Democracy Dies in Darkness

The mysterious illness that plagued a presidential inauguration

America became obsessed: Was a fatal sickness called the “Buchanan Grip” an assassination attempt? Or just the result of a disease-ridden hotel?

January 17, 2025 at 6:00 a.m. ESTToday at 6:00 a.m. EST

11 min

The inauguration of James Buchanan at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 1857. (John Wood/Library of Congress)

By Petula Dvorak

The inaugural parade of 1857, on a March day that was surprisingly warm, celebrated President-elect James Buchanan with something new to Washington parades: floats.

There was the “Goddess of Liberty Car” drawn by six horses, complete with a woman dressed as a goddess, and a 50-foot flagpole.

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Then a massive replica of the frigate USS Constitution, built at the Washington Navy Yard, rolled down Pennsylvania Avenue with sailors dangling from the ship’s faux rigging.

By Petula Dvorak

Petula is a columnist for The Post's local team who writes about homeless shelters, gun control, high heels, high school choirs, the politics of parenting, jails, abortion clinics, mayors, modern families, strip clubs and gas prices, among other things. Before coming to The Post, she covered social issues, crime and courts.@petulad

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