Time as First Lady: March 4,1841 to April 4, 1841
○ Anna Harrison spent much of her married life on the frontier, and she bore ten children while she moved around in the early 1800s.
○ When William Henry Harrison was first elected president, Anna Harrison decided to stay home and arrive at the White House later in May. However, her husband died just one month into his presidency, so she never made it.
○ After the tragic news of her husband’s passing, Anna Harrison stayed home in Ohio and lived with one of her sons until her death in 1864.
Firsts:
- Anna Harrison was the first first lady from New Jersey.
- Anna Harrison was the first first lady to be widowed while holding the title of first lady.
- Anna Harrison was the first first lady to be granted a pension by law as a president’s widow.
- Anna Harrison was the first first lady to be a grandmother of a future president: Benjamin Harrison.
Quotes: “I wish that my husband’s friends had left him where he is, happy and contented in retirement,” said Anna Harrison when she found out her husband won the 1840 election.