Andrew Johnson's visibly intoxicated vice-presidential inaugural address in 1865 damaged his credibility and foreshadowed his troubled presidency after Lincoln's assassination.
Key Facts
- Date of incident
- March 4, 1865
- Days before Lincoln's assassination
- 42 days
- Alcohol consumed that morning
- Three glasses of whiskey or one glass of French brandy
- Cover-up source
- Congressional Globe used a fabricated dignified rendition
- Notable witness account
- Frederick Douglass described it in his third autobiography
- Indirect consequence
- Senate removed two senators from committees for chronic drinking
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Andrew Johnson reportedly had been drinking heavily for at least a week before the inauguration and consumed additional alcohol the morning of March 4, 1865, ostensibly due to illness. He arrived at the ceremony already intoxicated, setting the stage for a publicly embarrassing performance before a national audience that included President Lincoln and prominent figures such as Frederick Douglass.
Johnson delivered a rambling, incoherent, and self-aggrandizing vice-presidential inaugural address that witnesses described as hostile, repetitive, and sloppy. He was visibly drunk, kissed the Bible during the oath, and could not administer the Senate oaths. Lincoln, present for the latter portion of the speech, instructed the inaugural marshal not to allow Johnson to speak outdoors. The Congressional Globe later substituted a fabricated dignified version of the address.
The incident was partially suppressed by sympathetic press but covered by New York, Cincinnati, and London papers. Johnson's public reputation suffered lasting damage, eroding his political capital before he unexpectedly assumed the presidency 42 days later following Lincoln's assassination. References to his alleged alcoholism persisted throughout Reconstruction-era political commentary and his subsequent impeachment proceedings.