Early in the morning of February 6, 1858, Representative Galusha Grow, a Republican from Pennsylvania, and Rep. Laurence Kent, a Democrat from South Carolina, exchanged insults that quickly led to blows as the US House of Representatives debated admitting Kansas as a state with a pro-slavery Constitution.
More than 30 representatives joined the melee as South Carolina Democrat James Orr, Speaker of the House, gaveled for order. Sergeant-at-Arms Adam J. Glossbrenner was ordered to arrest the combatants. He jumped into the scrum, wielding the House Mace high above his head.
Order was only restored when Democrat William Barksdale, upset that Wisconsin Republicans John Potter and Cadwaller Washburn had ripped his hairpiece off during the fight, in frustration jammed it on his head backwards. Barksdale looked so ridiculous that both sides stopped fighting and started laughing.
The House was recessed for two days, and when debate was permitted to recommence, Kansas was admitted to the Union as a Free State.
Two lessons can be learned from this:
- Congress has always been the way it is.
- Sometimes when people make “idiot” remarks about “serious matters” on social media, they’re secretly hoping it’s the equivalent of the Backwards Hairpiece Gambit and leads people to reassess their behavior.
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