3. Buying votes with alcohol became a widely accepted practice before the American Revolution.
In 1755 a young (23) Virginia planter and well-known surveyor named George Washington stood for his first elective office. Virginia counties sent two men to the legislature, which remained in session until the governor dissolved it, meaning the terms were of varying length according to the governor’s whim. There were three candidates for the two seats from Frederick County, and Washington finished third. He polled 40 votes out of the total 581 cast. As would any aspiring politician, he immediately consulted aides to analyze the reasons for his defeat.
When he ran a second time, in 1758, Washington was one of four candidates vying for the two seats. His “campaign” was run by his friend, militia colonel James Wood. Wood arranged and Washington paid for roughly 160 gallons of alcohol in several forms to be available for voters to consume at the polls, a step Washington had omitted in his previous attempt to win office. In the election, Washington led all candidates with just over 39% of the total votes. He won re-election in 1761 using the same campaign measures. His only other elections were for President of the United States, when he was elected unanimously twice by the Electoral College.