Cheese Preferences Of Andrew Jackson: An Exploration

Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the United States, received a 1400-pound block of cheese as a gift from New York dairy farmers in 1835. The cheese was displayed in the Entrance Hall of the White House for two years, after which Jackson invited the public to come and eat it. The cheese was gone in two hours, but the smell lingered for much longer.

The cheese was a gift from a New York dairy farmer

Meacham's cheese was not the first of its kind. Thomas Jefferson had previously received a 1,600-pound cheese behemoth from western Massachusetts, and Jackson's admirers wanted to pay him the same honour. Meacham's cheese was produced by dairy farmers in Oswego County, New York, and weighed 1,400 pounds. It was four feet in diameter and two feet thick.

The cheese was decorated with a "national belt" featuring a bust of President Jackson, surrounded by a chain of 24 links, representing the 24 states of the United States at the time. Meacham's cheese was part of a larger project that included five more big cheeses for other political luminaries, including Vice President Martin Van Buren, New York Governor William L. Marcy, and Daniel Webster.

The cheese was transported to the White House in a cart pulled by 24 horses, although some sources state there were 48 horses. It was received by President Jackson, who kept it on display in the Entrance Hall of the White House for a year. Finally, in February 1837, at his last big reception before leaving office, Jackson invited the public to come and eat the cheese. The cheese was devoured in two hours, but the smell lingered in the White House for months.

It weighed 1,400 pounds

In 1835, President Andrew Jackson received a 1,400-pound block of cheese as a gift from dairy farmers in New York. The cheese was four feet in diameter, two feet thick, and took 150 cows four days to produce. It was created by Colonel Thomas S. Meacham, who owned one of the largest dairies in the country at the time. Meacham had previously made a name for himself by crafting other large wheels of cheese, including a 700-pounder donated to the City of Rochester.

The cheese was a gift to President Jackson, inspired by a similar gift presented to President Thomas Jefferson in 1801. Jackson's supporters believed that every honour bestowed upon Jefferson should also be bestowed upon Jackson, so they crafted a mammoth cheese for "Old Hickory". After touring the Mid-Atlantic, the cheese arrived at the White House, pulled by 24 horses, where it was put on display in the Entrance Hall.

For two years, the cheese sat ageing in the White House. Finally, on February 22, 1837, at his last big reception before leaving office, Jackson held a cheese tasting. The public was invited to come and eat their fill. Washington, D.C. descended on the White House, with people entering through the windows when they couldn't get in through the front door. The cheese was gone in two hours, but the smell lingered for months.

It was four feet in diameter and two feet thick

In 1835, President Andrew Jackson received a 1,400-pound block of cheese as a gift from dairy farmers in New York. It was four feet in diameter and two feet thick. The cheese was a marketing stunt dreamed up by Colonel Thomas S. Meacham, who owned one of the largest dairies in the United States. Meacham wanted to bring attention to the flourishing economy of upstate New York, which had benefited from the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825.

The cheese was decorated with a "national belt" featuring a bust of President Jackson, surrounded by a chain of 24 links, representing the 24 states of the union. It was transported to Washington, D.C. in a brightly painted wagon pulled by 48 horses. The journey included extended stops in cities along the way, where the cheese was exhibited for crowds.

Upon its arrival at the White House on New Year's Day, 1836, President Jackson wrote a thank-you note to Meacham, expressing his appreciation for the gift as a symbol of the prosperity of American agriculture and industry. The cheese was displayed in the Entrance Hall of the White House for over a year, aging and developing its flavour.

Finally, on February 22, 1837, President Jackson announced that the cheese was ready for consumption and invited the public to come and help themselves. The event was held on George Washington's birthday, and people from all walks of life rushed to the White House to get a taste. Within two hours, the entire cheese was devoured, and the White House was left with a lingering smell of cheddar for months.

The cheese, which had been untouched for over a year, was a symbol of American democracy and populism. It brought together people from all social classes, including politicians, diplomats, and ordinary citizens, in a chaotic and messy celebration of dairy.

It was displayed in the White House for a year

In 1835, President Andrew Jackson received a 1,400-pound block of cheese as a gift from Thomas Meacham, a dairy farmer in New York. The cheese was the result of four days of milk from 150 cows and was decorated with a bust of the President surrounded by a chain of 24 links, representing the 24 states of the union at the time.

Jackson put the cheese on display in the Entrance Hall of the White House, where it remained for a year. During this time, the cheese was ageing and was not ready for consumption. Finally, on 22 February 1837, at his last big party as President, Jackson invited the public to come and eat the cheese. In a letter, he wrote:

> "I intend to have eaten on the 22nd instant, my large cheese, presented by my friends of the state of N. York - can you… be here & partake of the feast… & any of your friends who may wish to accompany you - it will be my last & only possible day."

The cheese was devoured in just two hours. The party produced one of the greatest descriptions of cheese eating, from Benjamin Perley Poore:

> "For hours did a crowd of men, women and boys hack at the cheese, many taking large hunks of it away with them. When they commenced, the cheese weighed one thousand four hundred pounds, and only a small piece was saved for the President's use. The air was redolent with cheese, the carpet was slippery with cheese, and nothing else was talked about at Washington that day."

The cheese was so popular that some people entered the White House through the windows, as they could not get in through the front door. The stench and mess left by the cheese-eating party were so bad that it took months for the White House to recover.

The public was invited to eat it in 1837

In 1835, President Andrew Jackson received a 1,400-pound block of cheese as a gift from Thomas Meacham, a dairy farmer in New York. Meacham's intention was to promote the dairy industry in the region and bring attention to the flourishing economy of upstate New York, which was aided by the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825. Jackson placed the enormous cheese in the Entrance Hall of the White House, where it remained for two years. During this time, the cheese aged, and likely also accumulated maggots, as was noted in a similar incident involving President Thomas Jefferson.

Finally, in February 1837, at his last party as President, Jackson invited the public to come and eat the cheese. The event took place on George Washington's birthday, and people from all walks of life attended, including government officials, foreign representatives, and ordinary citizens. The cheese was gone within two hours, but the smell and stains lingered in the White House for a long time afterward. The party was described by Benjamin Perley Poore in his 1886 book, "Perley's Reminiscences of Sixty Years in the National Metropolis":

> "For hours did a crowd of men, women and boys hack at the cheese, many taking large hunks of it away with them. When they commenced, the cheese weighed one thousand four hundred pounds, and only a small piece was saved for the President's use. The air was redolent with cheese, the carpet was slippery with cheese, and nothing else was talked about at Washington that day. Even the scandal about the wife of the President's Secretary of War was forgotten in the tumultuous jubilation of that great occasion."

The event became known as "Big Block of Cheese Day" and was later referenced in the TV show "The West Wing." It has also inspired similar events, such as the Obama administration's social media outreach day, where they referenced the cheese in a YouTube video.

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