The Story of Poll the Parrot

At Andrew Jackson’s 1845 funeral, the mourners expected solemn prayer, not a feathered profanity storm. But Jackson’s beloved parrot, Poll, had other ideas. According to eyewitness accounts, Poll began loudly swearing — and not the polite kind — forcing the clergy to have the bird removed mid-service. In this episode of The American Presidency: Unfiltered, host Brad Pitzl takes you inside this bizarre yet revealing moment in presidential history, unpacking how a cursing parrot became a symbol of Jackson’s rough-and-tumble frontier persona. From Tennessee duels to White House brawls, Jackson was never one for delicate manners, and Poll’s outburst gave his critics one last chance to paint him as uncouth, uncivilized, and unfit for the refined company they believed the presidency demanded.

The Story of Poll the Parrot isn’t just a tale about a foul-mouthed funeral guest — it’s a snapshot of the deep class divide that defined Jackson’s era. For his supporters, Poll’s salty vocabulary fit right in with the plainspoken, unapologetic leader who championed the “common man” against Washington elites. For his opponents, it was proof the backwoods had invaded the highest office in the land. With humor, historical detail, and a few well-placed bleeps, Pitzl explores how one parrot’s squawking cemented Jackson’s reputation, stirred the political pot, and left behind one of the strangest legacies in presidential history.