Day at the Capitol, Oct. 16 or 17: A History Lesson Your Kids Will Never Forget!

Journey to 250: Virginia ~ Mother of Presidents 3

Last week we were introduced to a record breaker, and this week we have another one for the record books, but in a totally different way!

Who am I?

(see answer below)

I hold two presidential records, but I will tell you about them a little later. (One of them actually may have been my downfall.)

I was born in Charles City County in Virginia. In fact, I was the last U.S. President not born as an American citizen. I was born a British subject in the Thirteen Colonies. I was tutored at home (homeschooled!!) until the age of 14, when I went on to attend Hampden-Sydney College for three years. At Hampden-Sydney, I gained a classical education in Latin, Greek, French, logic, and debate. Shortly after completing my education, I joined the Army at the age of 18 and was assigned to the First American Regiment. It’s always great to be first!

During my time in the Army, I met the woman who would become my wife. At the time, I did not seem as if I would be very successful, which was why my wife’s father denied me when I asked to marry his daughter. That didn’t stop us. When he left on a business trip, my wife and I eloped. We even spent our honeymoon at Fort Washington, as I was still on military duty. We ended up having ten children.

Since we are talking about my wife, she was the only First Lady that never made it to reside in the White House. We will get to that…

When I decided to run for president, I did so in a manner that had not been done before. You can call me the “Father of the modern presidential campaign.” I was the first to run a campaign complete with songs, posters, gifts with my face printed on them, and, most importantly, a campaign slogan.

My slogan, “Tippecanoe and Tyler too!” referred to my military victory in the Battle of Tippecanoe and my vice-presidential running mate, John Tyler.”

Membership Has Benefits!

We would love for you to join HEAV. Remember, members will be able to download a PDF version of the “Journey to 250” unit study that includes bonus information not included in the weekly posts! But you don’t have to wait to receive all the goodies. When you log in to your member page, you will get your comp code for a free PDF version of our very own Field Trip Planner. You can use this to plan your journey around Virginia with us! Join today!

Once elected, at age 68, I set my first record for the longest inaugural speech. I spent two long hours outside in the rain explaining my vision for the direction of the United States. This turned out not to be the best for me. Because of this speech outside in the rain, I fell ill and died just 31 days after— setting the record for the shortest presidential term ever! This is why my wife never even made it to the White House. She was still in our home packing things up to move to Washington when she got the terrible news. Even though my time in office was very short-lived, I remain significant in history for various reasons.

Who am I?

(see answer below)

What can I do with this?

If you were to run for president, what would your campaign look like? Create your own campaign video or poster and be sure to include a campaign slogan! We would love to view a clip from your campaign. Upload it to one of the HEAV social media platforms and let the voting begin!

ANSWER:

Who Am I? President William Henry Harrison

Brandi Wade

Brandi Wade is currently raising the next generation of Kingdom Warriors through homeschooling her three boys and serving alongside her husband who is a pastor of families. Once a public school teacher, she has moved on to freelance editing, writing, and some graphic design work. Brandi loves to warm hearts through her devotionals, warm bellies through her cooking and baking, and warm bodies with her crochet and knit creations.