Statue of William Henry Harrison at Tippecanoe Battlefield Monument

What it is

This is a granite statue of William Henry Harrison, set on a pedestal in front of a larger granite monument at the Tippecanoe Battlefield. The statue was made by sculptor John H. Mahoney. The photograph in this archive was taken by Chris Light and uploaded to Wikimedia Commons on 19 April 2005.

The statue shows Harrison standing in a military uniform with a high hat, a double-breasted coat with braided trim, a cloak over his left shoulder, and a sword at his side. Bare trees stand behind the monument.

Why it matters

Harrison fought at the Battle of Tippecanoe, and this monument marks that battlefield. A statue built later was made to remember the battle and the man who led American forces there. A sculpture like this is a secondary source: it tells us how people later chose to honor Harrison, not what he himself did or said. It reflects the way Americans remembered him long after his time.

Look closer

• What details of the uniform, cloak and sword does the sculptor use to present Harrison as a military leader?
• Why would people build a statue on a battlefield monument, and what story do they want visitors to remember?
• What does the statue leave out about the battle or about the people who lived on this land before it?