Swearing-In Ceremony for President Abraham Lincoln
Nineteenth Inaugural Ceremonies, March 4, 1861
Inaugural Address
‘ Fellow-Citizens of the United States: In compliance with a custom as old as the Government itself, I appear before you to address you briefly and to take in your presence the oath prescribed by the Constitution of the United States to be taken by the President “before he enters on the execution of this office.’
Read the address
(Words: 3628)
Presidential Oath of Office
Administered to Abraham Lincoln by the Honorable Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Nineteenth Inaugural Ceremonies
- Bible Used: Bible purchased by William Thomas Carroll, Clerk of the Supreme Court, opened at random. It is almost identical to James Buchanan's 1857 Bible.
- Attire: Cut-away coat and silk top hat
Vice Presidential Oath of Office
Administered to Hannibal Hamlin.
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Location
East Portico,
U.S. Capitol
Washington, DC -
Facts, Firsts & Precedents
Lincoln's procession to the Capitol was surrounded by heavily armed calvary and infantry, providing an unprecedented amount of protection for the President-elect as the nation stood on the brink of war.
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Weather
Rain until mid morning and then sunny and mild in the afternoon.