Biography

William Henry Harrison was born on February 9, 1773, the son of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Bassett) Harrison in Charles City County, Virginia. Harrison attended Hampden-Sydney College where he studied medicine. He entered the Army in 1798 where he served during the Indian Wars. Harrison was appointed Secretary of the Northwest Territory and Indian Commissioner in 1798. In November 1811, he defeated diverse Native American tribes under the leadership of Shawnee leader Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa near the Tippecanoe River, earning him the nickname "Tippecanoe." Harrison served as a Major General during the War of 1812. He filled the congressional term of John McLean and was reelected to the Fifteenth U.S. Congress in 1816. Harrison served in the State Senate from 1819-1821 and the U.S. Senate from 1825-1828. In 1840, Harrison was elected the ninth U.S. President as a Whig at the age of 67. Harrison married Anna Symmes on November 25, 1795. The couple had ten children. Harrison died one month into his term as President on April 4, 1841, from pneumonia. He was the first U.S. President to die in office.