The Whigs employed a dubious strategy of running different candidates in different regions of the country.) Harrison narrowly lost the election, narrowly losing Pennsylvania, which gave the election to Van Buren. He ran again in 1840 and won the election, winning the electoral college by a margin of 234 to 60.
His presidency was the shortest in history, he died a month after he was inaugurated. He took the oath of office on March 4, 1841, a cold and wet day. He didn't wear an overcoat or any headgear, and delivered the longest inaugural address in American history. It took him nearly two hours to read, even though his friend Daniel Webster had edited it for length. During his brief term he battled with Henry Clay, who expected to have substantial influence in the Harrison administration. Harrison refused to give in to Clay and said "Mr. Clay, you forget that I am the President." Things got worse when Harrison named Daniel Webster, Clay's arch-rival for control of the Whig Party, as his Secretary of State. When Clay pressed Harrison on the appointments, Harrison told him not to visit the White House again, but to address him only in writing.
On March 26, Harrison caught a cold that worsened rapidly and turned 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. His doctors tried cures, applying opium, castor oil, leeches, and Virginia snakeweed. But the treatments only made Harrison worse, and he became delirious. He died at 12:30 a.m. on April 4, 1841, of right lower lobe pneumonia, jaundice, and overwhelming septicemia. He was the first United States president to die in office. Harrison served the shortest term of any American president: March 4 – April 4, 1841, 30 days, twelve hours, and 30 minutes.