118: What *Actually* Killed William Henry Harrison?

Poor ol’ William Henry Harrison. The dude has the odd distinction of giving the longest inauguration speech in American history, followed by the shortest presidency in American history.

You might be familiar with the story: He gave a speech with no coat on, and as a result, caught pneumonia and died. But… was it really pneumonia that killed him?

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:

“Did William Henry Harrison really die of pneumonia?” by Jay Serafino for Mental Floss

“What really killed Willliam Henry Harrison?” by Jane McHugh and Philip A. Mackowiak for the New York Times

“What killed William Henry Harrison?” The College of Physicians of Philadelphia

“William Henry Harrison” history.com

“In 1841, pneumonia killed the president in 31 days. His doctors were accused of incompetence.” by Ronald G. Shafer for The Washington Post

“‘His Accidency’: The first president to die in office and the constitutional confusion that followed,” by Ronald G. Shafer for The Washington Post

“Did William Henry Harrison really die from pneumonia?” by Christopher Klein for History.com

“Zachary Taylor did not die of arsenic poisoning, tests indicate,” by Eric Harrison for the Los Angeles Times

“Verdict In: 12th president was not assassinated,” by Michel Marriott for The New York Times