11. The Founding Fathers of the United States of America, in contrast to common perceptions of supposed puritanism, lived much of their lives in a state of quasi-drunkenness.
Popular among American schoolbooks are lurid examples of acts of courage performed by the Founding Fathers. From Paul Revere’s “Midnight Ride” to Washington crossing the Delaware, these stories found a bedrock of belief in a brave and selfless group of people who risked everything for their country. Notwithstanding an undeniable degree of valor, it must also be recognized that this fearlessness was unquestionably aided by the frankly absurd amounts of alcohol consumed by the inhabitants of colonial America. To place the level of alcohol consumption into context, the average American today consumes a little over two gallons per year; during the late-colonial period, this figure was closer to seven gallons of alcohol.
By lunchtime, it was not atypical for colonial residents to already be onto their third beer of the day, with additions of strong ciders, wine, in particular Madeira among the well-to-do, and rum included as the day progressed. Several factors played into the heavy consumption of alcohol during this time in the Americas, including not only the scarcity of clean water but also a cultural aversion to water. Colonial Americans believed that drinking water, in addition to reflecting a low social status, was actually less healthy for a person than alcohol, which was concurrently regarded as a curative for a wide host of ailments.