Valentine Tapley's quirky vow is a peculiar footnote in American history, highlighting the intense political passions of his era. Tapley, a staunch Democrat from Missouri, so strongly believed that Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860 would be detrimental to the country that he promised to never shave again if Lincoln were elected. True to his word, following Lincoln's victory, Tapley stopped shaving altogether.
As decades passed, Tapley’s beard became a symbol of his enduring commitment to his cause and personal belief system. By the time of his death in 1910, his beard had grown to a remarkable length of twelve feet. This extraordinary feat not only set him apart in his local community but also earned him a bit of fame. Despite his political motivations, Tapley's beard became a subject of curiosity and admiration.
This personal protest and its resultant physical manifestation in the form of his long beard underscored the ways individuals use personal expression in response to political change. Tapley's beard became a living artifact of the contentious political climate of the Civil War and Reconstruction periods in America. His story is a bizarre yet compelling reminder of the lengths to which some will go to express their political affiliations and personal convictions.
