Anna Harrison

Anna Symmes was raised in New York City by her maternal grandparents, who oversaw her exceptional education. Her marriage to Major General William Henry Harrison produced ten children, and she spent lengthy periods fending without him in the wilderness of Ohio. Anna homeschooled all her children, managed their land, and was a respected community leader in North Bend, Ohio. She avidly followed politics in newspapers. Recuperating from an illness, Anna sent her daughter-in-law, Jane Harrison, to fulfill White House hostess duties for the new administration. Anna never entered the White House after receiving word that her husband had died after only thirty days in office.

Born: 25 July 1775, Solitude Farm, near Morristown, Sussex County, New Jersey

Died: 25 February 1864, North Bend, Ohio

Early Life and Family Background

Anna Tuthill Symmes Harrison was born on 25 July 1775 at Solitude Farm, near Morristown, Sussex County, New Jersey. Her father, John Cleves Symmes, was a significant figure in American history. Born on 21 July 1742, Symmes served as a Colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He held various prominent positions including associate justice on the New Jersey Superior Court, delegate from Delaware to the Continental Congress, and Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court. Later, he was appointed judge of the Northwest Territory and founded the settlements of North Bend and Cincinnati. Symmes passed away on 26 February 1814 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Anna’s mother, Anna Tuthill Symmes, was born on 17 June 1749 and married John Cleves Symmes on 30 October 1760 in Southhold, Long Island, New York. She died a year after Anna’s birth, on 25 July 1776. After her mother’s death, Anna’s father remarried twice, first to a Mrs. Halsey and then to Susan Livingston, the daughter of New York Governor William Livingston.

Anna’s ancestry was primarily English, with her paternal great-great-grandparents being among the last to emigrate from England. She had one sibling, a sister named Maria Symmes Short.

Education

Anna Harrison was among the first First Ladies to receive a formal education. Following her mother’s death, her father, deeply involved in the Revolutionary War, placed her under the care of her maternal grandparents in Southhold, Suffolk County, Long Island. Anna received an excellent education at Clinton Academy in East Hampton, New York, where she was taught the classics and English. She later attended the Boarding School of Isabella Marshal Graham in New York City from 1787 to 1791. Graham, a Scottish immigrant and widow, was a pioneering advocate for women’s education and social reform. During her time at Graham’s school, Anna was a classmate of Martha Washington’s granddaughter Nellie Custis.

Life Before Marriage

Anna Symmes spent the first years of her life under the care of her grandparents. Her early education and upbringing were characterized by a blend of traditional and progressive values, largely influenced by Isabella Graham’s feminist and social activist ideals. After completing her education, Anna rejoined her father and stepmother in the Northwest Territory, where her father had acquired significant land holdings.

While living with her sister Maria and brother-in-law Peyton Short in Lexington, Kentucky, Anna met William Henry Harrison, a young Army officer who had fought in the “Indian Wars” in the Northwest Territory. Despite her father’s initial opposition due to Harrison’s military career, Anna and William married on 22 November 1795 in North Bend, Ohio.

Marriage and Family Life

Anna Harrison’s marriage to William Henry Harrison produced ten children, although she outlived all but one. Their children were Elizabeth Bassett Harrison Short, John Cleves Symmes Harrison, Lucy Singleton Harrison Estes, William Henry Harrison II, John Scott Harrison, Benjamin Harrison, Mary Symmes Harrison Thornton, Carter Bassett Harrison, Anna Tuthill Harrison Taylor, and James Findlay Harrison.

Following their marriage, the Harrisons settled in a small log home on 169 acres in North Bend, Ohio. Anna’s life revolved around her roles as wife and mother. She managed their home and children while her husband pursued his military and political career. When Harrison was elected to Congress in 1799, Anna joined him in Philadelphia and later moved with him to Vincennes, Indiana, when he was appointed Territorial Governor in 1801. Their home, Grouseland, became a social and political hub on the frontier.

Anna’s responsibilities included managing the household, teaching her children, and participating in public life due to her husband’s roles. She entertained political and military figures, including indigenous  leaders like Shawnee Chief Tecumseh. Her education allowed her to introduce her children to the classics, Greek philosophy, and Shakespeare.

Preserving Family and Managing Adversity

The vulnerability of the Harrison family to potential raids and attacks by indigenous tribes required fortifications around Grouseland. Anna Harrison also faced the challenge of managing their expanding property and finances. Despite the difficulties, she maintained a strong presence in her community and continued her religious activities.

When the War of 1812 broke out, Anna returned to North Bend, Ohio, to ensure her family’s safety. Upon her father’s death in 1814, she and her husband inherited significant land holdings, which they expanded into a 22-room house. Despite William Henry Harrison’s subsequent political roles, Anna remained in Ohio, managing their household and raising their children.

Presidential Campaign and Inauguration

Anna Harrison opposed her husband’s candidacy for the presidency in both 1836 and 1840. Despite her reluctance, she supported his campaign, and William Henry Harrison was elected the ninth President of the United States in 1840. However, Anna, suffering from illness and mourning the recent deaths of her children, did not travel to Washington for his inauguration. Instead, she sent her daughter-in-law, Jane Irwin Harrison, to serve as White House hostess.

First Lady and Widowhood

Anna Harrison’s tenure as First Lady was the shortest in U.S. history, as her husband died just 31 days after taking office on 4 April 1841. She never lived in the White House, remaining in Ohio during his brief presidency. After his death, Congress awarded her a pension and free postage for her correspondence, a first for a presidential widow.

Anna outlived her husband by 23 years, during which she faced the loss of several more children. She managed the Harrison family farm and maintained a strong presence in her Presbyterian Church community. Despite the emotional toll of losing many family members, she remained engaged with the public through extensive correspondence and upheld her husband’s legacy.

Later Years and Death

In 1858, a fire destroyed the Harrison home, leaving Anna and her family with only the clothes they were wearing. She moved in with her son, John Scott Harrison, at his estate, “Point Farm,” where she lived until her death. Anna Harrison passed away on 25 February 1864 at the age of 88. She was buried next to her husband in North Bend, Ohio, in Congress Green Cemetery.

Anna Harrison’s life was marked by resilience, dedication to family, and her role as a supportive figure in her husband’s political career. She remains the only woman who was both the wife of a president and the grandmother of another, Benjamin Harrison. Her legacy is a testament to the strength and influence of women in early American history, even from the frontier.