Episode 50 — William Henry Harrison: Tippecanoe, Hard Cider & a Thirty-Day Presidency

pplpod Episode 50 follows William Henry Harrison from Virginia-born officer to frontier governor, battlefield celebrity, and the briefest presidency in U.S. history. We track the Indiana Territory years, the 1811 clash at Tippecanoe, and the War of 1812 victory at the Thames—alongside the profound costs borne by Native nations and the era’s expansionist politics. In civilian life: congressman, senator, and envoy to Gran Colombia (yes, a meeting with Bolívar). Then the pivot that rewired campaigning—1840’s log-cabin-and–hard cider juggernaut: slogans, rallies, merch, and modern message discipline that turned a war hero into a Whig landslide. Finally, the tragedy and precedent: a marathon inaugural, sudden illness, and death just 31 days later—triggering the Tyler succession test and reshaping expectations for presidential continuity. Celebrity, sp ...