Tippecanoe and Tyler Too

In 1840, William Henry Harrison was running for president.  As such, a biography was published about his life.

The Life and Times of William Henry Harrison, by S. J. Burr.

The book is just over 300 pages, which includes 29 chapters on his life and a 30-page appendix with correspondence written by Harrison or received by him from notable figures.  Of course, Harrison was 67 years old during the 1840 campaign and would expect to have a very full biography.  However, it does seem to focus on certain parts of his life while offering almost no insight to others.

Chapter 1 offers the essentials of his parentage, birth, education, and joining the military.  He was appointed as an ensign by none other than President Washington!

Chapters 2 through 7 detail the Northwest Indian War (1785 to 1795).  Harrison served as an aide-de-camp to General Anthony Wayne doesn't arrive on scene until latter half of 1791, in Chapter 3.  Yes, Chapter 2 is background for the war.

Chapters 8 through 14 detail his time as the Governor of Indiana (1801 to 1812).  He had been appointed to the post (it was a territory, not a state).

Chapters 15 through 17 cover the events surrounding the Battle of Tippecanoe.  This 1811 battle would become the slogan for his presidential campaign almost 3 decades later.

Chapters 18 through 25 are concerned with the War of 1812.  Harrison was a Major General in the west during the war and won the Battle of Thames in Canada.

Chapters 26 through 28 cover his life from 1816 to 1840.  His career in the Congress (1816 to 1819), Ohio Senate (1819 to 1821), US Senate (1825 to 1828) and posting as an ambassador to Columbia (1829) are the highlights.  Such highlights that his censure by an Ohio paper for one of his votes dominates a chapter.

The last chapter sums up his career and character.  Also, there is a tale where his carriage was mobbed by his fans in 1836.  Yes, he was a rockstar before rockstars existed.

In 1840, his campaign slogan was 'Tippecanoe and Tyler too!'  John Tyler was his running mate.

The biography reads very much like the campaign document that it is.  Here is a modern-day Cincinnatus who is called out of his retirement to save the Republic.