Presidential Profiles: William Henry Harrison (1841)

William Henry Harrison was born on February 9, 1773 in Berkeley, Virginia. Born two years before the American Revolution, Harrison's family was among the richest and the most politically prominent in the colony. Harrison's father had served three terms as governor in Virginia.

To the disappointment of his father, Harrison chose a career in the military. He would go on to serve as governor of the Northwest Territory for twelve years. He would became a household name after the battle at Tippecanoe Creek in 1811. Riding on the slogan "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too," Harrison would beat his opponent Martin Van Buren by 174 electoral votes in the 1840 presidential election. On March 4, 1841, William Henry Harrison took the oath of office. He was the first President to arrive in Washington, D.C. by train. He also delivered the longest Inaugural address--8,445 words. On April 4, 1841, just a month after the Inauguration, his term would end with his death of pneumonia at 68 years of age in Washington, D.C. The pneumonia is believed to have been caused by his prolonged exposure to inclement weather at his Inauguration.


William Henry Harrison's Administration

First Lady: Anna Tuthill Symmes Harrison, married November 25, 1795

Vice President: John Tyler (1841)

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 War:

George E. Badger (1841)

Inaugural Information

Fourteenth Inaugural Ceremonies, March 4, 1841

For more information on President William Henry Harrison, check out these resources...

William Henry Harrison, White House

American President: William Henry Harrison, Miller Center, University of Virginia

William Henry Harrison, POTUS, Internet Public Library

William Henry Harrison, The History Channel


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