The strange story of why Kentucky officials must swear they never fought in a duel


This is a ring that belonged to Judge John Rowan and is said to contain the hair from Dr. James Chambers who was killed by Rowan in a duel in February of 1801. The piece is a brass ring with a band crafted from several thin sheets of brass. The face of the ring is oval in shape and has an oval of 29 seed pearls (one is missing) surrounding a circular opening at the center. The opening has brown and gray hair woven into an intricate design under a circle of beveled glass.
Oct. 20, 2021

Kentucky is the only state in the country where the swearing-in ceremony of people taking their oath of office routinely elicits giggles from those present.

The cause of those giggles is the Kentucky Constitution, which for nearly two centuries has required officials to swear that they’ve never fought a duel with deadly weapons or been involved in one in any way.

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