President Ulysses Simpson Grant, 1873

Vice President		Henry Wilson
Inauguration Date		Tuesday, March 4, 1873
Location		East Portico, U.S. Capitol
Oath Administered By:		Salmon P. Chase, Chief Justice
Bible Used:		Bible provided by D. W. Middleton, Clerk of the Supreme Court, opened to Isaiah 11:1-3.
Length of Inaugural Address:		1,337 words
Attire (what the president wore):		Unknown
Weather:		The morning low temperature of 4°F was a record for the month of March. The day remains the coldest March day on record. During the day, bitterly cold winds gusted up to 40 mph. By noon, the temperature had risen to 16°F. Wind chill temperatures were -15° to -30°F.
Precedents, "firsts" or other interesting information:		Grant's 1873 Inauguration was the coldest March 4 on record. Cadets and midshipmen who marched in the Inaugural parade collapsed after they had been standing on the mall for more than an hour and a half without overcoats. The Inaugural ball was held in a temporary structure with no heat or insulation. Guests kept on their overcoats and hats, the food froze, and the party ended early. To see more images from Grant's 1873 Inauguration, visit the Senate Curator's Inaugural exhibit.

Ulysses S. Grant taking the oath of office, March 4, 1873 (Library of Congress)