Dinner with Harrison by Thomas

Dinner with Harrison by Thomas - October 2017 Scholarship Essay

If I could have dinner with one U.S. President, it would be William Henry Harrison. From a historical stand point, Harrison had little impact on the course of history in the United States and internationally. His extremely short term of 32 days and the divisive political climate of his time created an environment that was not conducive for sociopolitical progress. The question then arises, why would I eat dinner with this seemingly insignificant president? The reasons do not stem from his term as president, but rather from his time leading to the presidency. I would like to eat dinner with Harrison to find out his opinions on our current sociopolitical climate and learn what it was like to handle the domestic issues of the Indians during his time.
Our current political climate mimics that of the time when William Harrison was running for office. Two parties, seemingly polar in some respects, duking it out for the presidency. Harrison was adamant in his beliefs and fought hard for what he believed in. If I had dinner with Harrison, I would find out his opinion on our current political situation. His education in the classics as well as his political experience would make for an inquiring and thoughtful response. When Harrison was running for president, the Whig party and the democratic party were both desperate to grasp the presidency. In contemporary politics, it is the democratic and the republican parties that fight for the presidency. If I had dinner with Harrison, I would gain a deeper understanding of the ideas and philosophies of the people of his time in regards to politics. Our way of thinking is very uni-dimensional and hearing an older, more developed political outlook from Harrison would expand my understanding of how different people view the political realm.
Harrison, prior to his short term as president, was an avid proponent of fighting the Native Americans for their land. During Harrison’s time, the Indians and the Americans clashed consistently over land ownership. One of the most famous conflicts was between Harrison and Tecumseh in which case Harrison ultimately won the battle. If I could have dinner with Harrison, I would learn more about the conflicts from a first person point of view. Harrison’s investment in resolving the conflict between the Indians and Americans would help to develop a detailed account of the attitudes of both sides as well as the important dealings that the two groups had. William Harrison’s extensive knowledge of the American-Indian conflict and his strong beliefs on the subject matter would provide me with a deep understanding of the hardships that both groups faced while battling for land. Although his dealings with the Indians were extensive, the same cannot be said about his time as president.
While William Henry Harrison may have been one of the least effective presidents in U.S. history, his prior experiences and his strong will would make for an exciting dinner together. Due to his extremely extensive inaugural speech, Harrison contracted pneumonia that became fatal a month into his presidency. He did not accomplish much as a president due to his untimely end, but he did accomplish a great deal prior to his presidency. The time in which Harrison became president was rich in conflict and progress and because of the historical significance of his time, I would have dinner with William Henry Harrison.