Thomas Jefferson's First Presidential Inaugural Address

Inaugural Address Podcast

The first inauguration of President Thomas Jefferson took place on March 4, 1801. He was the first president to take the oath of office in the new capital city of Washington, DC. He was sworn in by Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall. Though President Jefferson had just won a much contested political battle he called for national unity and pointed out the importance of differing opinions in a republican government.