U.S. colonists drank TWICE the amount of modern Americans as research shows founding fathers guzzled six gallons of pure alcohol every year (inspired by the Brits)
- Research is part of a Phd thesis by Kristen D. Burton, of Texas University
- In 1700s, there were more taverns per capita than any other business in US
- Heavy drinking was in part inspired by British tradition of 'toasting health'
Establishing a nation can be thirsty work, so no one would begrudge America's Founding Fathers raising a glass or two once the job was done.
But at a time when the tavern was as important a part of daily life as church, quite how many glasses they would have considered an appropriate celebration has until now remained unclear.
New research has revealed that America's early colonialists drank an average of six gallons of pure alcohol every year - almost three times more than their modern American ancestors.
Indeed, the Founding Fathers were such heavy drinkers that, in the 18th century, there were more taverns per capita than any other business in the country.
High times: John Greenwood's Sea Captains Carousing in Surinam of circa 1758 depicts a drunken scene featuring various prominent Rhode Island merchants, including Declaration of Independence signatory Stephen Hopkins, Governor Joseph Wanton, Admiral Esek Hopkins, and Governor Nicholas Cooke
And, in news that may come as little surprise to many, drinking as a social pastime was inspired by none other than the British.
The revelation is a far cry from modern American drinking culture, which is today one of the most restrained in the developed world.
According to Kristen D. Burton, of the University of Texas at Arlington, English settlers who had crossed the Atlantic laden with hopes, dreams and barrel-loads of booze inspired Americans to imbibe more beer and spirits with a habit for starting each new round with a hearty toast.
"The Drunkard's Progress (anonymous, 1846): By the early nineteenth century, the culture of heavy drinking in North America had given rise to a home-grown temperance movement
Phd student Ms Burton says that 'drinking healths' was a uniquely English custom and 'a way for English drinkers to combine a display of respect with the consumption of alcohol'.
AMERICA THE SOBER: HOW THE US NOW DRINKS LESS THAN EVER
The U.S. has one of the lowest rates of drinking in the developed world.
Research shows that average Americans drink just 9.4 litres of alcohol a year - the same as 470 pints of mild beer or 31 glasses of wine.
The figure is much lower than Europe where the average British drinker sinks 1100 pints of beer each year and Russians have 1350 pints of beer and 90 bottles of vodka.
But the region also has one of the highest rates of alcohol related deaths coming second only behind Europe. In America 31 per cent of all deaths of 15 to 29-year-olds were alcohol related.
'[It was] certainly a win-win situation for those who favored the practice', she adds.
However, as the custom quickly spread through the taverns of North America, it was not met with universal approval.
Burton tells the story of Boston judge Samuel Sewall who 'encountered frustrating resistance' when he tried to turn out a rambunctious crowd of drinkers from a pub in 1714.
'They refused to go away,' he later wrote. '[They] said [they] were there to drink the Queen’s health, and they had many other healths to drink.'
Far from heeding his protestations, the crowd soon began to make fun of Sewall, repeatedly drinking to his health in mocking jest.
'[They] call’d for more drink; drank to me; I took notice of the affront… I threatened to send some of them to prison; that did not move them,' he added with frustration.
Both his feelings and sensibilities hurt, the crestfallen judge soon soon realised his protest was useless, admitted defeat and left the pub.
Burton adds: 'Not always understood, and at times criticized, "drinking healths" continued to remain a favorite way of passing the time in the American colonies.
'With such an appetite for intoxicating liquors, the colonists lacked no excuse for imbibing their favorite beverages, but this old English custom certainly made the act more entertaining for assembled groups like the one described by Sewall.'
America the sober: The revelation is a far cry from modern American drinking culture, which is today one of the most sober in the developed world
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