Side Show Exhibit of the Presidents

“Tecumseh’s Curse” or “The Curse of Tippecanoe” is a legend of mythic proportions that has, if it’s to be believed, led to the death of seven presidents elected in zero years beginning with President Harrison in 1840, followed by Lincoln in 1860, Garfield in 1880, McKinley in 1900, Harding in 1920, Roosevelt in 1940, and Kennedy in 1960. Had it not been for the speedy delivery of President Reagan to the hospital, the curse count would be eight. Fortunately, whatever we are to make of the curse, it ended with JFK in 1963. But more to the point, who is Tecumseh? Tecumseh (1768-1813) was a chief of the mighty Shawnee Indian tribe. He was a vaunted and well-respected member and chief of the Shawnee Tribe who sought to form a confederacy of multiple Indian tribes in an effort to resist the United States westward expansion into the northwest territories and tribal lands. Caught up in the War of 1812, and although successful in gathering support for his confederacy, his efforts were for naught when he met his end against the forces of General William Harrison at the Battle of the Thames (Battle of Moraviantown) on October 5, 1813. Depending on the “source,” Tenskwatawa cast a curse on General Harrison before his brother’s death or years after his brother’s death. However, there is no record of him having done so. So, the genesis of this alleged curse is unknown and how it came about is also unknown. There are several websites and blogs dedicated to this supernatural legend thought to have led to many presidents assuming room temperature before their term expired but there is, well, nothing to it. President Bush, Jr., elected in 2000, served two full terms. (In addition, President Taylor, elected in 1848, died in office in July 1850. President Truman, elected in 1948 to his own term, was uninjured in an attempted assassination. President Ford, sworn into office in 1974, survived two assassination attempts.) So, what are we left with? Well, a really interesting, far-fetched, highly improbable story that has been part of the presidential history side-show for decades. The first time I heard the story was in 11th grade U.S. history class. No explanation was given but it made for a great discussion at the dinner table. This should go without saying but when each cause of death of the presidents alleged to have expired due to Tecumseh’s curse is thoroughly researched and studied, all doubt is cast aside, and the focus is then on clear and substantiated causes of death corroborated by current medical explanations based on the evidence available. Think about it: did Tenskwatawa know General Harrison would one day become president and be elected in a year ending with 0 followed by seven more presidents also elected in a year ending with 0? It defies logic and the fact I’m spending this much time writing about it defies logic. But what doesn’t defy logic? Bacteria, illness, and bullets, one of which brought down each of the seven presidents mentioned.

Battle of the Thames, where Tecumseh fell in battle. Library of Congress.