Beards as Social Signals in the 1700s

Abraham Lincoln was the first U.S. president to sport a beard. For the next 50 years, whiskers were commonplace in the White House. But then, they went out of style.

Now, Vice President JD Vance is the first executive branch leader in more than a century with a furry face.

And others are following suit. From the Senate to the campaign trail, more and more men in politics are letting their facial hair grow free. But what does that tell us about masculinity, power, and how we see each other?

Why did our politicians remain bare faced for so long? And what does the reemergence of whiskers in the White House represent?

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