John Adams was inaugurated as second president on March 4, 1797. Washington had preceded him to the hall and sat on the dais with Jefferson the Vice-President-elect, as Adams spoke. When the new President finished and left, Washington motioned to Jefferson to go next. The two Virginians had known each other since 1769, when Washington had been thirty-seven years old and Jefferson only twenty-six. From long habit and lingering respect, Jefferson now held back. But Washington gestured again, in a manner not to be ignored. The younger man was now Vice-President and must go first.
Places to Visit
| Place | City Sort descending | |
|---|---|---|
| Daughters of the American Revolution Museum | Washington | Houses several hundred thousand books, historical documents, manuscripts, and genealogical material. |
| Lafayette Square | Washington | Dedicated to Lafayette in 1824; at each corner is a statue of one foreign general who served in the war. |
| National Archives | Washington | Contains the original of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and more. |
| National Portrait Gallery | Washington | Contains historical portraits, including works by John Trumbull, Gilbert Stuart, John Singleton Copley, Mather Brown, and others. |
| National Museum of American History | Washington | Houses a large collection of artifacts from the Revolution. |
| Library of Congress | Washington | Established in 1800, the collection includes a recreation of Jefferson’s library of 6,487 books, which he donated in 1815. Guided and self-guided tours available. |
Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington (1996)