William Henry Harrison

Born in Virginia in 1773, William Henry Harrison built his early career on the American frontier. He served in the army, became secretary of the Northwest Territory, then governor of the Indiana Territory, where he played a major role in U.S. expansion into the Old Northwest.

Harrison became nationally famous after the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe, a victory that helped shape his reputation as a military hero. He later served in Congress, represented the United States as minister to Gran Colombia, and returned to national politics as the Whig candidate for president.

Elected in 1840, he took office on March 4, 1841, and died just a month later on April 4, making his the shortest presidency in American history. Even so, his campaign and public image left a lasting mark on how presidential candidates were presented to voters.