Inauguration of Andrew Johnson

This article is about his inauguration as President. For his inauguration as Vice-President, see Andrew Johnson's drunk vice-presidential inaugural address.
Presidential inauguration of
Andrew Johnson
Swearing-in ceremony in the Kirkwood House (published in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, January 6, 1866, almost eight months after the fact)
DateApril 15, 1865; 159 years ago (1865-04-15)
LocationKirkwood House,
Washington, D.C.
ParticipantsAndrew Johnson
17th president of the United States
— Assuming office
Salmon P. Chase
Chief Justice of the United States
— Administering oath
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This article is part of
a series about
Andrew Johnson
Personal
15th Governor of Tennessee
16th Vice President of the United States
17th President of the United States
Vice presidential and Presidential campaigns
Post-presidency
Family
Andrew Johnson's signature
Seal of the President of the United States

The inauguration of Andrew Johnson as the 17th president of the United States was held on April 15, 1865, on the third floor[1] of Kirkwood House in Washington, D.C., following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. The inauguration marked the commencement of Andrew Johnson's only term (a partial term of 3 years, 323 days) as president. Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase administered the presidential oath of office.

This was the third non-scheduled, extraordinary inauguration to take place, and the first extraordinary inauguration in which a Chief Justice administered the oath to the new president.[2] News reports had it that the oath was administered at 11 a.m. that day.[3][4]

After the ceremony, President Johnson gave an impromptu inaugural address, which began with him begging the cabinet to remain with him and then attacking the Confederate States of America with such venom, that one witness remarked "It would have been better had he been struck dumb."[5][page needed]

As President Lincoln lay dying, Vice President Johnson visited the room where he lay. When Mrs. Lincoln saw him, she reportedly screamed and demanded he be removed, so he went back to his room at Kirkwood House.[citation needed]

Rumours spread that Johnson had gotten severely inebriated, and when aides to the now-dead Lincoln came to fetch the new president they were unable to wake him for several minutes. According to this rumours, when he was finally awake he had puffy eyes and his hair was caked with mud from the street, and a barber and doctor were summoned to clean him up for the 10 a.m. ceremony, which most accounts agree went smoothly.[6] However, there are other accounts, believed more reliable by some, that refute this claim.[7]

  1. ^ Stewart, William M.; Brown, George Rothwell (1908). Reminiscences of Senator William M. Stewart, of Nevada; ed. by George Rothwell Brown. New York: Neale Pub. Co. p. 194.
  2. ^ "The Swearing In of Chester A. Arthur, April 15, 1865". United States Senate. Archived from the original on January 20, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  3. ^ "Washington, April 15". The Leavenworth Times. 1865-04-16. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Kunhardt, Dorothy Meserve; Kunhardt, Philip B. (1965). Twenty days : a narrative in text and pictures of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the twenty days and night that followed--the Nation in mourning, the long trip home to Springfield. Internet Archive. New York : Castle Books.
  6. ^ Kunhardt & Kunhardt 1965, p. 103.
  7. ^ Schroeder-Lein, Glenna; Zuczek, Richard (2001). Andrew Johnson: A Biographical Companion (illustrated ed.). ABC-CLIO, 2001. pp. 36 (Blair), 88, 271 (Speed), 306–307 (as VP). ISBN 9781576070307.