William Henry Harrison

Served as president from 1841-1841
Era: The Jacksonian Era

American Identity and Culture
William Henry Harrison set the mark of the shortest presidency in American history. His presidency only lasted one week, lasting from 4 March, 1841 to 4 April, 1841. Harrison was also the first president to die while still in office. Harrison was also a great inspirer who inspired many people. Before he took his oath to office in Washington DC, he was still trying to be the great hero who had won the great battle of Tippecanoe.
Economic Transformations and Globalization
One great transformation that took place during William Henry Harrison’s presidency was the revamping of the Spoils System that was created by Andrew Jackson. William Henry Harrison wished to reverse Andrew Jackson’s Spoils system and overturn it. Henry Clay also tried to convince Harrison to put forth his own actions but Harrison declined his preferences and put on his own for his cabinet and other appointments. William Henry Harrison wanted to completely ignore the ranking and platform of the Spoils system and completely overturn it but could never complete what he wanted.
Environment
During the presidency of William Henry Harrison, much advancement in industrialization was made in his time. By going more and more into the industrial societies, the polluting of the air was becoming more and more dirty. The air and streets and rivers became very dirty and unclean. The sanitary conditions were very bad as well. Industrialization made American cities a lot more unsanitary and the situation became worse and worse. In this time more inventions were created as well.
Politics and Citizenship
William Henry Harrison made the longest inaugural address out of all the inaugural addresses in all of American history. He took over 2 hours to read the whole address and that was even after his friends and Daniel Webster tried to shorten it. Daniel Webster, a fellow politician in the Whig party had helped him decrease the amount of time it took to read the address but after shortening it, it still took well over 2 hours to read the entire address. In his address he talked about the Whigs and how he wanted to repudiate the policies that were made by Van Buren and Jackson.
Slavery and its legacies in North America
William Henry Harrison had come from a wealthy and strongly slave-supporting slaveholding family from Virginia. Although he came from a family that greatly depended on slaves and greatly supported them, in his campaign for presidency and during his presidency he had argued against slavery and that it is not necessary. His family that was full of slaves also had no effect on his inauguration for he was still promoted by the “common men” that were supporting Jackson’s beliefs from the past.
War and Diplomacy
William Henry Harrison had come from the war of 1812 and survived and even led the war as a great war general. Now he has run for president and he has won. Even in his inaugural address, he had marched into Washington DC as if he had just won the war, reliving the great glory of winning the battle at Tippecanoe. He not only relived the victory on his own, but by marching into Washington DC like that, he had made the whole nation relive the great glory of winning on that day.