The winter of 1828-1829 was unusually cold. By early March 1829 the weather had thawed, and the change in weather was accompanied by a change in government. The "people's candidate" had finally been elected. The day of Andrew Jackson's inauguration, 4 March 1829, was unseasonably warm. A large crowd of between ten thousand and twenty thousand flocked to the capital. Some had traveled five hundred miles to see Jackson inaugurated. His address that day was purposefully vague, but plagued by a persistent cough, his voice was so low that few heard a word he said. When he finished he looked at the crowd, and a great roar of applause greeted him anyway. Jackson mounted a horse and slowly led a procession to the White House. Much of the crowd followed him, hoping for a glimpse of their hero. When they arrived at the presidential mansion they...