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Primary sourcePainting1813

William Henry Harrison

Rembrandt Peale · 1813

Rembrandt Peale's 1813 portrait of Harrison in military uniform as a general during the War of 1812.

This portrait depicts Harrison as a military general, a role that later became central to his political identity.

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Oil portrait of a man with brown hair, turned three-quarters to the left, wearing a dark navy military coat with gold embroidered laurel-leaf trim, gold epaulettes, and a high white collar with a dark stock. He holds a gold-hilted sword with arms crossed against a cloudy sky.
Rembrandt Peale, William Henry Harrison, 1813. National Portrait Gallery.

About this source

What it is

This is an oil portrait of William Henry Harrison painted by Rembrandt Peale in 1813. It is held by the National Portrait Gallery and shows Harrison in a military coat with a sword, painted around the time of his War of 1812 service.

Why it matters

The portrait captures Harrison at the height of his military career, around the time of his victory at the Battle of the Thames. Portraits like this helped build the public image of military heroes that politicians later used in their political campaigns, as seen in the later log-cabin imagery of his 1840 presidential run.

Look closer

  • What does Harrison's uniform and pose suggest about how he wanted to be seen?
  • Why might a military portrait like this matter for a man who later became a political candidate?
  • What is left out of a formal portrait like this compared to other kinds of sources?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of William Henry Harrison on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Handwritten copy of a letter from the War Department dated July 15, 1809, addressed to His Excellency Wm. H. Harrison. It instructs him on negotiating the extinguishment of Indian title to lands east of the Wabash, referencing the Treaties of Fort Wayne and Grouseland, and states terms for compensation, chiefs' presence, installments, and expenses. Ink on cream paper.Document

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Treaty of Fort Wayne

1809

Black and white lithograph of a log cabin with an American flag reading Harrison and Tyler, a chimney smoking, a barrel of cider outside, and a coonskin on the wall. A man in a top hat stands with a cane and dog beside a younger man in a doorway. Trees and a river are in the background.Painting

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Harrison at cabin on North Bend of Ohio

Thomas Sinclair · 1840

Printed broadside of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, titled 'An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, North-West of the River Ohio.' Dense block of small black printed text in paragraphs on a light paper, with the heading in large capital letters at top.Document

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Confederation Congress · 13 July 1787

Oil portrait of an older man with short graying hair, wearing a black coat, white shirt, and dark bow tie, seated against a dark brown background with a red chair edge at the right.Painting

Primary source

William Henry Harrison

Albert Gallatin Hoit · 1840

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