Complete Transcript
You’re listening to ESL Podcast’s English Café number 449.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast’s English Café episode 449. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.
On this Café, we’re going to talk about the ninth president of the United States, a man by the name of William Henry Harrison. Harrison is famous for being a successful military leader, as well as serving the shortest amount of time in the White House. Harrison spent only one month as president. Oh, but what a month it was! And, as always, we’ll answer a few of your questions. Let’s get started!
We begin our Café by talking about another U.S. president, this one from the nineteenth century, by the name of William Henry Harrison. I should begin by saying that there have been two presidents named Harrison: William Henry Harrison, who was our ninth president, and his grandson, Benjamin Harrison, who was our 23rd president. We’ll talk about Benjamin Harrison in another Café.
William Henry Harrison was born in 1773, in an area known as Charles City in the state of Virginia, where many of our early presidents were born. He was born into a wealthy family, a family with a lot of money, that owned a plantation. A “plantation” (plantation) is a large farm that grows crops (that is, plants you can eat or use) such as sugar, tobacco, and coffee. Plantations are farmed by a big group of people who live there and work in the fields, the places where the crops grow.
William Henry Harrison’s father was Benjamin Harrison, who was one of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence was the written document that said that the United States was an independent country from Britain – saying that the U.S. no longer wanted to be governed or controlled by Britain. Just to confuse you, then, there are two Benjamin Harrisons in our story today: William Henry Harrison’s grandson, our 23rd president, and William Henry Harrison’s father, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
The Harrison we’re talking about now, William Henry, studied medicine briefly before “enlisting” (enlisting), or signing himself up to join the military, in 1791 at the age of 18. He served on the staff of General Anthony Wayne. General Wayne was engaged in (or involved in) a battle, or a military fight, with the Native Americans over land for white settlement. “Settlement” (settlement) is the act of people moving to an area and setting up a new home.
After the U.S. gained its independence from Great Britain, it almost immediately began to seek ways to expand – to move west across the North American continent. Unfortunately, there were already people living in the places where the United States wanted to put settlements, or places for people to live. They were called, of course, the Native Americans or American Indians. Not surprisingly, the Native Americans didn’t like the white settlements on their land, and so several wars and battles followed.
At the time Harrison joined the U.S. Army, General Wayne was in charge of removing Native Americans from what was called the “Northwest Territory” and making it possible for white settlers to live there. The Northwest Territory at the time was made up of the current states of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin. To make it possible for Americans to settle in the Northwest Territory, Wayne had to take the land from the Native Americans. He and his army fought the Native Americans to get their land. Harrison fought with him.
In 1795, Harrison married Anna Tuthill Symmes. They were married in secret because her father did not like that Harrison was in the military. He did not think that being in the military was a good career. Together, Harrison and Anna had 10 children, the first being a daughter, Elizabeth, born in 1796. Their fifth child, John Scott, born in 1804, would later become a father himself – to Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States we mentioned earlier.
William Henry Harrison’s reputation as an effective leader in the army became well known, and in 1798, he was asked to be the secretary of the Northwest Territory by President John Adams. Harrison agreed. In 1800, he was made governor or leader of the Indiana Territory. As a territorial governor, he “negotiated” (or helped two sides reach an agreement) many treaties between the United States and the Native Americans still living in the Indiana Territory. “Treaties” (treaties) are formal agreements, usually between two different countries.
These treaties took huge amounts of land away from the Native Americans and gave it to the government and the white settlers. The Native Americans were not happy with these agreements, and once again there was fighting between the whites and the Native Americans. Harrison again became a military leader, and with his army defeated the Native Americans at a famous battle called the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. Harrison became a national hero for this victory, and his name was forever associated, or linked, to the name of Tippecanoe, which is a small town in Indiana.
The following year, in 1812, the War of 1812 with Britain began, and when you think about it, 1812’s a really good year for something called the War of 1812 to start. In that war, the Native Americans “allied” (allied) or fought on the same side as the British. There’s an old saying in English and perhaps in other languages as well: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” If A hates B and C hates B, then A and C should work together, since they both hate B. Well, both the Native Americans and the British hated the Americans, so they became allies.
Harrison was promoted in the military and made Brigadier General, a high-ranking officer in the Army. He was put in charge of the soldiers in the Northwest Territory. Later, he would be promoted again to Major General. After the war, Harrison moved to Ohio and became active in politics again. He was active in both national and state politics.
In the United States, you may know that most states have two groups of representatives of the people – one is called a Senate and the other is called a House of Representatives. These official groups, or bodies, make laws for the state, just like, at the national level, the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representative make laws for the entire country.
Harrison began by serving in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1816 to 1819. Next, Harrison served in the Ohio Senate from 1819 until 1821. After that, he served in the U.S. Senate from 1825 until 1828. Harrison left the Senate and went on to become a minister, or U.S. representative, to the country of Colombia from 1828 to 1829.
In 1836, Harrison decided to run for president of the United States as a member of one of the largest political parties or groups of that period, the Whig party. The “Whig (Whig) party” was a political party that existed between 1834 and 1854, and in 1836 it focused on several issues, including expanding the United States to the west. Harrison lost the election to Martin Van Buren.
However, four years later, Harrison once again won the Whig party nomination for president. In the United States, each political party “nominates” (nominates), or chooses, a person who will represent that party in the presidential election. The citizens of the United States then vote for one of the people nominated. Harrison was nominated because of his successful military career. He was also nominated because he did not have strong political opinions of his own. This is a good way to win an election, of course: don’t really believe in anything, so no one can really be mad at you.
The fact that Harrison did not appear to have strong political opinions meant that the other members of the Whig party thought that they could just tell Harrison what to do when he was president. A man named John Tyler was nominated to run for the office of vice president for the Whigs. During the “campaign” (campaign), or the period leading up to the election, the Whig party said that Harrison was a simple man from a small town.
They called this the “Log Cabin and Hard Cider” campaign. A “log (log) cabin (cabin)” is a small, simple house built from wood. “Hard cider” (cider) is an alcoholic drink that was cheap and easily available to everyone. The Whig party was trying to make Harrison seem like a regular person – someone who could be anyone’s neighbor – because they thought that if he seemed like a regular person, more people would vote for him.
While Harrison was from a small town, he in fact came from a very wealthy family, as we mentioned earlier. The people running the campaign did not focus on this, however, because that would make him seem different from regular people. The people running the Log Cabin and Hard Cider campaign also hoped that talking about Harrison’s background and military victories would help people forget about the many problems the United States had at this time, especially the economic problems.
They used the “slogan” (slogan) or short phrase that is easy to remember used in advertising, “Tippecanoe and Tyler too!” This helped people remember that Harrison had been so successful when fighting against the Native Americans. The Log Cabin and Hard Cider campaign worked and Harrison won the presidential election. Harrison travelled to Washington, D.C. for his inauguration. The “inauguration” (inauguration) is the ceremony in which the person elected officially becomes president. Harrison’s inauguration was on March 4, 1841.
Unfortunately for Harrison, March 4, 1841, was very cold and rainy in Washington. Despite the bad weather, Harrison did not wear a coat or gloves during the ceremony. (He was a real man, you see.) He stood outside for two hours giving a speech about what he planned to do as president. He said he believed that the president’s power was “limited,” or had restrictions or limits, and that Congress was responsible for making many decisions.
Over the next month, Harrison tried to be a good president. He tried to do what everyone wanted him to do. However, he had caught a cold during the inauguration that got worse and worse. Eventually, it became “pneumonia” (pneumonia), which involves a swelling of the lungs, the part of the body needed for breathing. He died on April 4, 1841, just one month after taking office.
It is impossible to say if Harrison would have been a successful president or not. It is easy to agree, however, that he was a very successful military leader. Even though he died at 68, he had had a long and successful life and career. A few other things we should mention about Harrison. He was the last president of the U.S. who had been born when what is now the United States was part of the British colonies.
He was, when he became president, the oldest person to become president, which is perhaps one reason why he got sick standing out in the cold during his inauguration ceremony. Harrison was also the first president of the United States to die in office while he was still president. And, of course, his term as president was the shortest of any American president.
Now let’s answer a few of your questions.
Our first question comes from Youtao in China. The question has to do with the differences between “fringe benefits,” “benefits packages,” and “compensation packages.” Let’s start with the word “benefit” (benefit). A “benefit” is some positive thing that you receive from something. “Fringe (fringe) benefits” are benefits that you receive from the company you work for. Fringe benefits are always things that are in addition to your regular salary.
A company will pay you a certain number of dollars to work every week, but in addition, they may give you some other things; they may give you some additional benefits – some additional “fringe benefits” – such as paying for your health insurance or letting you use a car from the company or, if you’re moving to a different city, paying for your rent for your apartment. Those would be “fringe benefits” – things that you get in addition to the money that they give you every week or every two weeks or every month.
“Benefits package” refers to a group of fringe benefits. So, you may have three or four different fringe benefits from your company. If you put them all together, we would call that the “benefits package.” We use the word “package” (package) to mean a group of something, in this case. The word “package” can also be used to refer to a box or an envelope that you use to mail something in or send something to someone. Here, it just means a collection of something – in this case, a collection of fringe benefits. That’s a “benefits package.”
“Compensation package” refers to both the salary – the money you get – and the benefits package. So, the compensation package is “all-inclusive,” we might say. It includes everything that the company is giving you: the salary plus the fringe benefits. So, the compensation package includes the salary plus the benefits package. The benefits package includes all the different fringe benefits that the company is giving you for working at that company.
Every company in the United States is different. Nowadays, most companies will give you money for health insurance or will pay the money, or part of the money, you need for health insurance. Health insurance is very expensive in the United States. Other fringe benefits might include vacation time. You get paid for going on vacation for two or perhaps three weeks.
The United States does not have very generous vacation benefits compared to some countries, especially some countries in Europe. However, vacation time – getting paid for the vacation time – is also a common fringe benefit that would be included in a benefits package, which would be part of your compensation package.
Our next question comes from Fernando in Brazil. Fernando wants to know the difference between “teacher” and “professor.” A “teacher” (teacher) is any person who gives instruction to other people – who tells other people how they should do something or gives other people knowledge, information, about something. Usually, a teacher works in a school and has, of course, students. The word “teacher” is a very general one. It can apply to a lot of different situations.
In the United States, if someone says he’s a teacher, he usually means he works in either a high school, teaching teenagers, or in a junior high school, teaching young teenagers, or in a grade school or elementary school, teaching children. You could also have a teacher in a preschool or a kindergarten for very young children. The people who work in those kinds of schools are typically called “teachers.”
“Professor” (professor) is what we call a teacher at a college or university. Professors often, but not always, have higher levels of education, typically a master’s degree or, in most colleges and universities, a PhD. If you’re a full-time professor – if you work there as your full-time job – then you usually have a PhD.
It depends on the level of the college. If it’s a two-year college, what we nowadays typically call a “community college” – we used to call them “junior colleges” – you will probably have a master’s degree, but you might have a PhD as well. You might have a doctorate in your subject. If you work at a four-year university, normally, if you are a full-time teacher, you have a PhD.
However, many colleges and universities hire people to teach part-time. You’re not working as a full-time employee of the university. You’re just teaching one class or maybe two classes every semester, every period of instruction. Those instructors again will usually have at least a master’s degree. Many of them also have PhDs. So, a “teacher” is someone who gives instruction to someone. We could talk about a “university teacher,” but in the United States, normally, if you teach at the university level, you’re called a “professor.”
If you’re talking to someone who teaches in a college or university, and you’re not sure if the person has a PhD, and therefore you’re not sure if you should call him “Dr.” or not, the best thing is to call him “professor.” You can never get in trouble if you call a college teacher a “professor.” One big difference between university professors and, say, high school teachers is that if you are a full-time professor, you’re typically asked, in addition to teaching, to do what is called “research” – to do some sort of scientific investigation in your particular field or area.
So, when I was a full-time professor at the university, I was responsible for teaching two or three classes every semester, but also for publishing articles in scientific journals and scientific publications. I was responsible for going to conferences – to meetings of other scholars, other researchers – and talking about my research. Those are also responsibilities that a professor, especially a full-time professor, has.
Now, just to make things even more complicated, there are different levels of professor. You can be what’s called an “assistant professor,” which is the youngest, or at least, least-experienced kind of professor; you can be an “associate professor”; or you can be a “full professor.” Within the university, then, there are differences in terms of professors. Many people think “a professor is a professor,” but when it comes to, for example, getting paid, full professors usually make more money than associate professors, and associate professors make more money than assistant professors.
Our final question comes from Nima in Iran. Nima wants to know the meaning of the expression “I mean it.” “I mean (mean) it” is usually said when you want the other person to understand that what you are saying is really true. It’s a way of emphasizing the truth of something that you said, especially something you said you were going to do.
So, for example, if your five-year-old son says that he doesn’t want to clean his room, and you told him to clean his room, you may say to him, “If you don’t clean your room, you’re not going to be able to play any video games today. I mean it.” You’re emphasizing that you really are going to, in this case, do what you are threatening to do. You’re saying that “I am not joking.”
This is especially common when you think the other person perhaps thinks that you’re not serious, and you want to communicate to him or her that you are, in fact, very serious.
From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Come back and listen to us again right here on the English Café.
ESL Podcast’s English Café is written and produced by Dr. Jeff McQuillan and
Dr. Lucy Tse. This podcast is copyright 2014 by the Center for Educational
Development.
Glossary
to enlist – to join the military voluntarily; to become a member of the military because one wants to
* After September 11, 2001, many Americans enlisted in the military because they wanted to serve their country.
settlement – the act of people moving to an area and setting up a new home
* Some early settlements had little law and order, so the people in the community decided how people who had committed crimes would be punished.
to negotiate – for two or more people or groups to discuss and reach an agreement
* During the divorce, the husband and wife had to negotiate who would own the house and who would own the cars.
treaty – a formal agreement between countries or governments
* The Treaty of Versailles was signed by the United States, Britain, France, and Germany to end World War I.
to ally – to fight on the same side as someone else during an disagreement, battle, or war
* France, Britain, and the United States allied during World War II.
Whig – a political party that existed in the United States between 1834 and 1854
* Many Whig supporters believed that it was important to expand the United States’ territory.
to nominate – to choose someone to represent a group of people or a political party
* In 2008, the Democratic party nominated Barack Obama as their presidential candidate.
campaign – an organized set of actions to achieve a specific goal, usually to win an election for a political job
* During the campaign, Hilary visited many small towns and spoke to many groups of workers.
log cabin – a small house built out of wood that is usually found in the countryside
* Many log cabins just have one room where people live and sleep.
slogan – a phrase that is used in advertising that is easy to remember
* Our store’s slogan is: “Customers are always right.”
inauguration – the official ceremony held when a new president begins his or her term in office
* Today, presidential inaugurations are always held on the third Monday of January.
to be limited – to be restricted; to be allowed to do some things but not others
* Customers are limited in purchasing only one of these TVs on sale.
fringe benefit – an extra benefit in addition to the money an employee receives
* A fringe benefit of working for our company is having the option to eat lunch for free in our company cafeteria.
benefits package – the combination of all of the benefits an employee receives, in addition to money
* Loren’s benefits package includes health insurance and three weeks of paid vacation time.
compensation package – the combination of money and additional benefits an employer provides to an employee
* The job at Banning Corp. pays a higher salary, but when you look at the compensation packages, you’ll see that McQ Corp. is offering a lot more benefits.
teacher – a person who teaches, especially in a school
* The teacher told his students to open their textbooks to chapter 3.
professor – a college or university teacher, usually with a master’s or doctoral degree
* I have trouble understanding the professor’s lectures, so I record them and listen to them again later.
I mean it – a phrase used to emphasize a statement already said and to show that the speaker is serious
* If you don’t stop eating those cookies, you won’t get any dinner. I mean it!
What Insiders Know
The President’s Volunteer Service Award
The President’s Volunteer Service Award is a program established by the United States government to give “recognition” (attention to someone who has done something good) to “volunteers” (people who work for an organization without being paid) that provide community service to help other people. While there have been many “variations” (versions) of this program called different names over the years, including the President’s Volunteer Action Award of the 1980’s, this current program was created in 2002 by President George W. Bush.
The awards are given to any individual, family, or group that have done volunteer work for a certain number of hours in a 12-month period, or throughout an entire lifetime, in the U.S. or “overseas” (in another country).
Award “recipients” (people/groups receiving the award) can receive one of the following items as recognition of their service: the official President’s Volunteer Service Award “pin” (a type of jewelry with a short needle or pin that can be worn on clothing), a personalized “certificate” (piece of paper showing one’s accomplishment) of achievement, a “congratulatory” (giving someone good wishes) letter from the President of the United States, or a combination of all three.
There are four types of awards. Each requires a certain number of hours of completed volunteer work according to one’s age. The lowest level award, for example, requires that children volunteer for 50 to 74 hours and adults for 100 to 249 hours.