2772. President William
Henry Harrison(333) was born
on 9 Feb 1773 in Virginia. He died on 4 Apr 1841 in Washington, DC. William
Henry Harrison was born in Berkeley, Virginia. He was the son of Colonel Ben
Harrison, one of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence.
As a child, William Henry was taught at home by tutors because there were no
schools nearby. These tutors made a big difference in his life. He was able to
enroll in college at age 14. He did not stay in college long because his father
died, and he could not afford to go to school.
When he was almost eight, a unit of Hessian troops and American loyalists under
the command of General Benedict Arnold attacked Harrison's Berkeley home. While
the Harrisons fled to safety, the home was ransacked and stripped of its furnishings,
livestock were slaughtered, and slaves and horses were carried off.
After his father died, Harrison joined the Army. The Army assigned him to the
Northwest Territory (roughly Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana today). He soon became
governor of the Indiana Territory and held the job for 12 years. During that
time, he led troops in the War of 1812 and became a national hero when he led
his forces to victory in the Battle of Tippecanoe Creek. He then went on to become
the secretary of the Northwest Territory, a senator, and a representative in
the Congress of the United States.
In 1840, the Whig party nominated him for president. He won the election by a
landslide. The day of Harrison's inauguration was cold and rainy. Harrison, at
age 68, wanted to show he was in good health.
He rode on horseback in the parade for two hours and took the oath of office
bareheaded. He delivered a 1 hour, 40 minute inaugural address without a coat
or gloves.
As a result, Harrison caught a cold that developed into pneumonia. He died on
April 4, 1841, only 32 days after his inauguration.
He was the 9th president of the United States.
He was married to Anna Tuthill
Symmes. Anna Tuthill Symmes
(333) has reference number Royal p229 17.1. She was born. She died.
President William Henry Harrison and Anna Tuthill Symmes had the following children:
+3795 i.
John Scott Harrison.