Birth : Feb. 9, 1773 - Charles City County, Virginia Profession : Soldier
Death : Apr. 4, 1841 - Washington, D.C.
William Henry Harrison was born into a well-known Virginia family. His father was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and governor of Virginia. As a boy, the young Harrison studied under private tutors. He attended Hampden-Sidney College in Virginia. He enrolled briefly in medical school. In 1791, Harrison left medical school and joined the U.S. Army.
In the military, Harrison fought Indians in the Northwest Territory. In 1798, he resigned his military commission. President JOHN ADAMS appointed him secretary of the Northwest Territory. The next year, Harrison was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1801, he became governor of the Indiana territory. By 1811, he was back in the military. His troops defeated the Indian warrior Tecumseh at the Battle of Tippecanoe.
Harrison's victory at Tippecanoe was not decisive. He lost many men. But the battle made him a national hero. During the War of 1812, Harrison rose to the rank of major general. In 1813, his troops defeated the British at the Battle of the Thames. In 1816, Harrison was reelected to the House of Representatives. He represented a district in Ohio. In 1825, he won a seat in the U.S. Senate.
In 1828, President ANDREW JACKSON appointed Harrison U.S. minister to Colombia. But Harrison was a poor diplomat. Jackson recalled him the next year. In 1829, Harrison returned to Ohio. He was burdened with debt. He took a job as the county court clerk in North Bend, Ohio.
In the 1830s, the Whig Party was searching for a presidential candidate. Harrison's military record attracted their attention. In 1836, he was one of three presidential candidates nominated by the Whig Party. Harrison lost the general election to MARTIN VAN BUREN. But he was the strongest of the Whig candidates. In 1840, the Whigs renominated Harrison for president.
Harrison was inaugurated as president in 1841. He was the first Whig president. But he was 68 years old. One month after his inauguration, Harrison died of pneumonia in Washington, D.C. His funeral was held in the White House. William Henry Harrison is buried at the William Henry Harrison Memorial State Park in North Bend, Ohio.
