Historedia
AmericasEvent

Ulysses S. Grant sworn in for a second term

When
1873
Where
East Portico of the United States Capitol; Inaugural Ball; Ball Building
Episodes
3

Ulysses S. Grant was sworn in for his second term as President on March 4, 1873, at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This event marked the commencement of his final four-year term and Henry Wilson's vice presidency. Despite extreme cold, festivities included a parade, fireworks, and an inaugural ball where racial integration was observed.

Episodes

  1. March 4, 1873 · East Portico of the United States CapitolSecond Inauguration Ceremony

    Grant was sworn in for his second term at the Capitol, marking the start of his final term and Wilson's vice presidency.

  2. March 4, 1873 · Inaugural BallCold Weather Inaugural Ball

    Despite extreme cold, an inaugural ball was held, featuring social integration and a brief presidential appearance.

  3. March 5, 1873 · Ball BuildingMasquerade Ball Follow-up

    A masquerade ball was held the following day, though the president did not attend.

Background and detail

Background. The second inauguration of Ulysses S. Grant occurred on Tuesday, March 4, 1873, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This ceremony marked the commencement of Grant's second and final four-year term as president, alongside the only term of Henry Wilson as vice president.

Weather Conditions. The day was exceptionally cold, recording temperatures of sixteen degrees with an estimated windchill of -15. It remains the coldest March inauguration in history and the second-coldest overall, trailing only Ronald Reagan's second inaugural in 1985.

Inaugural Festivities. The day's festivities included the inauguration ceremony, a parade review, a fireworks display, and an inaugural ball. The president and cabinet arrived late, staying briefly before moving to a private heated room for supper, ending the event by midnight.

Social Integration. In 1873, Washington, D.C. enacted a law guaranteeing equal treatment at businesses for black and white customers. The White House set an example, with black congressmen attending the inaugural ball and black guests dancing together with white guests.

People involved

Sources

  1. Second inauguration of Ulysses S. Grant Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-19

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.