1 INAUGURAL HISTORY Here is some inaugural trivia, followed by a short description of each inauguration since George Washington. Ceremony o First outdoor ceremony: George Washington, 1789, balcony, Federal Hall, New York City. George Washington is the only U.S. President to have been inaugurated in two different cities, New York City in April 1789, and his second took place in Philadelphia in March o First president to take oath on January 20th: Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1937, his second inaugural. o Presidents who used two Bibles at their inauguration: Harry Truman, 1949, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953, George Bush, o Someone forgot the Bible for FDR's first inauguration in A policeman offered his. o 36 of the 53 U.S. Inaugurations were held on the East Portico of the Capitol. In 1981, Ronald Reagan was the first to hold an inauguration on the West Front. Platform o First platform constructed for an inauguration: Martin Van Buren, 1837 [note: James Monroe, 1817, was inaugurated in a temporary portico outside Congress Hall because the Capitol had been burned down by the British in the War of 1812]. o First canopied platform: Abraham Lincoln, Broadcasting o First ceremony to be reported by telegraph: James Polk, o First ceremony to be photographed: James Buchanan, o First motion picture of ceremony: William McKinley, o First electronically-amplified speech: Warren Harding, o First radio broadcast: Calvin Coolidge, o First recorded on talking newsreel: Herbert Hoover, o First television coverage: Harry Truman, [Only 172,000 households had television sets.] o First live Internet broadcast: Bill Clinton, Oath o Champion oath-givers: Chief Justice John Marshall administered the oath nine times; the runner-up is Chief Justice Roger B. Taney [pronounced TAWNY], who gave seven oaths, followed by Chief Justice Melville W. Fuller, who gave six.
2 o Only former President to administer the oath of office: Chief Justice William Howard Taft swore in Calvin Coolidge in 1925, and Herbert Hoover, o First Chief Justice to administer the oath: Oliver Ellsworth, 1797, for John Adams. First Ladies o First First lady to be called a "First Lady": Lucy Webb Hayes, [Also the first college educated] o First First Lady to attend an inauguration: Dolley Madison, o First First Lady to ride with her husband to the ceremony: Helen Taft, o First First Lady to participate in the swearing-in ceremony: Lady Bird Johnson, 1965, held the family Bible. o First First Lady to go to an inaugural ball alone: Eleanor Roosevelt, o Wives not present: Martha Washington (George), Abigail Adams (John), Louisa Adams (John Quincy), Anna Harrison (William Henry), and Jane Pierce (Franklin). Balls o First inaugural ball: George Washington, 1789, held in May. o First inaugural ball in Washington, DC: James Madison, o First public building to house an inaugural ball: Treasury Building, 1869, Ulysses S. Grant. o First ball to be held at the Pension Building: Grover Cleveland, Addresses o Longest address: William Henry Harrison, 1841, 8,445 words. The new President insisted on delivering his lengthy address without an overcoat or hat. He consequently caught pneumonia and died a month later. (First Lady Abigail Fillmore caught pneumonia and died after attending Franklin Pierce's inauguration in the bitter cold.) o Shortest address: George Washington, 1793, 135 words. o Only president to interrupt his inaugural address: William Henry Harrison, 1841, stopped to take the oath of office in the midst of delivering his address. o Only President to use "affirm" rather than "swear" in the oath: Franklin Pierce, o Variation in oath: Chief Justice William Howard Taft replaced the phrase "preserve, protect and defend" with "preserve, maintain and protect" at Herbert Hoover's 1929 inauguration. Weather o Coldest inauguration: Ronald Reagan, 1985, 7 degrees and 10 to 20 degrees below with wind chill. o Some other inclement inaugurations: James Monroe, 1821; William Henry Harrison, 1841; James K. Polk, 1845; Abraham Lincoln, 1865; Ulysses Grant, 1873; James Garfield, 1881; Benjamin Harrison, 1889; Grover Cleveland, 1893, William Howard Taft, 1909, Franklin D.
3 Roosevelt, 1937, and John Kennedy, Attire o George Washington wore a brown broadcloth suit for his first inauguration, but for his second oath of office, he wore a full suit of black velet complete with diamond buckles sparkling at the knee. o First completely American-made inaugural wardrobe: James Madison, o Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953, broke tradition by wearing a homburg instead of a high silk hat. o Jimmy Carter took the oath of office in a $175 business suit purchased the week before in Americus, Georgia. Miscellaneous o Oldest president at inauguration: Ronald Reagan, 69 in 1981; second oldest is William Henry Harrison, 68. o Youngest president at inauguration: Theodore Roosevelt was 42 when he was sworn in on September 13, 1901 after the death of William McKinley. At 43, John F. Kennedy was the youngest President to be formally inaugurated on January 20, Bill Clinton became the third youngest President in history, at age 46 when he was sworn in January 20, o In 1841, William Henry Harrison had an inauguration that literally killed him. Harrison caught pneumonia after braving the elements with no coat or hat and delivering an especially long (8,445 words) inaugural address, and died exactly one month later. o First president inaugurated in Washington, DC: Thomas Jefferson, o First time Washington, DC city officials participated in an inauguration: Andrew Jackson, o First President to ride to his ceremony in a car: Warren Harding, o First to ride in a bullet-proof car: Lyndon Johnson, o The carriage built to transport Martin Van Buren to his inauguration on March 4, 1837, was constructed of timber from the dismantled U.S.S. Constitution. o First president to escort a president-elect to the ceremony: James Monroe escorted John Quincy Adams, 1825, rode in separate carriages. Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren, 1837, rode in the same carriage. o All but four presidents attended the swearing in of their successor: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Johnson, and Richard Nixon. o First mother to witness her son's inauguration: Eliza Ballou Garfield, o Only President to be elected and inaugurated four times: Franklin D. Roosevelt, o The second inauguration of James Monroe featured the first appearance of the Marine Corps Band in an official ceremony.
4 THE FIRST INAUGURATION 1st President: George Washington, Federalist Date: April 30, 1789 Location: Balcony, Federal Hall, New York Oath: Robert Livingston, NY Chancellor Weather: Cool, clear, pleasant The first inauguration took place 57 days later than the specified March 4 date, due to the failure of Congress to convene a quorum to receive the electoral college results. The offices of President and Vice President were not confirmed until April 6. Washington was informed of what he already knew by messenger on April 14, departing Mount Vernon on April 16 for New York. A week's worth of receptions and processions in his honor diverted Washington via Alexandria, Georgetown, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Trenton, finally ending in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where he took a 47-foot barge to New York. As Washington arrived in New York on April 23, Congressmen were involved in a grave debate over the form of address to be used for the country's leader. Vice President John Adams favored "His Highness, the President of the United States and Protector of their Liberties," while other options included "His Serene Highness," "His Excellency," and "Mr. Washington." The joint Congressional committee appointed to oversee protocol for the inauguration finally settled on "The President of the United States." New York citizens had collected $32,000 to help architect Pierre L'Enfant renovate City Hall into Federal Hall, complete with a dramatic open balcony and triangular pediment with an American Eagle adorned with the US shield holding thirteen arrows in one talon and an olive branch in the other. April 30, inauguration day, was marked by perfect weather and hordes of people crowding the streets and rooftops. A half-hour ringing of church bells began at nine. At noon, the President was met at his mansion at Number 1 Cherry Street by two companies of grenadiers, members of Congress and other dignitaries. The procession left for Federal Hall with Washington in the state coach drawn by four horses. While pomp and circumstance set the tone of the first inauguration, several unresolved details made it a rather awkward ceremony. Chancellor Robert Livingston discovered with dismay that there was no Bible to be found. One was quickly borrowed from the Masonic Lodge in the City Assembly Rooms in time for Washington to arrive with Vice President John Adams (who, interestingly, had taken his oath on April 22, holding a more formal ceremony in June), New York Governor George Clinton (a vehement anti-federalist), Chancellor Livingston, and others. Livingston read the 35-word Constitutional oath of office to Washington, who wore a dark brown suit with eagle-emblazoned buttons, a dress sword, and, according to Washington Irving, "His hair was dressed and powdered in the fashion of the day and worn in a bag and solitaire." Samuel Alyne Otis, Secretary of the Senate, held the Bible. Washington then went into the adjoining Senate Chamber, where he delivered to Congress the inaugural address he had written during his last days at Mount Vernon, which John Madison helped him edit down to 1425 words. The ensemble then proceeded to St. Paul's Church for a special service to commemorate the new nation, after which Washington returned to Federal Hall and went home for a short rest. The inaugural ball was delayed in an effort to accommodate Martha Washington, but she was still in Virginia when it took place in the first week of May at 115 Broadway, near Wall Street. The President is said to have danced with other ladies in the Knickerbocker society THE SECOND INAUGURATION
5 1st President: George Washington, Federalist Date: March 4, 1793 Location: Congress Hall, Philadelphia Oath: William Cushing, Supreme Court Associate Justice Weather: Pleasant Washington's second inauguration paled in comparison to the splendor of his first, a practice continued by other multi-term presidents. Supreme Court Justice William Cushing read the oath to Washington at exactly noon in the Senate Chamber of Congress Hall in Philadelphia, home of the Federal government during the planning of Federal City on the Potomac. The President followed with a 135 word inaugural address -- the shortest on record. Later in the evening, the President and his wife attended the Dancing Assembly's ball. Adams, also elected to a second term, spent the inauguration in Massachusetts with his ailing wife THE THIRD INAUGURATION 2nd President: John Adams, Federalist Date: March 4, 1797 Location: Congress Hall, Philadelphia Oath: Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth Weather: Fair Though this day was intended to honor Adams, the nation's first president took center stage. With the thought that they would never see President Washington again, many members of the audience in the House Chamber reportedly broke into tears. The new president chose to deliver his inaugural speech before taking the oath of office, which was administered by Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth, the first Chief Justice to perform this ceremony. Vice President Thomas Jefferson, leader of the opposing Democrat-Republican Party, had taken his oath earlier that day in the Senate Chamber, then delivered a short speech. In the evening, the merchants of Philadelphia sponsored a banquet in honor of the outgoing President, not for the newly-elected one. All in all, the third inauguration proved to be modest. Once again, Mrs. Adams missed the festivities, staying in Massachusetts to care for Adams's 88-year-old mother who died soon after THE FOURTH INAUGURATION 3rd President: Thomas Jefferson, Democrat-Republican Date: March 4, 1801 Location: The Senate Chamber of the Capitol, Washington, D.C. Oath: Chief Justice John Marshall Weather: Mild and beautiful Jefferson's inauguration served as a kick-off for the new capital as well. Because of the close race between Jefferson and fellow Democrat-Republican party member Aaron Burr, Jefferson's nomination remained undecided until two weeks before the inauguration. Escorted by a throng of citizens and Congressmen, Jefferson walked from his boarding-house bachelor residence to the Capitol Building, where only the Senate Chamber was completed. The route they took is now Pennsylvania Avenue, a grand avenue-to-be as planned by L'Enfant, but in 1801 it remained a muddy path overgrown with swamp grass. Nevertheless, Jefferson's tracks would be followed by almost every president to come after him, though few chose to walk as Jefferson did, to demonstrate his "leveling principles." After the oath administered by Chief Justice and Acting Secretary of State John Marshall, the new President delivered a lengthy speech that was heard by few of the thousand members of the audience. But copies of the inaugural address were distributed by The National Intelligencer as the crowd left the Capitol. The Marine Corps Band
6 played a new composition titled "Jefferson's March." Jefferson walked back to his lodgings for a dinner attended by civic and military leaders. Jefferson's predecessor, Adams, did not take part in the ceremony, and therefore was unable to make up for the slight he received at his own inauguration THE FIFTH INAUGURATION 3rd President: Thomas Jefferson, Democrat-Republican Date: March 4, 1805 Location: The Senate Chamber of the Capitol Oath: Chief Justice John Marshall Weather: Fair On the occasion of his second inauguration, Jefferson rode a horse along a much-changed Pennsylvania Avenue, landscaped with rows of trees on the sides leading to the Capitol. For the second time, Chief Justice Marshall officiated. And once again, Jefferson's address was inaudible. A new Vice President, George Clinton, was also sworn in. But when Jefferson left the capitol, mechanics from the Navy yard marched to military music as they escorted the President along Pennsylvania Avenue to his residence. Albeit small in scale, this constituted the first inaugural parade on Pennsylvania Avenue. Jefferson opened the still-unfinished White House to the public, which left the place in shambles THE SIXTH INAUGURATION 4th President: James Madison, Democrat-Republican Date: March 4, 1809 Location: House Chamber of the Capitol Oath: Chief Justice John Marshall Weather: Probably fair James Madison, the "Father of the Constitution," delivered a brief address before taking the oath of office. Chief Justice Marshall presided at his third inauguration. Madison was the first president-elect to wear an entirely American-made outfit. Dolley Madison became the first president's wife to attend the inaugural ceremony. More than 400 people attended the first inaugural ball in Washington, which was held at Long's Hotel for four dollars per ticket. While Dolley enjoyed the event, the new President remarked: "I would much rather be in bed." The dancing lasted until midnight THE SEVENTH INAUGURATION 4th President: James Madison, Democrat-Republican Date: March 4, 1813 Location: House Chamber of the Capitol Oath: Chief Justice John Marshall Weather: Probably fair Even though the country was at war with England, Madison's second inauguration closely resembled his first. After Madison's inaugural address, Chief Justice Marshall administered the oath of office for the fourth time. A festive inaugural ball was held at Davis's Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue THE EIGHTH INAUGURATION 5th President: James Monroe, Democrat-Republican Date: March 4, 1817 Location: A temporary portico, outside Congress Hall
7 Oath: Chief Justice John Marshall Weather: Warm and sunny James Monroe's inauguration was held outdoors for the first time since Washington, in part because the Capitol had been burned down by the British in August of Monroe stood on a specially-constructed inaugural platform (the first such edifice) and addressed the crowd of 5-8,000. Then, with chief Justice Marshall presiding, Monroe took the oath of office. The Marine Corps band played at the ceremonies. A gala ball was held at Davis's Hotel in the evening. Monroe broke with tradition by riding to his inauguration with his Vice President, Daniel Tompkins THE NINTH INAUGURATION 5th President: James Monroe, Democrat-Republican Date: March 5, 1821 Location: House Chamber of the Capitol Oath: Chief Justice John Marshall Weather: 28 degrees, snow While Monroe's first inauguration was historic for being held outdoors, inclement weather forced him to begin his second term in the House Chamber. Chief Justice Marshall quietly watched as President Monroe repeated the inaugural oath. Officials worried that the building's floor could not withstand the large crowds of soaked spectators. Monroe preferred not to make an address, for the Constitution did not require it, but advisers urged him to do so. Some spectators nodded off as he delivered his hour-long speech. The ceremony ended with the US Marine Band playing "Yankee Doodle Dandy." The inaugural ball was held at Brown's Indian Queen Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue. This was the first inauguration in which the designated March 4 date fell on a Sunday. Monroe and Vice President Daniel Tompkins opted to wait one day to take their oaths. As their first terms expired at noon of March 4, Senate President Pro Tem John Gaillard became the only man to be president for a day THE TENTH INAUGURATION 6th President: John Quincy Adams, National-Republican Date: March 4, 1825 Location: House Chamber of the Capitol Oath: Chief Justice John Marshall Weather: 47 degrees, rain John Quincy Adams's inauguration was considered the most impressive thus far. President Monroe established a new tradition by escorting Adams to the Capitol, although they rode in separate carriages. A Marine Corps band saluted the President as he entered the Capitol. After a rousing 40-minute address, Adams read the oath of office from a law book that he received from Chief Justice Marshall. A ball was held at Carusi's Saloon on Pennsylvania Avenue THE 11TH INAUGURATION 7th President: Andrew Jackson, Democrat Date: March 4, 1829 Location: Platform on the East Portico of Capitol Oath: Chief Justice John Marshall Weather: Warm and balmy Jackson's first inauguration day fell on Ash Wednesday. An estimated 30,000 people poured
8 into Washington to see the Hero of The Battle of New Orleans take the oath of office. Jackson, still in mourning for his wife Rachel, chose to walk to the Capitol with little fanfare in a populist fashion, accompanied only by fifteen elderly Revolutionary War veterans. Jackson was persuaded by his advisers to forgo the customary visit to his predecessor due to the hard-fought battle between the two of them, and this caused some clamor. Arriving at the ceremony, the crowd outside the Capitol was so dense that Jackson entered through the West basement door. After delivering his inaugural address to a huge crowd and receiving the oath from Chief Justice Marshall, Jackson rode down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, only slightly ahead of the rowdy mob of 20,000 well-wishers who descended on the official residence. The crowd was so wild, ruining furniture and crashing crystal, that Jackson was forced to escape through a window. In contrast to the day's events, a rather staid inaugural ball (not attended by the new President) was held at Carusi's Assembly Room THE 12th INAUGURATION 7th President: Andrew Jackson, Democrat Date: March 4, 1833 Location: House Chamber of the Capitol Oath: Chief Justice John Marshall Weather: Probably fair Plans for public festivities at Jackson's second inauguration were cancelled due to his poor health. Waiting for him as he arrived at the Capitol was the Mayor of the city of Washington and other city officials, the first time municipal officers participated prominently in an inaugural ceremony. After Jackson delivered his inaugural speech, Chief Justice Marshall -- for the ninth and final time -- administered the oath of office to the President and his Vice President, Martin Van Buren. At the inaugural balls held at Carusi's and at the Central Masonic Hall, the ailing President was represented by relatives THE 13th INAUGURATION 8th President: Martin Van Buren, Democrat Date: March 4, 1837 Location: Platform on the east portico of the Capitol Oath: Chief Justice Roger B. Taney [pronounced TAWNWY] Weather: Sunny and brisk Martin Van Buren's inauguration takes on special significance this year, for he was the last sitting vice president before George Bush to assume the presidency. His inauguration, however, was not otherwise exceptional. Jackson and his protege, Van Buren, broke with precedent and rode in the same carriage, made of wood from the frigate Constitution, from the White House to the Capitol. Following Van Buren's inaugural address, Chief Justice Roger Taney administered the oath of office. The former and new presidents proceeded to the mansion where they received the Diplomatic Corps, mistakenly called the "democratic corps" by the new President. An opulent inaugural ball was held that evening at Carusi's, attended by the widower President and his Cabinet THE 14th INAUGURATION 9th President: William Henry Harrison, Whig Date: March 4, 1841 Location: Platform on the east portico of the Capitol Oath: Chief Justice Roger B. Taney Weather: Overcast, chilling wind Harrison traveled to the capitol by train (an inaugural first), but made a side-trip to Virginia prior
9 to his inauguration. Mrs. Anna Symmes Harrison, who was ill at the time, stayed behind in Ohio. Riding a white charger to the Capitol, "Old Tippecanoe" (the nickname derived from the site of his victory over the Shawnee Indians in 1811) was greeted by 50,000 cheering admirers. The 68-year-old general chose to take the oath of office -- administered by Chief Justice Taney -- just before the last paragraph of his inaugural address. The new president had delivered the 9,000 word speech (the longest on record) in very cold weather, bare-headed and without a top coat. Returning to the White House on horseback, Harrison led a grander parade than had ever been held before, including the first floats, wheeled log cabins drawn by horses, symbolizing the Harrison campaign. Harrison's parade set the example for parades in years to come. Several inaugural balls and dancing assemblies were held that evening. The new president complained of a chill that night and died of pneumonia exactly one month later on April 4. (Year's later, First lady Abigail Fillmore also caught pneumonia and died after attending Franklin Pierce's inauguration in the bitter cold.) In a sense, this grand inaugural was the highlight of Harrison's presidency THE 15th INAUGURATION 11th President: James K. Polk, Democrat Date: March 4, 1845 Oath: Chief Justice Roger B. Taney Weather: Rain Despite the downpour, President John Tyler, who finished the term of William Henry Harrison, and the President-elect rode in an open carriage up Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol. The road was so slippery that marching soldiers fell into the mud. Amidst an "assemblage of umbrellas," Polk read his inaugural speech, the first to be transmitted by telegraph, and then was sworn into office by Chief Justice Taney. An inaugural ball held at Carusi's for $10 a ticket turned a $1,000 profit, which was divided between two orphanages. A second inaugural ball held at the National Theatre, for "pure Democrats," was more modestly priced. Music and dancing prevailed at the second ball despite the wishes of Mrs. Polk, a Calvinist, known as "Sahara Sarah." THE 16th INAUGURATION 12th President: Zachary Taylor, Whig Date: March 5, Oath: Chief Justice Roger B. Taney Weather: 42 degrees, cloudy, snow flurries On Sunday, March 4th, Polk's term expired. Taylor declined to be sworn in on the sabbath, and the country for a day was without a functioning President. (The term of President Pro Tem of the Senate David Atchison ended on the 3rd.) On Monday, however, Polk and General "Old Rough and Ready" Taylor rode together both to and from the Capitol. Chief Justice Taney officiated, using the Bible first used by George Washington. Three well-attended inaugural balls were held. A "Grand Inaugural Ball" attended by 4,000 was held in a temporary building on Judiciary Square. Near dawn, departing guests realized their wraps were left in heaps by longgone coat checkers. A lanky congressman from Illinois lost his hat. His name was Abraham Lincoln THE 17th INAUGURATION 14th President: Franklin Pierce, Democrat
10 Date: March 4, 1853 Oath: Chief Justice Roger B. Taney Weather: Snow all day Between the election and the inauguration, the President-elect's family was in a train wreck, in which their only surviving child was killed before his parents' eyes. Mrs. Pierce refused to participate in the festivities because of her loss. An estimated 70,000 people, double the city's normal population, were on hand for the inaugural ceremonies. With Chief Justice Taney officiating, Pierce chose to use the word "affirm," rather than "swear," in his inaugural oath, the only President to do so. Two literary giants graced the platform, England's William Makepeace Thackeray and America's Washington Irving. The new Vice President, William R. King, was in Cuba that day, where the U.S. consul gave him the oath of office. The Washington inauguration was cut short due to the tragic circumstances of the Pierce family, and after canceling the ball, the new President retired to an unprepared White House, where he slept on a mattress THE 18th INAUGURATION 15th President: James Buchanan, Democrat Date: March 4, 1857 Oath: Chief Justice Roger B. Taney Weather: 49 degrees, bright and sunny A brilliant pre-inaugural procession highlighted by floats of the frigate Constitution and the "Goddess of Liberty," (applauded by some of the 150,000 people on hand for the inauguration ceremonies) was joined by an open carriage carrying the President and President-elect to the Capitol. After Buchanan read his inaugural speech, standing on a specially constructed wooden platform, Chief Justice Taney was on hand to administer the oath of office. In the afternoon, an aeronaut made a balloon ascension. The site of the ostentatious inaugural ball was a temporary structure erected on Judiciary Square, where the guests danced until dawn THE 19th INAUGURATION 16th President: Abraham Lincoln, Republican Date: March 4, 1861 Location: East Portico of the Capitol Oath: Chief Justice Roger B. Taney Weather: Rain early, sunny and warm later With the nation on the verge of war and the Confederate flag flying across the Potomac River, extensive security measures, including police standing in the crowd and riflemen stationed on Pennsylvania Avenue rooftops, were taken to protect this northern President-elect -- who won with only 40% of the popular vote -- during the inaugural ceremony. Lincoln, who had slipped into the city via an unannounced route, warned a friend that "bullets may be flying." Nevertheless, Lincoln and President Buchanan rode up Pennsylvania Avenue in an open carriage. A temporary wooden structure was in place on the Capitol below the still-scaffolded dome. Sporting his new beard, Lincoln read a 35-minute inaugural speech standing on a platform under a wooden canopy, then took the oath of office administered for the seventh and final time by 84-year old Chief Justice Taney. There were four future Presidents among the spectators, namely, Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, Chester Arthur, and Benjamin Harrison. A parade with floats followed. Despite the air of impending crisis, an elegant ball was held in a specially-constructed hall on Judiciary Square. Lincoln entered arm-in-arm with
11 his Vice President, Hannibal Hamlin, while Mary Todd Lincoln, much to everyone's surprise, held the arm of Senator Stephen Douglas, her husband's rival THE 20th INAUGURATION 16th President: Abraham Lincoln, Republican Date: March 4, 1865 Oath: Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase Weather: 45 degrees, rain A military procession arrived at the presidential residence to accompany the President to the Capitol, but he was already there, working. Mrs. Lincoln therefore rode alone, but the crowds outside were none the wiser and cheered as though the President was inside. So deep was the mud on the streets due to extensive rain that the Army Corps of Engineers contemplated constructing pontoons from the Capitol to the White House. With the new Capitol dome towering over the East Portico, President Lincoln delivered an eloquent inaugural address (its concluding passage, "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds...", is carved on the Lincoln Memorial), which commemorated the close of the Civil War. Prior to Lincoln's speech, Chief Justice Salmon Chase administered the oath of office. Two companies of black troops and a lodge of black Odd Fellows participated in the official inaugural parade. Despite the new spirit of emancipation, blacks were denied tickets to the inaugural balls (held on March 6.) On the afternoon of the inauguration, several thousand people attended the Lincoln's reception at the White House, including former slave and freedom fighter, Frederick Douglass. As Lincoln crossed the Capitol Rotunda, on the way out to the platform, to be sworn in, a young man broke through the police ranks and almost reached the President. The man was seized, questioned, and released. It was John Wilkes Booth, who was to shoot Lincoln 41 days later THE 21st INAUGURATION 18th President: Ulysses S. Grant, Republican Date: March 4, 1869 Oath: Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase Weather: 40 degrees, rain early, sunny afternoon General Grant snubbed President Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Abraham Lincoln, by refusing to share a carriage ride to the Capitol. The oath was administered by Chief Justice Chase after Vice President Schuyler Colfax had taken his. An inaugural ball was held at the Treasury Building, the first time that a public building was used for an inaugural ball, the result of heavy lobbying of an inaugural committee formed to organize the event. The best laid plans turned to disaster, however, at the dinner after the ball, when people finally stormed the kitchen and were turned away by an angry cook brandishing dirty dishrags. Grant's children attended the parade and the ball THE 22nd INAUGURATION 18th President: Ulysses S. Grant, Republican Date: March 4, 1873 Oath: Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase Weather: 16 degrees, clear, windy, cold