1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class. It's a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Greetings, I'm Eves and welcome to This Day 3 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:09,640 Speaker 1: in History Class, a show that believes no day in 4 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 1: history is a slow day. Today is December. The day 5 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: was December. A drunken Christmas party at the United States 6 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 1: Military Academy, also known as West Point turned into a 7 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:39,839 Speaker 1: conflict known as the Eggnog Riot. West Point opened in 8 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 1: eighteen o two. Up until the War of eighteen twelve, 9 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: the school was pretty lax. Students were admitted throughout the year, 10 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:51,160 Speaker 1: and admission standards weren't the highest. Drinking was a big 11 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: part of the culture. Eggnog was often the drink of 12 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: choice at holiday celebrations in the US, especially from the 13 00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 1: eighteenth century on, and that was the case west Point. 14 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: But after the War of eighteen twelve, Congress was inspired 15 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 1: to funnel more money into the academy. In eighteen seventeen, 16 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:12,479 Speaker 1: Colonel Sylvanus There became the superintendent of west Point. They 17 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: are earned the Moniker Father of west Point. He was 18 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 1: strict about discipline and academics at the school. He banned 19 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:22,680 Speaker 1: playing cards, tobacco, and novels, and students could not leave 20 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:26,679 Speaker 1: campus cooking their dorms or duel. There did not allow 21 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: cadets to drink, purchase, or store alcohol except on the 22 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 1: fourth of July and on Christmas. That is, until eight 23 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: that July, four cadets carried the school's commandant to their barracks. 24 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:43,399 Speaker 1: After that they are banned the possession of alcohol. But 25 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 1: instead of following there's new rule, some of the cadets 26 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: snuck in gallons of whiskey, brandy, rum, and wine from 27 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: nearby taverns for the holiday party. Benny Haven's tavern, where 28 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 1: cadets could barter for alcohol, was too expensive for the 29 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: amount of liquor they needed, so several nights before Christmas, 30 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 1: three cadets crossed the Hudson River to visit Martin's tavern. 31 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: After drinking at the tavern, they took liquor back to 32 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:10,920 Speaker 1: the academy with them, paying off a guard on the 33 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: way back. One of the cadets who took part in 34 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: the revelry was Jefferson Davis, future President of the Confederacy. 35 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: They are knew that the cadets might try to smuggle 36 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,520 Speaker 1: in alcohol since they had done so before, so he 37 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: sent two officers, Captain Ethan Allen Hitchcock and Lieutenant William A. 38 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,919 Speaker 1: Thornton to keep watch on the North Barracks. The officers 39 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 1: went to bed around midnight. At that point things were 40 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: pretty quiet, but several hours later, Hitchcock woke up to 41 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 1: the sound of a party floors above him. When he 42 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:48,399 Speaker 1: went upstairs, he found several drunk cadets and told them 43 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 1: to go to their rooms. He left to go back 44 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: to his own room, but he realized there was another 45 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:58,239 Speaker 1: party happening in a nearby bedroom. When he attempted to 46 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: break that one up too, he got an to a 47 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 1: spat with a cadet who was trying to hide his identity. 48 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: Hitchcock left, but the cadets were still upset at the exchange, 49 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 1: so they turned to violence and called for the cadets 50 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: to arm themselves and murder Hitchcock, and the riot began. 51 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 1: About a third of the cadets, or ninety of them, 52 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 1: were involved in the riot. Another party popped up on 53 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: a lower floor, and as Hitchcock went to break it up, 54 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:27,359 Speaker 1: he ran into Jefferson Davis. Davis ended up going back 55 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 1: to his room, but Lieutenant Thornton was also up and 56 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,079 Speaker 1: trying to put an end to the commotion. A cadet 57 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: threatened him with a sword, and another hit him with 58 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: a piece of wood. A cadet tried to shoot Hitchcock 59 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 1: with his pistol, but missed when another cadet threw off 60 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: the aim. When Hitchcock called for the common dot of cadets, 61 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: the cadets mistakenly thought he was summoning the artillery men, 62 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: so they got even more rowdy. They broke windows, dishes, 63 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: and furniture, and generally tore up the barracks. Eventually, the 64 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: common dot showed up and the conflict came to an end. 65 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: After the riot cadets were placed on immediate restriction. Nineteen 66 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: cadets in one soldier were court martialed. In the end, 67 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: many of the cadets were allowed to stay at West Point, 68 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: though some left anyway and some were dismissed. I'm eave 69 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 1: deaf Coote and hopefully you know a little more about 70 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:24,600 Speaker 1: history today than you did yesterday. If you'd like to 71 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: learn more about the riot, you can listen to the 72 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:29,599 Speaker 1: episode of Stuff you missed in History class called Eggnog Riot. 73 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:33,159 Speaker 1: If you'd like to follow us on social media, you 74 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 1: can do so at T D I h C Podcast 75 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you prefer something a 76 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: little bit more formal, then you can write us at 77 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: this day at i heart media dot com. Thanks for listening, 78 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: and I hope you'll be back tomorrow. For more pod 79 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 1: casts from i heeart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, 80 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.