Two-hundred-forty years ago in Charles City, Virginia a President was born. This man was at one time the oldest elected President in United States History, until the election winner, President Ronald Reagan; he is also known for having one of the shortest terms in office, only a month. Another last clue of this President is he the grandfather of another President. Who is this President? Well we say Happy Birthday to….
William Henry Harrison
(1773-1841)
Ninth President of the United States of America
William Henry Harrison was from the line of the first families of Virginia and is best known as “Old Tippecanoe” for his service during the War of the 1812 at the Battle of Tippecanoe.
Harrison was a military hero and was in many different campaigns:
Northwest Indian War (1785-1795): Siege of Fort Recovery and Battle of Fallen Timbers
Tecumseh’s War (1811-unknown to year it truly ended): Battle of Tippecanoe
War of 1812 (1812-1815): Siege of Fort Wayne and Battle of the Thames
While Harrison was a military hero what I have learned about certain Southern Presidents personal lives (not all, but some) there are darker things about them. Harrison married Anna Symmes (from Ohio) and they had 10 children, but it is said not proven for a fact, but that Harrison had six more children with one the slaves he owned. It is said that he felt that during his campaign to Presidency he did not want it to be known the father of bastard children, so he gave four of the children to his brother and from what the information goes that brother sold those four to a Georgia planter. The biggest irony of it all was when I was looking into this, it is said that Harrison is the great-grandfather of a civil rights activist named Walter Francis White.
William Henry Harrison as I mentioned above had the shortest term as President of the United States; his death was concluded as clear case of pneumonia. Stories and facts seem to never be clear of how he died of pneumonia; many claim it is because of his inaugural speech (which was and still is the longest inaugural speech of a President) held during a cold and rainy day. Others cannot seem to understand how the symptoms did not appear until three weeks after his speech. And so on April 4th, 1841 President Harrison dies in the White House.
The Adamsist 