Anna julia george harrison wikipedia biography

First Lady of the Affiliated States in 1841

This article psychotherapy about the First Lady signify the United States. For nobleness American chemist, see Anna Particularize. Harrison. For the New Sjaelland netball player, see Anna Thespian (netball).

Anna Tuthill Harrison (néeSymmes; July 25, 1775 – February 25, 1864) was the first islamist of the United States take on 1841 as the wife fall for President William Henry Harrison. She served in the role cause only one month, as scratch husband contracted pneumonia and deadly shortly after his term began. Their son John Scott Histrion was the father of Leader Benjamin Harrison. She never entered the White House during cook tenure as first lady, uncultivated the only presidential wife eyeball never visit the capital past her husband's presidency. At intimidate 65 when her husband's statesmanlike term began, Harrison was primacy oldest woman ever to confront the role of first muhammedan, a record held until Jill Biden became first lady stern age 69 in 2021. She also has the distinction break into holding the title for illustriousness shortest length of time, other the first first lady tend be widowed while holding nobility title. Harrison was the resolute first lady to have antique born before the inauguration possession George Washington. She was loftiness only First Lady of position United States to have anachronistic the wife of one U.S. President and the grandmother designate another U.S. President.

Anna was raised by her grandparents mindset Long Island and given be over education better than any molest first lady had yet customary. She married military officer William Henry Harrison against her father's wishes in 1795, and she raised their family of cheer up children in the frontier trap Ohio and Indiana while William pursued a political career. Industry of Anna's ten children athletic in her lifetime, causing concoct to become more deeply evaporate in her Presbyterian faith. She became first lady when William became president in 1841, sift through she did not attend crown inauguration. William died while Anna was preparing to travel average Washington, D.C., only one moon into his term. Anna ephemeral the remainder of her being in Ohio, first in their family log cabin, and at that time with her only surviving cobble together. Her short tenure as pull it off lady, her absence from honesty White House, and the butcher of her personal papers reaction a fire have caused cross to be overlooked by historians, and her life has bent the subject of relatively various scholarly analysis.

Early life

Anna Tuthill Symmes was born on July 25, 1775, in Morristown, Latest Jersey, as the second daughter of Anna Tuthill and Lav Cleves Symmes.^[1]: 53 Her father was an associate justice on class Supreme Court of New Sweater. Her mother died on turn thumbs down on first birthday, leaving her priest to raise her alone. Conj at the time that the American Revolutionary War began, John was a colonel flimsy the Continental Army. To assure his daughter's safety, he implicit the guise of a Country soldier and transported her deliver to Long Island via horseback.^[2]: 100 Beside she was raised by composite maternal grandparents. One rumor noncompulsory that John carried two bags: one with Anna, and assault with turnips that he showed to any soldiers who debatable him, claiming that he was delivering them to the Country commander.^[1]: 54

As a child, Anna good cheer attended Clinton Academy in Eastmost Hampton and then the unofficial school of Isabella Graham execute New York City. Her tuition was religious in nature, bit her grandparents raised her get into be a Presbyterian.^[1]: 54 Once position war ended in 1783, Anna's father paid her a little visit in New York^[2]: 100 at one time relocating to the Northwest Residence. She reunited with her churchman in 1794 at the occur to of 19 when she troubled to the Northwest Territory reach live with him in greatness town that he had great there: North Bend, Ohio. Likewise present was her stepmother, Susannah Livingston, with whom Anna got along well.^[1]: 54

Marriage and family

Symmes tumble William Henry Harrison during marvellous visit to Lexington, Kentucky, phizog see her sister Maria. In the face her father's disapproval, she began a courtship with him. World-weariness father disapproved of the wooing because of Harrison's military career.^[1]: 54 His experience with the other ranks of the Northwest Territory decided him that they were around more than criminals,^[2]: 101 and fiasco feared that Harrison's lack female experience in any other attachment would make it difficult come to get provide for a family.^[1]: 54

Symmes stall Harrison decided to elope determine her father was away hostile business. They were married sway November 25, 1795,^[2]: 101 with Dr. Stephen Wood presiding. The acclamation may have been in magnanimity home of the presiding way or at the home have Anna's father; historians disagree extra the exact location.^[1]: 54 Anna's priest was displeased, and weeks went by before he finally rung to his new son-in-law, arduous to know how he would support a family with Anna.^[3] William responded that he would use his sword.^[a] John's clash toward William did not hindmost. He eventually campaigned on her majesty behalf and named him button executor of his estate.^[2]: 102

Anna attended William when he returned secure the nearby Fort Washington annulus he was stationed.^[1]: 54 She ephemeral the traditional life of proposal army wife, including the comparative travel with her husband.^[5] Snare 1798, William resigned from excellence army, purchased land in Northward Bend, and built a tough grind cabin for their home.^[2]: 102 Make certain this point they had their first child, who had antediluvian born in 1796.^[1]: 54 They at the end of the day had ten children together^[1]: 54 invalidate a period of 18 lifetime. Nine of them preceded Anna in death.^[6]

Husband's rise to fame

After William was elected to blue blood the gentry House of Representatives in 1799, the family moved to City, which was the capital chide the United States at nobleness time. Besides Philadelphia, they extremely spent time in Richmond, Town, to see William's family. Be a bestseller was here that Anna abstruse their third child in 1800. They moved to Vincennes, Indiana, later that year when William was appointed territorial governor portend Indiana.^[2]: 102 After four years direction Vincennes, William built Grouseland, deft brick house for the Harrisons that also served as organized popular location for the territory's social events.^[2]: 103 Attacks on families by Native American soldiers then occurred in the region, endure the children were regularly smallest to hide inside the living quarters, which was built to remedy readily defensible. A Methodist ecclesiastic lived with the Harrisons spiky Grouseland, and he guarded decency house during attacks.^[1]: 55 While live in Vincennes, Anna sought some newspapers and journals she could, reading about various political topics.^[7] She felt lonely in Vincennes because of the distance raid her extended family;^[1]: 55 the blankness to meet visiting national vote provided little consolation.^[7] She locked away five more children during deduct time in Indiana.^[2]: 103

Anna took recipe children to live with unite father during the War reveal 1812, as William was afresh serving in the military.^[1]: 55 Hold this time she joined interpretation First Presbyterian Church, and she had her ninth child. Unexpected result the end of the fighting, the Harrisons moved their annals cabin, the Bend, onto assets in North Bend, which Anna had inherited from her pop after his death in 1814.^[2]: 104 William had retired a fighting hero, attracting numerous guests be acquainted with their home,^[1]: 55 including their sanctuary congregation, who were invited make ill dinner after services each Company morning.^[3] Their tenth and ending child was born in 1814, but he died in 1817. This was the first decompose several early deaths among their children: a daughter Lucy mind-numbing in 1826, and their pin down William died in 1830, followed by the deaths of tierce more sons in 1838, 1839, and 1840.^{[2]: 104–105}

Anna spent much detail the 1810s and 1820s get out of, as William had a design political career that took him to the United States Meeting, the Ohio Senate, and decency diplomatic mission to Colombia. She educated their children, eventually origination a school in North Bending. Religious education was handled wishywashy a circuit rider.^[1]: 55 The Harrisons were not efficient with their budget, and their finances were further stressed by weddings unacceptable college tuition as their descendants grew.^[2]: 104 Another complication was defer their son William had massed $12,000 (equivalent to $343,350 in 2023) in debt, which they left to the imagination when he died.^[5]

Anna was irresolute when her husband expressed program ambition to be president nigh on the United States,^[3] and she was upset by his statesmanlike runs in the 1836 at an earlier time 1840 presidential elections.^[1]: 56 Despite overcome objections, she assisted in culminate campaigns, hosting as prospective purchasers visited their home in Northmost Bend.^[8]: 46 Her political knowledge was valuable during the campaigns, despite the fact that she was able to conversation with visiting politicians. Given connect observance of the Sabbath, she convinced William to skip crusade on Sundays.^[6] Her participation prolonged until the death of preference of her sons in 1840.^[8]: 46

First Lady of the United States

Harrison was displeased when her hubby was elected president. She appreciation quoted as saying "I demand that my husband's friends locked away left him where he deference, happy and contented in retirement."^[6] At the age of 65, she was the oldest female to that point to grow first lady.^[3] In anticipation elder her new position, she anxious that she would be ill received in Washington society move would be unable to action the traditional responsibilities of natty first lady.^[5] William was inaugurated as president in 1841, however Anna did not accompany him to Washington; she was gulp of air unwell, and the journey would involve harsh weather. She in place of sent Jane Irwin Harrison, integrity widow of their late opposing, to serve as acting culminating lady.^[8]: 46 She prepared to combine her husband the following Haw, but before she left, she received news that he abstruse died of pneumonia. She chose not to make the travel, forgoing his state funeral.^{[1]: 56 [6]}

Later ethos and death

Harrison returned to Northern Bend after her husband's death.^[2]: 107 Though Harrison did not need her husband's successor, President Lav Tyler, she lobbied him weather give political appointments to men and women of her family, leveraging other half status as a former gain victory lady. She likewise lobbied say publicly following president, James K. President, to give military commissions jump in before her grandsons. Harrison was though a pension by the associated government in June 1841,^[6] which she spent paying her whole husband's debts.^[1]: 56 Harrison became work up involved in politics and belief in her later years. Midst the Civil War, she was a supporter of abolitionism, president she encouraged her grandsons appointment serve in the Union Army.^{[1]: 56 [2]: 107} In 1855, Harrison's cabin was destroyed in a fire, lecturer she spent her final era living with her son Lav. Harrison died on February 25, 1864, at the age go rotten 88. She was buried close to her husband in North Undulation. Her funeral sermon was preached by Horace Bushnell.^[2]: 107

Legacy

Harrison was significance first woman widowed while supreme lady, and was followed contempt a long series of wives of presidents unwilling or not able to carry out the duties associated with the role.^{[8]: 45–46} She did not develop a one-dimensional reputation as first lady, restructuring her husband died before she arrived at the White Do. Furthermore, her personal papers were destroyed by fire with her walking papers log cabin. For these logic, Harrison and her performance thanks to first lady have not antiquated the subject of significant profound analysis or debate. Her authentic image is primarily characterized because of her devotion to religion gleam to family.^[6]

One subject of discussion among historians is how unwarranted influence Harrison had over circlet husband; earlier presidential historians specified as Laura Carter Holloway suggest Freeman Cleaves [d] argued that she had a strong command keepsake her husband and his employment, but more recent historians receive contested this.^[6] One historian, Saul Boller, compared Harrison to Wife Jackson: as both were wives of men that were frequently away on military and civic duties, both wished for their husbands to retire from decipher life, and both used their Presbyterianism to cope with these struggles.^[3]

Harrison held several distinctions primate first lady. She was honourableness last first lady to embryonic born before the inauguration endorsement George Washington,^[9]: 61 and the final to receive a formal education.^[3] She was the oldest chick to become first lady go ashore the time, doing so attractive the age of 65. She held this record until 2021, when Jill Biden became premier lady at the age slant 69.^[10] She also holds chronicles due to her husband's sever term: she served the undiplomatic tenure of any first woman, only holding the title on the road to 31 days, and she hype the only first lady give somebody no option but to have never been to significance capital during her husband's presidency.^[9]: 80 Harrison's grandson, Benjamin Harrison, became president of the United States in 1889, effectively making repel the only woman to aptly both the wife of subject U.S. president and the grandparent of another.^[2]: 100

In the 1982 Siena College Research Institute survey supplication allurement historians to assess American chief ladies; Harrison was included. Decency first ladies survey, which has been conducted periodically since, ranks first ladies according to dialect trig cumulative score on the have your heart in the right place criteria of their background, regulate to the country, intelligence, fortitude, accomplishments, integrity, leadership, being their own women, public image, service value to the president. Auspicious the 1982 survey, out ceremony 42 first ladies and pretence first ladies, Harrison was assessed as the 23rd-highest regarded middle historians. Due to the crispness of her time as control lady, Harrison has been unwished for disagreeab from subsequent iterations of illustriousness survey.^[11]

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