Commanders-in-Heat VII: The Cookie Monster of Presidential Death Months Devoured 7 Before August
Hot—and hungry.
One if by grave, two if by subscription. 1. Fresh dispatches. 2. SMK archives.
A Present for You
Cause of Death: July
Every barbecue-season know-it-all loves to drop this bit of pub trivia: three Founding Fathers died on the Fourth of July. The timing feels poetic. Patriotic. Fated.
But here’s the real punchline: Seven U.S. presidents have died in July. It is statistically the deadliest month for any POTUS…but this isn’t Providence.
Why Die in July?
1. Summer Was a Death Trap
Pre-modern America offered no refrigeration, no water purification, and no real insect control. Malaria, cholera, yellow fever, and spoiled food all peaked in the heat. For the elderly or already ill, July wasn’t risky—it was a sentence.
2. Heat Kills Hearts and Lungs
Cardiovascular and respiratory mortality spikes dramatically during summer heat waves, especially in cities. Add layers of wool, tight collars, and no air movement, and you get the silent mass killers of the 19th century.
Washington crossed the Delaware. You can cross my palm with $6.
3. Patriotic Performance Pressure
Presidents, even retired ones, were expected to perform—give speeches, shake hands, show up for crowds on the Fourth. Many final illnesses started with one last, ill-advised appearance under a high sun.
Why Not Winter?
Sure, influenza and pneumonia took their toll in colder months. But cold slows bacteria. Winter encouraged rest, retreat, and lower exposure to vectors. Presidents could vanish to quiet estates, not pageants.
In July, there was always one more crowd, one more toast, one more flag-draped obligation. The body bowed. The Republic cheered. Then came the fever.
The Archive Has No Chill
The archive doesn’t speak to myth. It offers conditions, timing, exposure. It asks who had clean water, who had rest, who had air.
It tells us that July deaths weren’t symbolic. They were structural failures—of sanitation, of medicine, of ritual. Jefferson and Adams didn’t die on the Fourth because of America. They died despite it. And so did the rest.
And yet, the coincidence is undeniable: The deadliest thing for a 19th-century president wasn’t war or politics. It was July.
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Drop While Its Hot
If you’re a president looking to beat the heat this summer, bad news: There’s a good chance you won’t. Here’s what we’ve covered so far:
Commander-in-Heat: A Republic, If It Can Survive You
Commander-in-Heat II: Is June James Season?
Commander-in-Heat III: The June 6
Commander-in-Heat IV: James Madison Declined to Die for the Bit
Commanders-in-Heat V: Manuscript or Morphine (Part I)
Commanders-in-Heat VI: Manuscript or Morphine (Part II)
Commanders-in-Heat VII: Dead on Arrival
Commanders-in-Heat VIII: Last Words (Berry’s Version)
In August, there’s only one felled president to cover—Warren G. Harding!
See you soon! In the meantime, you can find me on Instagram and, on occasion, Bluesky and Twitter. My books are at Bookshop, Amazon, and your local bookstore or library. If you’d like me to sign or personalize my books, purchase copies from Oblong Books.
Fascinating , I’d have never guessed that July was such a grievous month for Presidents, but then being English I don’t know much about extreme heat !
Has anyone nominated you for this Dan David 300k prize sponsored by Time History? If not, they should!!!! Deadline Sept. 24. We need public historians who actually know how to talk to the public!