The Chaotic, Booze-Soaked Inauguration Of Andrew Jackson
Louis S. Glanzman/White House Historical Association A painting of the drunk mob at Andrew Jackson’s inauguration.
Andrew Jackson’s inauguration in March 1829 inadvertently became one of the wildest parties in White House history thanks to an open bar and Jackson’s status as the first “common man” president.
After delivering his inaugural address to a massive crowd of 20,000 supporters, Jackson opened the White House to the public for a reception. What followed was absolute pandemonium. Thousands of ordinary citizens — farmers, frontiersmen, laborers — stormed into the executive mansion, muddy boots and all, eager to celebrate their hero’s victory. However, the crowd quickly grew unruly as people pushed and shoved to catch a glimpse of the new president or shake his hand.
The chaos only got worse as servers began to hand out spiked orange punch, which only whipped the thirsty revelers into a frenzy. Desperate to see the man who stood alongside them against “the unprincipled and wicked,” guests stood on expensive furniture and started fights that resulted in broken china and glassware.
Public DomainAn 1841 caricature of Andrew Jackson’s inauguration by Robert Cruikshank.
According to the White House Historical Association, the crush of bodies became so intense that Jackson himself was nearly suffocated against a wall and had to escape through a back exit to his hotel for safety. Desperate White House staff members eventually lured the mob outside by moving the liquor-filled punch bowls onto the lawn. The mayhem left the mansion’s interior in ruins. Carpets were soaked, furniture was broken, and thousands of dollars in damage was done.
But while Jackson’s critics saw the debacle as proof that democracy had descended into “mob rule,” his supporters viewed it differently: as a symbolic breaking down of barriers between the people and their government.
After reading about 11 instances of historical drunken mayhem, learn about Charles Joughin, the drunk baker who survived the sinking of the Titanic. Then, go inside the wildest drinking stories about Andre the Giant.
