William Henry Harrison Tomb State Memorial Monument

What it is

This is a photograph of the state memorial built over the tomb of William Henry Harrison. The image shows a tall, tapering limestone monument seen from below against a blue sky, with green trees at the sides. The carved inscriptions list his offices, from Secretary of the Northwest Territory to Ninth President of the United States. The photograph was taken by Sweet kate and uploaded in 2012.

Why it matters

A monument is a later work, made long after Harrison's death in 1841, so it does not show his own view of himself. It shows how his career was summarized for later generations. The list begins with his early territorial posts and ends with the presidency, which tells us what the people who built the memorial thought was most important to record.

Look closer

• Which offices are listed first, and what does that order suggest about how the memorial's makers wanted him remembered?
• Who paid for and approved an inscription like this, and why might they have chosen these words?
• What does the list leave out about his life, such as the people affected by his policies?