November 11

The nation’s citizenry all too often views national elections as real train wrecks. To be fair, most elections aren’t train wrecks at all. When you have a free moment, I suggest that you toddle on over to your local library and put those dusty books to some use. Once there you can reacquaint yourself with former President and, by an extremely convoluted trail, Republican, John Quincy Adams. On the 11th in 1833, Adams was traveling back to Washington, D. C. by train. Adams was the first president involved in a real train wreck when the Camden & Amboy train he was traveling on broke an axle and derailed near Hightstown, New Jersey. Adams was not injured and managed to resume his trip the following day.

Adams was the second president to abandon the fashion of wearing knee breeches and wear long pants. James Madison was the first.