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In the autumn of 1844, a young, well-dressed man is in the thick of political excitement and a little more.

He was just 15. He had aligned himself with the Whig Party, the champion economic modernization. And at least in this part of the country where he was, the north, that party opposed the expansion of slavery.

He was too young to vote, but alongside his fellow young Whigs, he eagerly participated in the building of an ash pole.

A tall wooden structure meant to stand as a symbol of their unwavering support for Henry Clay's

presidential bids. Andrew Jackson had his hickory poles, so the wigs would raise ash poles.

A very public, a very showy act. There would have been songs, dances, and music on this day

when Arthur and his friends did this.

But there's two sides in politics, especially in New York State at this time, with the

events taking place.

It was a political battleground between Democrats and Whigs, so this poll-raising group drew

attention, and soon a group of adolescents with differing political views arrived, sneering

at their handiwork. What began as a verbal dispute quickly escalates into a full-fledged

brawl. The man found himself in the midst of a fray, fists swinging, his voice lost

in the shouts and the scuffles of the young men.

Dust kicked around them as they wrestled in the dirt.

And one of these brothers was the future 21st president of the United States, Chester, Alan Arthur.

But it's doubtful that anybody would have suspected this at the time, especially because even as an adult, such a role for him was surprising to people.

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