President Abraham Lincoln, 1861

Vice President		Hannibal Hamlin
Inauguration Date		Monday, March 4, 1861
Location		East Portico, U.S. Capitol
Oath Administered By:		Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice
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
Length of Inaugural Address:		3,628 words
Attire (what the president wore):		Cut-away coat and silk top hat
Weather:		Rain until mid morning and then sunny and mild in the afternoon.
Precedents, "firsts" or other interesting information:		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. For more images of Abraham Lincoln's Inauguration, visit the Senate Curator's Inaugural exhibit.

Abraham Lincoln, by Freeman Thorp (U.S. Senate Collection)