A majority of the U.S. is bracing for life-threatening cold thanks to a polar vortex that will invade the nation starting this weekend, and that means that Inauguration Day on Monday could be among the coldest experienced in decades.
WASHINGTON – March 4, 1841, is remembered as more than just a bitterly cold and wet day in Washington, D.C. Those weather conditions have come to be associated with one of the most infamous presidential inauguration ceremonies in American history and are blamed for the demise of President William Henry Harrison, who served the shortest presidency in American history.
The National Weather Service said Harrison’s Inauguration Day began with a morning low of 34 degrees and eventually reached 51 degrees in the afternoon. While it rained, there are no reliable records that show how much rain fell that day.
(Original Caption) Death of William H. Harrison on April 4, 1841. Daniel Webster, Dr. Hawley F. Granger and William Harrison.
(Getty Images)
But President-elect Harrison wore no hat, coat or gloves when he received the Oath of Office to become the 9th President of the United States of America. Standing in the cold and the rain, the 68-year-old delivered what remains the longest inauguration speech in U.S. history at 8,445 words, taking just under two hours, according to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.
While most early presidents rode a carriage to their inauguration, Harrison rode from the White House to the Capitol on the back of a white horse surrounded by close political allies, according to the JCCIC.
(Original Caption) Inauguration of President Harrison, 1840.
(Getty Images)
An exhibit from the Library of Congress records that President Harrison then went on to attend three different inaugural balls that evening.
The bad weather is blamed for President Harrison catching a cold, which led to pneumonia and Harrison’s death exactly one month later.
‘Tippecanoe and Tyler Too’ and Succession
Due to his shortened presidency, Harrison is widely remembered for his 1840 campaign slogan “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too,” regarded by many historians as one of the most popular slogans in American political history.
The slogan was the title of a campaign song that highlighted Harrison’s military accomplishments.
He was remembered for his role in leading the American army in the Battle of Tippecanoe, a conflict between US forces in Indiana and the native Shawnee Tribe.
William Henry Harrison, circa 1813. Artist Rembrandt Peale. (Photo by Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images)
Harrison served in the War of 1812 and rose to the rank of Major General in the U.S. Army. He was also the son of one of the Founding Fathers, Benjamin Harrison V.
President Harrison was the first of four presidents to belong to the Whig Party.
At 68 years old, Harrison was the oldest President to take the Oath of Office until President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
President Harrison’s death also marked the first time in American history that the Vice-President, then John Tyler, assumed the presidency intra-term.
New research on President Harrison’s death
President Harrison’s official cause of death by his doctor was listed as pneumonia. But a paper published in the October 2014 issue of the journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases published by Oxford Academic claims that President Harrison’s death was caused by an enteric fever brought on by the poor sanitation conditions in Washington, D.C. at the time.
The journal asserts that after reviewing documents, Harrison’s symptoms were more consistent with that of a fever and he first consulted his physician on March 26, three weeks after the inauguration.
William Henry Harrison, 1840. Artist Albert Gallatin Hoit.
(Heritage Art/Heritage Images / Getty Images)
The study also notes that two other presidents of that era, President James Polk and President Zachary Taylor developed symptoms similar to Harrison’s.
President Taylor died 16 months into his term from gastroenteritis.
President Harrison was laid to rest near his home in North Bend, Ohio in July 1841.
After the 22nd Amendment was ratified in 1933, the calendar date for the Presidential Inauguration was moved from March 4 to January 20 to reduce the transition period between Election Day and Inauguration Day.
On March 4, 1841, President William Henry Harrison gave the longest inaugural address in history, lasting nearly two hours. Unfortunately, the weather on that fateful day was bitterly cold and rainy, with temperatures hovering around freezing. Harrison, determined to show his strength and resilience, refused to wear a coat or hat during his speech.
Just 31 days later, on April 4, 1841, President Harrison fell ill with what was believed to be pneumonia. Despite the best efforts of his doctors, Harrison’s condition quickly deteriorated, and he passed away on April 4, 1841, making him the first president to die in office.
Many historians believe that the harsh weather on Inauguration Day likely played a significant role in Harrison’s untimely death. The cold and wet conditions undoubtedly weakened his immune system and made him more susceptible to illness.
The tragic story of President William Henry Harrison serves as a reminder of the importance of taking care of our health, even in the face of adversity. It also highlights the unpredictable and sometimes deadly nature of weather, especially during important events like presidential inaugurations.
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Inauguration Day weather, President William Henry Harrison, historical weather events, presidential inaugurations, early American history, cause of President Harrison’s death
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