W. H. Harrison Administration - Changes in the U.S. Government
Changes in the U.S. Government
William Henry Harrison was the first president to die in office. Although the Constitution was clear in its stipulation that the incumbent vice president was the first in line to the presidency in such an instance, there were no precedents to guide the nation in the process of installing Vice President John Tyler as Harrison's successor. The Constitution was silent, for instance, on whether the successor simply occupied the office of the president, serving in the capacity and under a title of "acting president," or whether he actually became the president, with all the attendant rights, privileges, and responsibilities. It was only as a result of Tyler's persistent demanding that he be treated as the president, rather than simply a temporary occupant of the vacated office, that such a precedent now governs the succession issue.
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