William Harrison Facts & Worksheets

• Harrison's political ascendancy took a significant leap forward in 1836, when he became the newly formed Whig Party candidate for the presidency. The party was established in opposition to the policies of Andrew Jackson and his Democratic Party. 
• Although he had substantial support, notably from western and pro-development constituencies valuing his military background and stance on economic issues, he ended up losing the election to Martin Van Buren. Harrison won 73 electoral votes, primarily from the states of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Maryland, while Van Buren secured 170 electoral votes.
• The loss, however, did not signal the end of Harrison's political influence, as he was again nominated as the Whig Party's presidential candidate in the 1840 elections. This time, Harrison's campaign adopted a populist approach.
• Central to the campaign was the 'log cabin' image that painted Harrison as a man of the people. The campaign promoted an image of Harrison as a simple frontier man who hailed from humble beginnings and lived in a log cabin. This was a calculated fabrication by his campaign team since Harrison actually came from a prominent, enslaved-owning Virginia family.
• Two noteworthy elements of his campaign were the use of the slogan 'Tippecanoe and Tyler Too' and the promotion of his military leadership during the Battle of Tippecanoe. The slogan and his military exploits significantly boosted his popularity and stood as testament to his leadership skills.
• Harrison's strategy proved successful. He won the election with a substantial majority of the electoral vote: 234 votes to Van Buren's 60. On 4 March 1841, he was inaugurated as the ninth President of the United States.
• During his inauguration, Harrison gave a long-winded inaugural address, lasting nearly two hours, in cold and wet weather conditions without wearing an overcoat or hat. This event is believed by some to have led to his subsequent illness. 
• His inauguration speech is known for its assertion of executive power and independence, which suggested an intention to assert autonomy over the executive branch during his presidency.
• Unfortunately, Harrison's time in office as the US President was brief due to his untimely death. He passed away on 4 April 1841, due to pneumonia. His presidency is, by far, the shortest in US history. Given that his presidency lasted only a month, he did not have the chance to enact significant policies or programmatic changes. His death ushered Vice President John Tyler into office, marking the first time in US history that a vice president assumed the role of president due to the latter's death. 

CONTROVERSIES AND DEBATES

• There were several controversies and debates surrounding Harrison's life and career. As the governor of the Indiana Territory, Harrison negotiated numerous treaties that resulted in the acquisition of large tracts of Indigenous peoples' lands by the US government. These treaties are controversial because many argue that they were often forced upon or deceptively negotiated with the Indigenous peoples. Critics say that these treaties violated the rights and autonomy of the people involved, resulting in the widespread displacement of Indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands.
• One of the most significant deals that Harrison brokered was the Treaty of Fort Wayne in 1809, where about 2.5 million acres of land were purchased from Indigenous peoples. This treaty, among others, exacerbated tensions between the US government and Indigenous peoples, eventually leading to the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.
• Harrison's role in the Battle of Tippecanoe also attracted criticism. Some historians believe that unnecessary violence and loss could have been avoided if he had pursued more diplomatic channels robustly. In the battle, there were heavy casualties on both sides, and it deepened the animosity between US settlers and Indigenous peoples.
• Harrison's 1840 presidential campaign largely created the image of him as a simple frontiersman living in a log cabin when, in reality, Harrison came from a wealthy Virginia family of enslavers. This exaggerated 'common man' image continues to spark debate as it was one of the earliest examples of manipulating public perception for political gain.
• Harrison's political stances also caused controversy. As a Whig, he supported the American System of Economic Development, which included protective tariffs and a strong central banking system. Democrats and those who supported free trade and states' rights fiercely opposed these positions.
• Finally, Harrison's brief presidency is a point of debate. While some argue that his short term in office prevented him from implementing damaging policies, others contend that his intentions to assert autonomy over the executive branch and his confrontational inaugural address suggest that his presidency could have had negative implications for the balance of power in the US government had his tenure been longer.