William Henry Harrison

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Portrait, William Henry HarrisonWilliam Henry Harrison 9th President of the United States (March 4, 1841 to April 4, 1841) Nicknames: “Old Tippecanoe”; “Old Tip” Born: February 9, 1773, in Berkeley, Virginia Died: April 4, 1841, in Washington, D.C.

Father: Benjamin Harrison Mother: Elizabeth Bassett Harrison Married: Anna Tuthill Symmes Harrison (1775-1864), on November 25, 1795 Children: Elizabeth Bassett Harrison (1796-1846); John Cleves Symmes Harrison (1798-1830); Lucy Singleton Harrison (1800-26); William Henry Harrison (1802-38); John Scott Harrison (1804-78); Benjamin Harrison (1806-40); Mary Symmes Harrison (1809-42); Carter Bassett Harrison (1811-39); Anna Tuthill Harrison (1813-65); James Findlay Harrison (1814-17) Religion: Episcopalian Education: Attended Hampden-Sydney College Occupation: Soldier Political Party: Whig Other Government Positions:

  • Secretary of Northwest Territory, 1798
  • Territorial Delegate to Congress, 1799-1801
  • Territorial Governor of Indiana, 1801-13
  • U.S. Congressman from Ohio, 1816-19
  • United States Senator, 1825-28
  • Minister to Colombia, 1828-29

Presidential Salary: $25,000/year

Presidential Election Results:
YearPopular VotesElectoral Votes
1836tiny U.S. flag Martin Van Buren765,483170
William H. Harrison549,50873
Hugh L. White145,35226
Daniel Webster41,28714
Willie P. Mangum11
1840William H. Harrison1,274,624234
tiny U.S. flag Martin Van Buren1,127,78160

Vice President: tiny U.S. flag John Tyler (1841) Cabinet:

Secretary of State
Daniel Webster (1841)
Secretary of the Treasury
Thomas Ewing (1841)
Secretary of War
John Bell (1841)
Attorney General
John J. Crittenden (1841)
Postmaster General
Francis Granger (1841)
Secretary of the Navy
George E. Badger (1841)

Notable Events:

  • 1841
    • Delivered the longest inaugural address on March 4. It was an extremely cold day and Harrison did not wear a hat while delivering the 105 minute speech. He contracted pneumonia and died in the White House one month later.

Internet Biographies:

William Henry Harrison — from The Presidents of the United States of America
Compiled by the White House.
William Henry Harrison — from American Presidents: Life Portraits — C-SPAN
Biographical information, trivia, key events, video, and other reference materials. Website created to accompany C-SPAN’s 20th Anniversary Television Series, American Presidents: Life Portraits.
William H. Harrison — from U.S. Presidents
From the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, in addition to information on the Presidents themselves, they have first lady and cabinet member biographies, listings of presidential staff and advisers, and timelines detailing significant events in the lives of each administration.

Historical Documents:

Inaugural Address (1841)

Other Internet Resources:

Grouseland, the William Henry Harrison Museum, in Vincennes, IN
Find images and a history of Grouseland, the William Henry Harrison Mansion Museum, built by Harrison in l803-04 while Governor of the Indiana Territory.

Points of Interest:

  • Harrison was the only president who studied to become a doctor.
  • Harrison’s father was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
  • Harrison and his vice president tiny U.S. flag Tyler are the only president and vice president born in the same county.
  • Harrison was clerk of Hamilton County (Ohio) court immediately before becoming president.
  • His widow received a $25,000 pension after her husband’s death.

Previous President: tiny U.S. flag Martin Van Buren | Next President: tiny U.S. flag John Tyler


©1996-2008. Robert S. Summers. All rights reserved.

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