Some presidents leave their mark on the world of geopolitics, while others reshape how the average American lives their life. But William Henry Harrison died on his 32nd day in office, meaning he had little time to leave a notable impact on the country. However, Harrison’s legacy can be felt in the common lexicon, as the idiom “keep the ball rolling” has a very literal origin story tied to his 1840 presidential campaign.
In an early example of a grassroots campaign, Harrison’s campaign supporters crafted a leather and tin 10-foot-tall ball that was inscribed with slogans, including “Fare well Dear Van, not the man” (referring to Harrison’s opponent, incumbent Martin Van Buren) and “To Guide the ship, Old Tip” (referring to Harrison’s nickname “Old Tippecanoe”). The ball was rolled from town to town, where his supporters would urge fellow campaigners to keep the ball rolling into the next town.
This publicity stunt was done once more in 1888 to support the presidential campaign of Benjamin Harrison — William’s grandson. The phrase was adopted into the lexicon after the first campaign, likely spurring the re-enactment in the second campaign. That ball was built with steel and canvas and inscribed with phrases such as “Old Allegany in 1840 started the ball for Harrison; In ’88 as they did then, We roll it on for Gallant Ben” (a bit wordy, as campaign slogans go). This second ball was rolled 5,000 miles from the creator’s Maryland home to Benjamin Harrison’s home state of Indiana. In both campaigns, the balls played a small role in getting the Harrisons elected, and they left us with the now-popular idiom.
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