"Some historians say that to focus on the personality of a famous figure is to neglect the context in which he/she lived. My argument is that personality provides a way to attract students to history because it allows them to make a personal connection to the past." - Joe Illick
William Henry Harrison and John Tyler 1841-1845
For those who could make no comparison
Between Van Buren and Harrison,
The Whigs made sure the voters knew
That their man dunked the Indians at Tippicanoe.
To fill out the Whig ticket, though known to few,
The Whigs then added, “And Tyler, too.”
They won the election but were hardly resident
When pneumonia claimed the life of this new president.
The passing of Harrison cast a pall.
For the Veep, it seemed, was no Whig at all.
Between Van Buren and Harrison,
The Whigs made sure the voters knew
That their man dunked the Indians at Tippicanoe.
To fill out the Whig ticket, though known to few,
The Whigs then added, “And Tyler, too.”
They won the election but were hardly resident
When pneumonia claimed the life of this new president.
The passing of Harrison cast a pall.
For the Veep, it seemed, was no Whig at all.