The President's Parrot Who Cursed Out a Funeral

Andrew Jackson spent his final years at the Hermitage in Tennessee, and among his household companions was an African grey parrot named Poll. Parrots were popular gifts among wealthy Americans in the 1800s, and Jackson reportedly doted on his for years.

Poll wasn't just a quiet perch decoration. African greys are famous for mimicking whatever they hear most often, and Jackson was known to be a rough-spoken man, especially in his private moments away from public life.

By the time Jackson died in June 1845, Poll had apparently absorbed a colorful vocabulary from years of living around the former president. Nobody thought to prepare for what that might mean at a solemn public event.

According to an eyewitness account from a minister who attended the funeral, the parrot was brought into the service, likely as a sentimental gesture tied to Jackson's household. It did not stay quiet for long.

Poll began swearing loudly during the ceremony, letting loose language the bird had clearly picked up from its owner over the years. Mourners gathered to honor the seventh president suddenly found themselves stifling laughter instead of tears.

The disruption grew bad enough that attendants had to physically remove the bird from the premises so the service could continue. The minister who recorded the story later called it one of the most bizarre moments he witnessed in his career.

It's a strange footnote to a presidency remembered for duels, populism, and controversy: even in death, Jackson's household still managed to cause a scene, courtesy of a bird that learned exactly the wrong words.