Transcript William Henry Harrison

William Henry
Harrison
Whig
9th President of the United States
March 4, 1841 – April 4, 1841
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/williamhenryharrison
Occupational & Educational
Background
• Originally gained national fame for leading U.S. forces against
American Indians at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811, where
he earned the nickname "Tippecanoe" (or "Old Tippecanoe")
• General in the War of 1812, victory at the Battle of the Thames
in 1813; brought an end to hostilities in his region.
• Second Secretary of Northwest Territory- June 28, 1798October 1, 1799
• First Governor of Indiana Territory- January 10, 1801September 17, 1812
• Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio’s 1st
District- October 8, 1816- March 3, 1819
• Ohio State Senator- 1819-1821, 1825-1828
• Minister Plenipotentiary to Colombia- Appointed in May 1828
• States admitted to the Union- N/A
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/williamhenryharrison
Presidential Election of 1836
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Martin Van Buren (Democrat) v. Whigs (William Henry Harrison, Hugh L. White,
Daniel Webster, W.P. Magnum)
Reason for Van Buren’s victory: support from Andrew Jackson, gained support of
South at Democratic National Convention of 1835 (already had North- from New
York)
Reason for Harrison’s loss: the only time in American history when a major political
party intentionally ran more than one presidential candidate.
– The Whig plan was to elect popular Whigs regionally, deny Van Buren the 148 electoral votes
needed for election, and force the House of Representatives to decide the election.
– Hoped the Whigs would control the House after the general elections.
– Failed, the Democrats remained the majority party in the House
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Popular Votes:
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Electoral Votes
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Martin Van Buren: 765,483
Whigs (collectively): 739,795
Martin Van Buren: 170
Whigs (collectively): 73
This election is the first (and to date only) time in which a Vice Presidential election
was thrown into the Senate.
The American Pageant 11th Edition p. A 58
Presidential Election of 1840
• William Henry Harrison (Whig)
v. Martin Van Buren (Democrat)
• Reason for Harrison’s Victory:
Van Buren had to deal with an
economic depression while in
office; the Whig party was unified
in support for Harrison
• Popular Votes:
» Harrison-1,274,624
» Van Buren- 1,217,781
• Electoral Votes:
» Harrison- 234
» Van Buren- 60
The American Pageant 11th Edition p. A58
Poster- www.corbisimages.com/Enlargement/BE035684.html
Poster from the 1839
Harrison campaign
Accomplishments Before Becoming
President
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Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794)General “Mad Anthony” Wayne led the
U.S. to victory which brought the
Northwest Indian War to a successful
close for the United States, led to
Treaty of Greenville
Treaty of Greenville (1795)- one of the
signatories, Treaty opened up much of
present-day Ohio to settlement by
European Americans
Harrison Land Act (1804)- made it
easier for the average settler to buy
land in the Northwest Territory by
allowing land to be sold in small tracts.
-The availability of inexpensive
land was an important factor in the
rapid population growth of the
Northwest Territory
Portrait of General “Mad
Anthony” Wayne
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/williamhenryharrison
Picture- http://www.sonofthesouth.net/revolutionary-war/general/anthony-wayne.jpg
Accomplishments Before Becoming
President
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Treaty of St. Louis (1804)- with
Quashquame; led to the surrender by
the Sauk and Meskwaki of much of
western Illinois and parts of Missouri.
– Treaty and loss of lands greatly
resented by many of the Sauk,
especially Black Hawk.
– Primary reason the Sauk sided
with Great Britain during the War
of 1812.
Treaty of Fort Wayne (1809)-obtained
3,000,000 acres of American Indian
land for the white settlers of Illinois
and Indiana.
– The treaty led to a war with the
United States began by Shawnee
leader Tecumseh and other
dissenting tribesmen in what
Map of the areas gained in the
came to be called "Tecumseh's
Treaty of Fort Wayne
War".
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/williamhenryharrison
Accomplishments Before Becoming
President
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Battle of Tippecanoe (1811)- led by
Governor William Henry Harrison
of the Indiana Territory; forces of
Tecumseh's growing American
Indian confederation led by his
younger brother Tenskwatawa.
– U.S. launched a preemptive
strike on the headquarters of
the confederacy in response to
rising tensions with the tribes
and threats of war
Battle of the Thames (1813)Battle in the War of 1812;
resulted in the death of the
Shawnee chief Tecumseh, and
the destruction of the Native
American coalition which he
led.
Map of the plan of Tippecanoe
Camp and Battle
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/williamhenryharrison
Picture- www.mywarof1812.com/battles/111107.htm
Harrison’s Presidential
Administration
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Harrison's only official act of consequence
was to call Congress into a special session
Disagreements about members of the Cabinet
between him and Henry Clay led to Harrison
wanting to cancel a Congressional session to
discuss the Cabinet and how it was divided
politically
Treasury Secretary Thomas Ewing reported to
Harrison that federal funds were in trouble
that the government could not continue to
operate until Congress had their regular
session in December
Harrison proclaimed the special session in
the interests of "the condition of the revenue
and finance of the country."
Henry Clay
www.oberlin.edu
Harrison’s Death
• On March 26, Harrison became ill with a cold. Harrison had became
ill more than three weeks after the inauguration.
• The cold worsened, rapidly turning to pneumonia and pleurisy. His
extremely busy social schedule made any rest time scarce.
• Harrison's doctors tried cures, applying opium, castor oil, leeches,
and Virginia snakeweed. But the treatments only made Harrison
worse, and he became delirious. He died nine days after becoming ill
at 12:30 a.m. on April 4, 1841, of right lower lobe pneumonia,
jaundice, and overwhelming septicemia.
• His last words were directed to John Tyler, "Sir, I wish you to
understand the true principles of the government. I wish them
carried out. I ask nothing more."
• Harrison served the shortest term of any American president: March
4 – April 4, 1841, 31 days, twelve hours, and 30 minutes.
www.associatedcontent.com/.../the_death_of_president_william_henry
.html
Problems with Constitutional
Clauses
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Harrison's death revealed the flaws in the constitution's clauses on
presidential succession
– Article II of the Constitution states that "In case of the removal of the President
from office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and
duties of the said office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President, ... and [the
Vice President] shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, or a
President shall be elected"
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Scholars at the time disagreed whether the vice president would become
President or merely Acting President
Constitution did not stipulate whether the vice president could serve the
remainder of the president's term, until the next election, or if emergency
elections should be held
Due to the death of Harrison, three presidents served within a single
calendar year (Van Buren, Harrison, Tyler).
– This has happened on only one other occasion in 1881, when Rutherford B.
Hayes was succeeded by James A. Garfield, who was assassinated later in that
year. With the death of Garfield, Chester A. Arthur became president
www.associatedcontent.com/.../the_death_of_president_william_henry
.html
Impact of Death
• Harrison's cabinet insisted that Tyler was "Vice President acting as
President.“, then consulted with Chief Justice Roger Taney and
decided that if Tyler took the presidential Oath of Office he would
assume the office of President
– Tyler obliged and was sworn in on April 6, 1841
• After a short period of debate in both houses, a resolution was
passed confirming Tyler in the presidency for the remainder of
Harrison's term
• Precedent of presidential succession remained in effect until the
Twenty-fifth Amendment was ratified in 1967.
– Assassination of John F. Kennedy and the succession of Lyndon B.
Johnson to the presidency in 1963, the Twenty-fifth Amendment dealt
with the details of succession.
– It defined in what situations the vice president was acting president,
and in what situation the vice president could become president
www.associatedcontent.com/.../the_death_of_president_william_henry
.html
Quotes to Describe WHH
• “The people are the best guardians of their own rights
and it is the duty of their executive to abstain from
interfering in or thwarting the sacred exercise of the
lawmaking functions of their government.”
– William Henry Harrison
• This quote attests to his character and beliefs in the necessity of
consent of the governed, showing he is a good president (praise)
• "Give him a barrel of hard cider and settle a pension of
two thousand a year on him, and my word for it, he will
sit ... by the side of a 'sea coal' fire, and study moral
philosophy. "
– Democratic newspaper criticizing Harrison’s contrast to
aristocratic Van Buren (criticism)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/williamhenryharrison
thinkexist.com
For the Future of the United States
• Positive- Set precedent for Vice President
becoming President if President in office
dies during his term
• Agnostic- Harrison held office for the
shortest term than any other president (32
days), which is not much time to make any
significant difference as president
POWERPOINT BY:
Sarah Lebovitz
November 1, 2010
Hoefler
Period 1