This afternoon, January 30, 2021, while watching President Joe Biden take the oath of office as the 46th President, I was moved by the peaceful transition of power that reaffirms our democracy and that which binds us together as one nation. And how, these past couple of months, we came so close to witnessing its end by an autocrat who refused to honor the peoples choice in a free election and whose mob of cultish, Trump converts viciously attacked the nation’s capital.
Today at noon, we experienced the symbolic event that occurs every four years since 1789; the inauguration of a United States President and Vice President. It is a reaffirmation of our democracy that has survived war, famine, economic hardships, and most recently, autocratic insurrection. And each time, our Founding Fathers had the foresight to provide the ultimate weapon for those with the moral courage to put country before self; the Constitution of the United States, our most precious democracy.
The first five presidents of our nation were our Founding Fathers. They were learned men who, back in 1776, risked treason and the forfeiture of their lands and life, to proclaim independence from the most powerful nation on earth. Two took up the sword in war. The others grasped the pen, setting up provisional and national governments to feed and arm the ranks of patriots; those who braved cold and starvation to stand bravely before the solid legions of British and German regulars. General George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Lieutenant Colonel James Monroe; these five Founders fought for their country, carved out a new government, saw it ratified, then came forward to lead an infant nation into uncharted waters. You may know the origins of some of our more popular traditions concerning the inauguration. I decided to list a few – a reminder of the symbolic rite of passage to keep our democracy alive and vibrant for many generations to come.
Only the oath of office is in the Constitution. Everything else is up for grabs and governed by tradition.
The only required procedure outlined in the Constitution pertaining to the inaugural event is the presidential oath of office. It is given in Article II, Section One, Clause 8 and reads: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” As to ‘so help me God,’ that some early writers state was spoken by Washington, was actually added much later by future presidents. What participants and witnesses do after the oath is spoken, addresses, poets, songs, parties and balls, dinners, fireworks, exchanging gifts, how many days to celebrate; all of it has evolved over time determined by traditions both old and newly additions, but all remains entirely up to planners.
Location of Ceremony: From 1829 through 1977 most swearing-in ceremonies had taken place on a platform over the steps at the Capitol’s east portico. Ronald Reagan, in 1981 began the west front of the U.S. Capitol facing the National Mall. George Washington took his oath in 1789 at Federal Hall, New York City and then delivered his speech inside the Senate chambers. His second 1793 inauguration was in the Chamber of Congress Hall in Philadelphia as was John Adam’s in 1797. In 1801, Thomas Jefferson became the first president inaugurated at the Capitol in Washington. James Monroe was inaugurated in the Old Brick Capitol that became the temporary home of the capitol from 1815-1819 while the new chambers was rebuilt. This because the British had destroyed much of Washington, including damage to the capitol, on August 21, 1814.
Arrival of the President-elect. Traditionally, the newly to be elected president arrives at the capitol or designated location sometime before or around noon. There was no standard as to who accompanied them. Washington did so by himself in an elaborate carriage along Broadway. Often much, pageantry heralded in the arrival of future presidents.. Thomas Jefferson; however, rode his horse alone and after tethering, walked the final distance in the company of some friends and a few congressmen.
Outgoing Presidents attend Ceremony. Out of respect for country, the office, the person to fill one’s shoes, and ultimately, self, outgoing presidents attend the swearing in of the new president. This tradition started with Washington standing alongside his former vice president’s swearing in as our second president. It was quickly broken when Adams refused to attend Jefferson’s inauguration. It appears a precedent was set if one’s ego was dented to the point of childness (as Donald Trump demonstrated so superbly), nasty politics, bad-blood, or if one truly despised their replacement after bruising politics. John Quincy Adams refused to stand and watch Andrew Jackson being sworn in – suppose it runs in the family. Van Buren skipped William Henry Harrison’s in 1841, no one knows why, but perhaps he wanted to return the favor to the Whigs for bailing out on his friend Jackson. And after Andrew Johnson’s near impeachment in 1868, he thought it best to stay home – suppose Trump could nod to Johnson as to why he needed to take one more ride in the comforts of Air Force One. Lastly, though having suffered a stroke, Woodrow Wilson rode to the ceremony with Harding but could not remain for the service. As to incoming and outgoing presidents riding together to the ceremonies, I think it was Andrew Jackson and Van Buren who began this tradition in 1837, sharing a phaeton whose wood frame came from the USS Constitution.
Who must administer the oath of office? Basically, anyone. For Washington, the state chancellor gave the oath. In extreme cases of sudden death in which the vice president assumed the presidency, any judge usually did nicely. Vice President Calvin Coolidge’s father gave the oath when Calvin heard that President Warren Harding died. Federal Judge Sarah T. Hughes administrated Johnson’s oath after Kennedy’s assassination. John Adams established the tradition that the oath would be given by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Inauguration Address. The tradition of an address to unify the country and often outlining the new president’s agenda for his term in office was established right at the beginning with George Washington. His first address was of average size. His second was the shortest by far, only one hundred and thirty-five words. Where the address is given emerged over time, with tradition placing it shortly after the oath before the same body of witnesses. After Washington gave his first oath on the balcony, he and congress, along with influential government bodies, retired to the senate chambers for his address. The length is up to new president. Benjamin Harrison being the longest with over 8,000 words, over an hour in cold blustery winds. Not to be confused with Henry Harrison who died thirty-two days after his inauguration of pneumonia, which led some to speculate he caught a cold after Daniel Webster’s elaborate and lengthy inauguration plans. As to who heard these first addresses: At first, only Congress were savvy to the new presidents words. Not until Madison, in 1809, did newspapers print the address for the general public.
Inauguration dates on March 4th or January 20th. Tradition once more comes into play, but also practicality. Three reasons for the original March 4th date that held strong until Franklin Roosevelt’s inauguration of 1933 moved it to January 20th where it has remained ever since. Spring is far better than mid-winter for any outside service (as became tradition because of the large crowds who witnessed). Eighteenth and Nineteenth travel and communication were slow requiring added time after the election for elector votes to be counted and transition teams to be ready. As to specifically the March 4th date. The very first Congress of Confederation met on March 4th, 1785 in New York City. After the Constitution was drafted and signed in 1787 and later ratified, the date to usher in a new president followed Congress’ timetable and from 1793 and ever four years since, the date remained March 4 (with a couple of exceptions where it was moved to the 5th when the 4th fell on a Sunday). Note: The very first inauguration occurred on April 30, 1789 when Washington arrived at the United States Capital, New York City. By Washington’s second inauguration, the March 4th date to coincide with Congress’ first session was set.
Use of bible. There is no requirement that any book, or in particular a book of sacred text, be used to administer the oath, and none is mentioned in the Constitution. By tradition, incoming presidents raise their right hand and place the left on a bible while taking the oath of office. Washington is romanticized as swearing to defend the Constitution along with a Christian God’s approval, symbolized with his hand on a bible. The Ancient York Masons are documented as supplying Washington a bible, but there is no other conclusive evidence this occurred. As to Washington (or even Lincoln much later) kissing the bible – six-year-old Washington Irving is the lone witness to this occurring, recording it almost sixty years later. John Adams through John Tyler, who found himself vice president for only one month when his boss, Harrison, succumbed to pneumonia, may or may not have used bibles. Most early presidents, like John Quincy Adams, used a law book to rest their left hand. We know that Teddy Roosevelt did not use a bible. By the 20th century, the bible became the common prompt during the oath of office.
‘So Help Me God.’ The Constitution does not designate its use. The First Congress under the new Constitution, in 1789, required judges use the phrase, but not presidents. Again, six-year-old Washington Irving is the source that confirms Washington referral to God’s blessing at the end of his oath. Comte de Moustier, French council, the only adult present to record Washington’s oath, does not mention Washington uttering ‘so help me God’ during his oath. Often, the oath was given as a question by the administrator in which the president responded with a simple ‘I do.’ Lincoln was reported to have tagged on ‘so help me God.’ Chester Arthur, in 1881, repeated the response with the words, “so help me God” as a personal prayer, not a part of the constitutional oath. Franklin Roosevelt added it as a nice touch to his oath and has since become common practice by presidents ever since. Obama responded with the phrase after Chief Justice Roberts prompted him. It may be safe to say many presidents had used it, but we don’t know for sure which ones.
Inauguration Prayers. Not until 1937 with Franklin Roosevelt, were one or more prayers incorporated into the inauguration swearing in ceremony. Prior to that, prayers were absent. So too, four years earlier, 1933, Roosevelt reinstated a practice that had not occurred since Washington, he attended a morning prayer service. In 1789, George Washington, along with Congress, took part in a prayer service at St. Paul’s Chapel in New York City after his swearing in.
Poems, Parades and Fireworks. Though many presidents appreciated poetry, Washington’s favorite was young African American slave Phillis Wheatley, only four modern presidents, known for their appreciation of literature, have included poets during their inauguration: Kennedy, Clinton, Obama, and now Biden. As to parades, we can thank Thomas Jefferson. Though he rode to the capitol by himself, after the service, on his way to the President’s House, he was accompanied by a spontaneous gathering of ‘mechanics’, workers and tradesmen, from the nearby Navy Yard along with musicians. This quickly caught on as all presidents since have had some sort of celebratory parade that accompanied them after the service. Not until 1917, did Woodrow Wilson’s second inauguration include women in the parade (no doubt due to Woman’s suffrage). And Lincoln was the first to include African Americans and Native Americans in his parade. As to fireworks, Washington set the scene as the night of his inauguration, April 30, 1789, New Yorkers were treated to a fireworks display. This was not uncommon during ceremonies. Handel wrote his ‘Fireworks Music’ for the King of England some forty years earlier. Thereafter, fireworks have been a feature in inauguration celebrations.
Inauguration Ball. We can thank Dolley Madison, fourth president James Madison’s wife for this elaborate display of Washington grandeur. Prior to that, for decades, New York City had been the center of society and pompous display of ‘well balasted gents’ and elaborately adorned ladies showcasing France’s most recent designs, all dancing to Baroque’s greatest hits. Dolley brought the pageantry of a grand ball to Washington during Madison’s 1809 inauguration. Though George Washington danced a mean minuet, Dolley established not only the celebratory ball as a mainstay of all future inaugurations, she established the role of a president’s wife, becoming the first ‘First Lady’. Exceptions: Franklin Pierce cancelled the inaugural ball in 1853 because of the death of his son.
None in 1913 either. President Woodrow Wilson found pageantry ball and dancing in general inappropriate for the solemn occasion. Also, he thought it cost too much. Harding felt the same way, cancelling his in 1921. Washington would undoubtedly call both gentlemen naysayers, though our first president could curse with the best of them so I am sure he would have had a few other descriptions up his sleeve. In the 1950’s it was decided one ball was not enough. Eisenhower had two and by the time we get to Kenney, five were scheduled.
Presidential Attire. When Washington took the oath of office, men had by then begun to abandon the justaucorps (a man’s knee-length coat with flaring and stiffened skirts) and tricorne hats for what was termed the directoire’ style: a dress coat with breeches or pantaloons and top hats. By the 1820’s the frock coat was introduced along with full-length trousers. The frock coat was characterized by a knee-length skirt cut all around the base just above the knees. It remained popular for a hundred years until the 1920. From the 1920’s, the frock coat was increasingly replaced as day formal wear by the cut-away morning coat. On the head, the traditional top hat replaced the tricorne. Beaver skin was used at first followed by black silk. Abraham Lincoln was known for his stove-top hats, though he never called it that during his life. The top hat remained the formal, ceremonial wear of all almost all incoming presidents right up until John F. Kennedy in 1961.
George Washington, First President of the United States (1789 – 1797)
On a clear and cool day, April 30, 1789, George Washington, the fifty-seven-year-old general and hero of the American Revolution, prepared to begin a journey that has been replicated time and again, every four years. New York City, the new nation’s capital, was crowded with townspeople and visitors. At half past noon, Washington rode alone in the state coach from his quarters in Franklin Square to Federal Hall (former City Hall) on the corner of Wall and Nassau Streets. Troops of the city, members of Congress appointed to escort the President, and heads of executive departments of the government under the Confederation, preceded the President’s coach. They were followed ministers of foreign countries and local citizenry. At Federal Hall, Vice President John Adams, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, awaited the President’s arrival in the Senate Chamber. After being received by Congress, at around 2 PM, Washington stepped from the chamber onto the second floor balcony, where he was followed by the Senators and Representatives. Before the assembled crowd of spectators, Robert Livingston, Chancellor of the State of New York, administered the oath of office prescribed by the Constitution.
The inauguration service, as Washington said of his presidency, was a “walk on untrodden ground.” Inauguration Day began with the sounds of ceremonial artillery and church bells ringing across the city. There was no parade afterwards. However, on his trip from Mount Vernon, Virginia, to attend the inauguration and first session of Congress, local militias met him along the route and escorted him north. Washington did proceed to St. Paul’s Cathedral along with Congress and ministers for a prayer service; an event that did not repeat itself until nearly a hundred and forty-five years later with Franklyn Roosevelt.
Four years later, March 4, 1793, Washington’s second inauguration was administered by Supreme Court associate justice William Cushing. Thus began the tradition of using supreme court justices to administer the oath. John Adams would use the Chief Justice of the supreme court that began that long held tradition. Washington began the tradition of an address which he delivered to Congress and not the public. His first address was 1,431 words long; very different from his second inauguration which was 135 words long. One other tradition that continued for many years afterwards; Presidential medals were available. They became inexpensive souvenirs for viewers and later tourists to remember the occasion.
John Adams, Second President of the United States (1797 – 1801)
On March 4, 1797, Saturday, John Adams became the first president to receive the oath of office from a Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court — Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth. By 1797, the nation’s capital had been moved to Philadelphia and Independence Hall, where the earlier First and Second Continental Congress convened as well as the 1787 Constitution Convention in which the Constitution was drafted. Adams was sworn in at the House Chamber of Congress Hall at around noon, helping to establish this tradition of time when the transition of power would be handed off. Oliver Ellsworth, Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court administered the oath.
Afterwards, keeping with a tradition Washington established, he read an address to Congress; it was 2,308 words long. Former president George Washington was in attendance which so too began a long tradition only interrupted four times by decision, once by illness, and three times by death. Interesting point, but not unexpected: Adams may not have wanted his previous boss to be present. Washington’s awe and presence was still strong in the nations psyche. Throughout the service, all eyes were on the former president who overshadowed the new leader of the country.
Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States (1801 – 1809)
Thomas Jefferson was the first to be sworn in as president in the newly constructed Washington, D.C., on March 4, 1801 (Wednesday). That morning, a company of field artillery fired a battery to welcome the day’s ceremonies. It was a mile day, in the mid-fifties. Jefferson lodged at Conrad and McMunn’s boarding house on the south side of the capitol building. At around 10 AM, Jefferson made his way towards the Capitol. He was met by the Alexandria company of riflemen who met him at the intersection of New Jersey Avenue and C Street. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall administrated the oath in the Senate Chamber of the U. S. capitol. This was the first of Marshall’s long line of swearing in presidents – eight inaugurations, from 1801 to 1833, ending with Andrew Jackson’s second term. Of note, John Adams did not attend the inauguration. Distraught over the election and perhaps from his son Charles untimely death of alcoholism, Adams left the president’s residency at 4 AM and boarded a stagecoach for Baltimore. Perhaps he too, like our most recent president, wanted one last ride on “Groundforce One” before his term in office was over.
Jefferson’s first inauguration was a rather somber affair; he did however begin the tradition of the marine band performing at his service. His second inauguration on March 4, 1805 was a different matter, at least after the swearing in ceremony. It too occurred at the Senate Chamber in the capitol at noon with chief Justice Marshall administrating the oath. Different from former and future inaugurations, much of congress had adjourned early and had already gone home when Jefferson showed up at the allotted time to take his oath of office. After the service, Jefferson rode on horseback from the capitol to the president’s house amid music and a spontaneous gathering of mechanics from the nearby Navy Yard – a procession that grew into today’s inaugural parade. His inaugural address given to Congress was the first to be printed, appearing in the National Intelligencer. His first address was 1,730 words and his second address, on March 4 (Monday) was 2,166 word.
James Madison, Fourth President of the United States (1809 – 1817)
James Madison’s inauguration was something entirely different and we can thank Dolley Madison, his wife. James and Dolley were the guests of honor at the first official inaugural ball, held at Long’s Hotel in Washington, D.C. in which tickets were sold at $4 each. Dolley was no stranger to Congress and the presidency. She married James in 1794 when he was a member of the House, in Philadelphia when it was still the nation’s capital. Stunning, she already had caught the eye of most of Philadelphia’s bachelors. After James’ good friend Thomas Jefferson was president, Dolley became a regular at the President’s residence. She managed most of the social affairs for the bachelor president, adding a feminine touch and elegance to the office. Skilled in presidential protocol, she was a natural when James became president. At the ball, she wore a velvet dress and drew large crowds of admirers. James however, more a sober intellectual, found the whole affair rather unpleasant. Dolley went on to establish the role of the President’s wife as far as handling social affairs and charitable foundations to become the nation’s ‘First Lady’.
On his first inauguration, Madison rode to the capitol with the Washington and Georgetown cavalry escorting him. He entered the House of Representatives, where the ceremony took place, with Jefferson’s cabinet members. His good friend President Jefferson, having been Jefferson’s Secretary of State, attended the inauguration and sat beside Madison at the front of the hall. Like Jefferson, Madison was sworn in by Chief Justice Marshall. The occasion must have been momentous for Madison as he had envisioned and penned the first Constitution over twenty years previously, in 1787; a government of three branches, legislature, judiciary, and executive, in which he was now in charge. After the oath, he continued the tradition of an address given to members of Congress and dignitaries at the House, 1,117 words. Afterwards, the first organized parade took place. Of note, George Clinton, his vice president, died three years and forty-seven days into Madison’s presidency. The vice presidency remained vacant as there was no contingency in the Constitution that designated a replacement. Not until 1967 and the twenty-fifth amendment was this sorted out.
Madison’s second inauguration on March 4, 1813 (Thursday) was marred by war. Madison had declared war on England on June 18, 1812 resulting in the War of 1812. ‘Madison’s War’ became an unpopular war that was the result of years of the U.S. being caught in the middle of the Nepolianic Wars. Both England and France preyed on U. S. shipping to gain the upper hand of American trade. Since the Jeffersonians, who favored France, had been in power since 1801, England eventually became an enemy. Madison arrived at the capitol with an escort of marines and cavalry and once more, Chief Justice Marshall administrated the oath. Marshall, a Federalist, was no fan of Madison’s and reports indicated that he did not hide his disgust in swearing in James. During his inauguration address, which was 1,211 words, James summarized American grievances against the British and attempted to rally the nation around the war effort. After the ceremony, Dolley once more hosted the much heralded inauguration ball along with her three popular and attractive sisters.
The next year disaster struck Washington DC. The British invaded and a small army fought off an American defense in which Madison rode out to be part of. He was the only standing president to physically participate in war. On August 24, 1814, the British triumphantly rode into Washington DC and torched both the Capitol and White House. Legend has it that Dolley stayed to the very end gathering important federal papers including Stuart’s portrait of George Washington; escaping just before the British entered the city. However Paul Jennings, one of Madison’s slaves living in the White House downplays Dolley’s role in saving White House valuables. Also, James luck in vice presidents didn’t play out very well as Elbridge Jerry died after one year and 264 days, once more leaving the office vacant for the rest of Madison’s term.
James Monroe, Fifth and last of the Founders to be elected President (1817 – 1825)
James Monroe was Madison’s Secretary of State. A fellow Virginian along with both Jefferson and Madison, he had been a law student and prodigy of Thomas Jefferson. Madison had been the Secretary of State under Jefferson therefore Madison, like Jefferson had done for him, groomed Monroe to proceed him as president. On March 4, 1817, (Tuesday) Monroe was sworn in as the fifth president of the united State in front of the Old Brick Capitol, where the Supreme Court now stands. The capitol was still under repair after the British gutted in on August 24, 1814. Monroe arrived in front of a huge crowd of about 8,000 viewers, the largest number of people to have yet gathered in the new capital. The swearing-in ceremony would be the first held outside since Washington’s balcony oath at Federal Hall, twenty-eight years earlier. Because Congress could not agree on protocols for an indoor occasion at the makeshift Brick Capitol, it was decided to build a platform in front upon which the oath.
This inauguration ushered in another first – the new president would read his inauguration address before the general public. Prior to this, the address was given only in the presence of Congress, ministers, and government appointees. Monroe’s address had a generally positive tone, expressing happiness and confidence with America’s present and future prospects. It was written to appeal to everyone and avoids confrontation. As expected, a combination of Monroe’s soft-spoken voice and the volume of people straining to hear; most of his address fell to the wind.
There were a couple of unusual circumstances surrounding Monroe’s second inauguration. March 4th, 1821 fell on a Sunday. After discussing it with members of the Supreme Court, it was decided the ceremony would occur the next day. Therefore technically, for twenty-four hours there was no U. S. president until James Monroe took the oath of office on March 5, 1821 (Monday). Also, by then inaugurations became a big event with the general public invited to attend the outdoors service. Monroe’s first inauguration had re-established the tradition Washington started of staging the swearing in ceremony outside for the general public. Some attribute to the ceremony being moved back indoors because of a massive snowstorm. The capitol had been refurbished and the service took place in the House Chambers. Three thousand crammed in to witness the swearing-in; suppose this was pre-Fire Marshall regulations. Monroe arrived just before noon in a plain carriage with his cabinet. Another first, his vice president, Daniel Tompkins, remained in New York and was sworn in there.
Once more, Chief Justice John Marshall administrated the oath. With England having destroyed Washington DC, the Federalists lost all hope of convincing the American public to cozy up to the Brits. By the election of 1820, the Federalist party basically ceased to exit returning Monroe in a landslide. One wonders if Marshall was in a better mood swearing in Monroe than he had Madison, since his preferred party had vanished into thin air. After the service, the inauguration ball was at the Brown Hotel.