Part 1: Martin Van Buren
Yeah, yeah, we all wish that the “history” category on your bar trivia card would invariably result in easy “trilogy” questions--that is, George Washington, Abe Lincoln, or FDR--but it never seems to pan out that way. Instead, you’re probably forced to dig into dusty memories of middle school American history to try and produce the names and accomplishments of any of the forgettable presidents of the Manifest Destiny and industrialization eras. Honestly, most people’s idea of presidential history during the 19th and early 20th century goes pretty much like this: “Uh, Honest Abe? And then… uh… Ulysses S. Grant?”
Don’t worry, we’ve got your back. This series will focus on the mundane, the inane, and the germane when it comes to some of our most unnoticed POTUS--and you might be surprised at how interesting some of these always-the-ignored, never-the-Rushmore’d presidents turn out to be. And as a bonus prize for sticking with these co-bland-ers-in-chief (other than those sweet, sweet pub quiz victories), we’ll post a new POTUS-themed cocktail for you to try out each week.
