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Once again, things got heated between Senate members over slavery. So much so that then-Vice President Millard Fillmore had to tell members to calm down, saying, "A slight attack, or even insinuation, of a personal character, often provokes a more severe retort, which brings out a more disorderly reply, each Senator feeling a justification in the previous aggression."
And things did eventually move towards aggression between Mississippi Senator Henry Foote and Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton (pictured). After trading insults, Benton attacked Foote, who then pulled a pistol on his attacker. Luckily, the men were then separated.
Representative Jonathan Cilley accused the editor of a newspaper, John Webb, of taking a bribe. Furious, Webb challenged Cilley to a duel. However, instead of delivering the challenge letter himself, he sent his friend Representative William Graves (pictured) to do so for him.
Cilley (pictured) refused to accept the letter given to him by Graves. So what did Graves do? Challenge him for a duel, of course! Cilley was eventually shot and killed.
A major fight broke out Grow and South Carolina Democrat Laurence Keitt (pictured) started insulting each other. It's believed that at least 30 men were involved!
In 1837, Representative Major Joseph J. Anthony made a comment about a bill on wolf scalping being discussed, and Speaker of the House Colonel John Wilson took offense. A few insults were then traded between the two men.
The introduction of Kansas as a state was very troublesome. In addition to the canning of Charles Sumner, Congress was the stage for an ever bigger fight. One of the instigators was Pennsylvania Republican Galusha A. Grow (pictured).
In 1798, Representatives Roger Griswold (a Federalist) and Matthew Lyon (a Republican) had opposing views over the country's diplomatic position on France. Though the history of heated arguments between the two went way back, with Lyon once spitting tobacco juice in Griswold's eye after being accused of cowardice.
Insults went back and fourth between the two, until Terry challenged Broderick to a duel. Terry eventually shot and killed Broderick.
David Broderick and David Terry might have both been Democrats, but they stood on opposite sides of the spectrum when it came to slavery in the 1850s. Terry was pro-slavery, while Broderick defended that California should be "Free Soil."
In 1860, Congressman Roger Pryor (pictured) and abolitionist Owen Lovejoy engaged in an argument over slavery in Congress. John Potter jumped in Lovejoy's defense.
In 1886, the state of Indiana voted for their next lieutenant governor. Though instead of Democrat Isaac P. Gray winning the election (as expected), Republican Robert S. Robertson did. The Indiana General Assembly did everything they could to stop this, including taking the matter to court.
The House of Representatives then voted on whether to expel Lyon for the incident. It goes without saying that things got out of hand. Griswold beat up Lyon with a stick, and Lyon fought back with a pair of fire tongs!
John McLaurin (pictured) was mentored by Benjamin Tillman. They would both end up serving in the Senate. In 1902, however, things turned sour when Tillman launched accusations of treachery and political favors at McLaurin's empty chair (he was away in a meeting).
After numerous accusations, Pryor challenged Potter (pictured) to a duel. Potter agreed, under his terms, which included the use of bowie knives. Pryor eventually backed down. The event earned John Potter the nickname John "Bowie Knife" Potter.
They eventually lost, and the following day the elected Robertson walked into the Senate chamber to take his seat. But then a doorkeeper grabbed Robertson by the throat and threw him down the steps. This only worked in Robertson's favor and gave momentum to 17th Amendment to the Constitution, which allows voters to cast direct votes for US senators.
Andrew Jackson (pictured) ran for president against John Quincey Adams in 1828. He had done so four years before, but apparently was cheated out of the win.
Adams, meanwhile, played dirty by spreading insulting rumors about Jackson's wife, Rachel, who died in the meantime. But despite the vicious campaign, Jackson was elected.
McLaurin returned to his seat and accused Tillman of "a willful, malicious and deliberate lie." Following this, a fistfight broke out between the two. Both were censured.
Wilson then pulled a knife and stabbed Anthony to death. Wilson was "guilty of excusable homicide," because he killed Anthony to defend his honor. He ended up being reelected to the Arkansas House of Representatives after the trial.
Sources: (Grunge)
Butler was not present at the time, but his friend, Preston Brooks, was. Three days later, Brooks attacked Sumner with a cane in the Senate. It was an event that became known as "The Caning of Senator Charles Sumner."
The personal conflict between Alexander Hamilton (pictured) and Aaron Burr started during the US presidential election of 1800, and extended over a number of years.
Hamilton is said to have influenced Burr's loss in the 1804 New York governor's election. If that wasn't enough, Hamilton said a number of uncomplimentary things about Burr at a dinner party.
Though Hamilton was oblivious to the fact that his comments would end up being published in the New York newspaper The Albany Register.
At the time, the way to settle the dispute and for Burr's honor to be restored was to challenge Hamilton to a duel. Their feud famously culminated in a pistol duel on July 11, 1804. Hamilton was shot and eventually died from the wounds.
Sumner accused Butler of keeping "a mistress ... who, though ugly to others, is always lovely to him; though polluted in the sight of the world, is chaste in his sight — I mean the harlot, Slavery."
After Jackson's inauguration, his supporters stormed the White House. Adams had to run for his life, to avoid being caught by the mob. "Ladies fainted, men were seen with bloody noses, and such a scene of confusion took place as is impossible to describe," wrote Washington socialite Margaret Smith, who witnessed the event.
Slavery was a hot topic back in the mid 19th century. A debate on whether Kansas should be a slavery state or enter the Union turned violent in the Senate in 1856. Abolitionist Senator Charles Sumner (pictured) kickstarted the situation by insulting one of his opponents, Andrew Butler, friend of Preston Brooks.
Political feuds are nothing new. In fact, one can argue that feuds are a quintessential part of politics. But sometimes tempers do get a bit too heated, insults go too far, and violence is the only language left to speak. This has happened several times throughout American history, with some incidents actually culminating in death.
Click through the following gallery and get to know the American political feuds that got out of hand.
American political feuds that got out of hand
These rivalries in American politics turned sour
LIFESTYLE History
Political feuds are nothing new. In fact, one can argue that feuds are a quintessential part of politics. But sometimes tempers do get a bit too heated, insults go too far, and violence is the only language left to speak. This has happened several times throughout American history, with some incidents actually culminating in death.
Click through the following gallery and get to know the American political feuds that got out of hand.