How a Holiday Drink Incited Rebellion at the United States Military Academy in 1826. A Holiday Program with Jennifer Voigtschild
About this Event

What could go wrong when students smuggle a load of whiskey into the Military Academy at West Point for a Christmas celebration? A few days before Christmas in 1826, three cadets, against explicit orders, did just that. The ensuing party quickly turned into a riot early on Christmas Day, eventually leading to the court-martial of nineteen cadets. Jennifer Voigtschild will explore the causes and consequences of what cadets initially thought was just a little Christmas cheer to brighten the “Gloom Period” at West Point.

Some tidbits about the history and lore of eggnog and a mixing demonstration will precede the talk, and Q&A will follow.

Jennifer Voigtschild is the Command Historian of the United States Military Academy, West Point. She graduated from West Point in 1993 as an American History major and was commissioned into the Adjutant General’s Corps. Following a twenty-year Army career, she retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2013, earned a master’s degree in American history at Rutgers, and taught American History to cadets at the Academy. She was also Editor-in-Chief of American Spirit magazine and has written for West Point magazine.