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Portrait of William Henry Harrison

US Presidents · 19th century

William Henry Harrison

1773–1841 · American

Whig

In office: 1841

William Henry Harrison, the 9th president, was a general famous for defeating the Native American confederacy of Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa (the Prophet) at Tippecanoe in 1811. The first Whig president, he won in 1840 with a "log cabin and hard cider" campaign, delivered the longest inaugural address on record and died 31 days later, the shortest presidency in US history and the first death of a president in office.

How to spot them

  • ▸'Tippecanoe and Tyler Too'
  • ▸Shortest presidency: 4 March to 4 April 1841
  • ▸Longest inaugural address, given in cold, wet weather
  • ▸Grandfather of Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd president

In office

'Tippecanoe and Tyler Too' campaign slogan (1840)

The Whig rallying cry pairing him with running mate John Tyler

The 'log cabin and hard cider' campaign (1840)

Portrayed him as a humble frontiersman, though he was born into a Virginia planter family

The longest inaugural address in US history (1841)

Around 8,400 words, delivered in bad weather without a coat or hat

First president to die in office (1841)

Died a month after taking office; his death was long attributed to pneumonia

Victory at the Battle of Tippecanoe (1811)

Pre-presidential battle in Indiana Territory that gave him his nickname

Quick-fire facts

  • •Born at Berkeley Plantation, Virginia; his father, Benjamin Harrison V, signed the Declaration of Independence
  • •Governor of Indiana Territory (1801–1812)
  • •Defeated British and Native American forces at the Battle of the Thames (1813), where Tecumseh was killed
  • •Oldest president at inauguration (68) until Ronald Reagan in 1981
  • •His death prompted the first succession of a vice president, John Tyler

Drill it — 5 cards

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Sources