Inauguration of Zachary Taylor
 | |
| Date | March 5, 1849 |
|---|---|
| Location |
Washington, D.C. United States Capitol |
| Participants | Zachary Taylor |
The inauguration of Zachary Taylor as the 12th President of the United States took place on Monday, March 5, 1849 due to March 4 being on a Sunday, the Christian sabbath. The inauguration marked the commencement of the only four-year term of Zachary Taylor as President and Millard Fillmore as Vice President. The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney. The day of the inauguration started off being cloudy with snow flurries, turning to heavy snow during the Inaugural balls (three of which were held).[1]
The "presidency" of David Rice Atchison
As neither Taylor nor Fillmore had taken the oath of office on March 4, some historians and Constitutional scholars have argued that neither of them had any legal authority as President in the interim until they did. They go on to argue that, as both President James K. Polk and Vice President George Dallas ceased to hold their offices at noon on March 4, the executive branch was officially empty, and President pro tempore of the United States Senate David Rice Atchison (who at the time was third in line to the presidency) was Acting President until the inauguration on March 5. At the time, friends jestingly pestered Atchenson for ambassadorships and cabinet positions, and he gleefully refused. Whether or not Atchison was actually Acting President or not has been a subject of debate ever since.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ "President Zachary Tyler, 1849". Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
- ↑ Christopher Klein (February 18, 2013). "The 24-Hour President". The History Channel. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
External links
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