Pistols, canes, bowie knives, and fireplace tongs: a brief history of congressional violence
Upset with Massachusetts Sen. Charles Sumner's abolitionist rhetoric, South Carolina Rep. Preston Brooks approached him on the Senate floor and beat him unconscious with his cane in 1856. Brooks later told the House he "meant no disrespect" by the assault, and mused about his choice of weaponry in a floor speech: "[I] speculated somewhat as to whether I should employ a horsewhip or a cowhide; but knowing that the senator was my superior in strength, it occurred to me that he might wrest it from my hand." Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Incoming Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) sounds like he's spoiling for a fight. He's fired a gun at an Iraqi detainee, told his supporters to "grab your muskets, fix your bayonets," and come this close to hiring as his chief of staff a woman who wants to string up undocumented workers. It's tempting to view West's record as a sign that we're entering a chaotic new era of congressional belligerence. Or maybe not. If anything, West's incendiary style is a throwback to the days of yore, when the world's greatest deliberative body witnessed its share of violence perpetrated by its members upon one another. Here's a collection of some of the most memorably deplorable incidents.
