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The First Lady Who Banned Alcohol From The White House

Tag：facts white house 2025-02-20 11:04

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From John Adams' morning ritual of hard cider to Gerald Ford's occasional lunchtime martini, American presidents have (generally) not been strangers to knocking back a drink or two. However, that changed for a time when Lucy Webb Hayes, wife of President Rutherford B. Hayes, moved into the White House. Influenced by her father, she became a devout Methodist and heavy supporter of the temperance movement, spending her life abstaining from alcohol and supporting the goal of removing it from the White House. Although the Hayes administration (1877-1881) only banned alcohol within the Executive Mansion, Lucy hoped this moral stance would set an example for the nation.

Though the decision was primarily attributed to Lucy (after she felt uncomfortable serving alcohol at the first big White House social event), it was President Hayes who officially instituted the ban. Aside from being an infrequent drinker and siding with his wife's viewpoints, he hoped to gain popularity from temperance advocates and politicians. In practice, the alcohol ban was more subdued, with White House staff instructed to enforce the ban promptly.

Wines were swapped for punch. Visiting politicians and journalists frequently grumbled over the lack of more indulgent options, although there were rumors that one particular White House staffer would occasionally spike the punch with rum. Eventually, Lucy gained the nickname "Lemonade Lucy" for her commitment to sobriety in the White House.

Did Lucy's White House alcohol ban last?

The First Lady Who Banned Alcohol From The White House

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Although President Rutherford B. Hayes carried out the White House alcohol ban for all four years of his presidency, it didn't quite stick with future administrations. Some believed the restriction was unnecessary, and the decision to drink should be left to personal choice. Still, many praised Lucy for acting as a role model for the temperance movement and even expressed that they wished she would do more to support it. Though Lucy never directly spoke on it, the temperance movement paved the way for the women's suffrage movement by promoting that women should be allowed to divorce, work, and own property to protect themselves from abusive husbands. Lucy's participation in the temperance movement opened the door for future first ladies to take on more activist roles.

Interestingly, this ban was not a part of the Prohibition era, which occurred nearly 40 years after Hayes completed his presidential duties in 1881. The Hayes administration's alcohol ban is quite a contrast from 21st-century presidents like Barack Obama, who was the first president to brew beer in the White House. Many U.S. presidents had favorite drinks, though some, like George W. Bush, chose to abstain from alcohol due to personal struggles. Unlike the Hayes family, President Bush did not enforce his drinking habits in the White House. However, his wife, Laura Bush, did make some changes in the kitchen, making it one of many unusual rules that White House chefs have had to follow.

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