William Harrison Legacy

What, in your mind, determines a legacy? Is it someone that makes a change in the world by standing up for what they believe in or someone that does beneficial things after becoming well known for a bad reason? Nothing of great importance happens over night, just like becoming known as a legacy takes many years of great acts and small doses of recognition. With time being one of the greatest factors of determination, did William H. Harrison really leave a legacy if he was only president for thirty days?
Today, almost everyone is considered famous and an inspirational public figure. It takes nearly nothing to gain hundreds of thousands of followers on any social media platform. Once a certain number is reached, you are famous, further leaving
Harrison’s campaign, he never vocalized his plans as president if he were to be elected. Once elected, the country became quite skeptical of what their new president had in store for them. Being the first president belonging to the Whig Party, everyone was both excited and nervous to see how this “new way of thinking” was going to affect them. On March 4, 1841, the snow fell heavily and the winds blew cold air in each and every direction. Refusing to wear a hat, coat, or any form of extra warmth, William H. Harrison began his inaugural speech. Beginning his inauguration by critiquing the Constitution, he addressed each flaw he believed necessary. He critiqued the system, saying that if you read in between the lines, the executive branch always has more power. He pledged to not interfere with Congress’ plans for the economics of the country. He vocalized his opinions on the veto, saying it will only be used if a law passed seemed unconstitutional. Throughout the entire speech, each issue addressed seemed to be a subtle slam at prior president Andrew Jackson. William H. Harrison pledged himself and the citizens of the U.S. a presidency under “The First Branch” of Congress. This followed all of the Whig Party basic beliefs. He addressed issues such as slavery, which was quite a prominent topic at the time. Being a slave owner himself, he talked about he believed each state should be able to make their own decisions. After the long, 90 minute speech in the
In my opinion, William H. Harrison did not have a legacy. He is an icon. An icon is a person or thing that we remember for a specific reason, that when we hear the name, we immediately think about it. A legacy is not someone or something that reminds you of a specific thing, but reminds you of all the things that were accomplished and gives you the drive to accomplish something great yourself, instead of having thought of enjoyment as you do with icons. Yes, William H. Harrison fought many battles and won but so did many other commanders that we do not remember the names of. He gave us the land we know as Ohio but hurt people while doing it. Besides battles, William H. Harrison spent 32 days in office, lying in bed. Although he was sick, accomplishing nothing except being the first to die in office is not worthy of the title legacy, but more icon. He did nothing beneficial or made important changes to the country in his short days. We remember him for the fact that he died soon after he sworn in; an icon (even though he is an icon for dying while in office). We throw the word “legacy” around like it is no big deal. If you have over 1 million followers on a social media platform, you are a legacy. But what did you do to become a legacy? If you helped someone or made a change in the world, you are a legacy. But if all you did was say a phrase or post an artistic picture, you are an icon.