The second inauguration of Thomas Jefferson as president of the United States took place on Monday, March 4, 1805 in the Senate Chamber of the United States Capitol. The

inauguration In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inaugu ...

marked the commencement of the second four-year term of Thomas Jefferson as president and the first four-year term of George Clinton as vice president. Giving the

oath of office An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before assuming the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations. Such ...

was Chief Justice

John Marshall John Marshall (September 24, 1755July 6, 1835) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the fourth Chief Justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. He remains the longest-serving chief justice and fourth-longes ...

Background

Unlike the contentious

election of 1800 An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operate ...

, in which Jefferson narrowly defeated strong opposition from

Federalists The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

and a bipartisan conspiracy to replace him with his own running mate and campaign manager,

Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805. Burr's legacy is defined by his famous personal conflict with Alexand ...

, with the House of Representatives determining the winner, the 1804 election was far less dramatic. The Federalists, severely weakened, struggled to muster serious opposition and to select a candidate. They settled on

Charles Cotesworth Pinckney Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (February 25, 1746 – August 16, 1825) was an American Founding Father, statesman of South Carolina, Revolutionary War veteran, and delegate to the Constitutional Convention where he signed the United States Constit ...

of South Carolina. Due to several years of tension and mutual dislike between Jefferson and Burr, Burr was dropped from the Democratic-Republican ticket and replaced with George Clinton. Jefferson won the election in a landslide.

Inauguration

Jefferson rode to the Capitol on horseback on March 4, 1805, but much of Congress had already left after the body had adjourned following Burr's farewell address before the Senate a couple of days earlier. Thus the inaugural ceremony was modest and appeared anticlimactic. The president spoke softly and quietly, as he was known for, and provided copies of his inaugural address. Jefferson wore a black suit and silk stockings for the inauguration. In the speech, he addressed the recent acquisition of Louisiana, the Federalists' diminishing influence, and the need for freedom of the press, though he also criticized recent press attacks against him.

References

External links

More documents
from the '' Library of Congress''
Text of Jefferson's Second Inaugural Address
1805 in Washington, D.C. 1805 in American politics Presidency of Thomas Jefferson United States presidential inaugurations March 1805 events {{US-hist-stub

Background

Inauguration

See also

References

External links