inauguration of James K. Polk

The inauguration of James K. Polk as the 11th president of the United States took place on Tuesday, March 4, 1845, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Polk began his journey to the nation’s capital in late January from his home state of Tennessee. Along the way he stopped at The Hermitage for what was to be the final visit with former President Jackson before he died later that year. No account exists of what was discussed at the meeting, however Polk was widely seen as Jackson’s political heir and was nicknamed “Young Hickory”. His administration would go on to add the most territory for the United States as Polk aggressively pursued the Manifest Destiny policies of the Jacksonian era.

This was the 15th inauguration and marked the commencement of the only four-year term of both James K. Polk as president and George M. Dallas as vice president. Polk was sworn in by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney. This was the first inaugural ceremony to be reported by telegraph and to be shown in a newspaper illustration; it appeared in The Illustrated London News.