| On Easter Monday way back in 1810, Dolley Madison hosted America’s first Egg Roll out on the hilly lawn of the Capitol. The children competed to see whose hard-boiled egg would travel the farthest downhill without breaking. This “egg-stravaganza” grew in popularity over the years. In 1876, the crowd consisted of 10,000 children who ripped up the pristine lawn. Repulsed by the stench of rotten eggs, Congress was also furious about the destruction. After all, America’s huge 100-year-birthday bash was going to take place on that lawn in July, just a few months away. Springing into action, Congress passed the Turf Protection Act, forbidding the use of the Capitol lawn as a playground. Within two weeks of the debacle, President Ulysses Grant promptly signed it into law. When else has Congress acted so swiftly?When the young egg-rollers returned the following year, the police turned them away. However, President Rutherford B. Hayes welcomed the disappointed children to the South Lawn of the White House at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. The annual event has continued at that location, now known as the White House Easter Egg Roll, hosted by the President and First Lady. |
