| The Death of William Henry Harrison | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 29 2010, 02:07 PM (159 Views) | |
| United States of America | Mar 29 2010, 02:07 PM Post #1 |
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An Empire for Liberty
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January 4, 1842 President William Henry Harrison died in Washington shortly after midnight on January 4, apparently of complications from an illness that had been afflicting him since Christmas. He was 68 years old. News of Harrison's death quickly spread throughout the District of Columbia and was telegraphed to newspaper offices in Baltimore, which printed the story in special editions that afternoon. Much of the country is in shock and mourning following the death of "Old Tippecanoe." His brief term was marked by successes both at home and abroad, including the passage of the banking and patronage acts, beginnings of rapprochement with Great Britain over the Maine and Oregon boundary disputes, and the signing of a commercial treaty with Panama. Harrison is the first American president to die in office, an unprecedented event that has sparked something of a controversy over succession. Article II of the Constitution explicitly requires that in case of "the removal of the President from office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President... and he shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, or a President shall be elected." However, there is ambiguity in the passage as to whether the vice president legally inherits the office of president, or whether he merely acts on behalf of it. In the presence of the White House cabinet, Vice President John Tyler took the oath of office the morning after Harrison's death. He made clear his assumption of the full duties of the presidency and vowed to fulfill them with the aid of Providence. Tyler went on to proclaim February 11 a national day of prayer and fasting, calling on his countrymen to "humble themselves under the dispensation of Divine Providence" after being "overtaken by a great public calamity." Whereas Harrison was the oldest president to enter office, Tyler at 51 is the youngest so far. Differences between the two men are not confined to age, and there is rampant speculation in Washington about what sort of relations the strong-willed Tyler will pursue with Congress following Harrison's rather genial term. |
Embassy of the United States of America ![]() "For more than half a century, during which kingdoms and empires have fallen, this Union has stood unshaken. The patriots who formed it have long since descended to the grave; yet still it remains, the proudest monument to their memory." - Zachary Taylor | |
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2:44 PM Jul 11