Interestingly, the next president to skip the inauguration of his successor was John Adams’ son, President John Quincy Adams in 1829. He had been defeated by Andrew Jackson by a large margin. The campaign of 1828 was probably the most bitter in our history. President Adams was accused of everything from procuring prostitutes for the Czar of Russia while he was minister there to misusing government funds to buy gaming tables and gambling devices. The later charges stemmed from Adams’ purchases of a billiard table and a chess set, for which he reimbursed the government. Accusations against Jackson stemmed from his marriage to his wife Rachel before her divorce became final, due to confusion created by her spiteful husband who had notified her the divorce was final when it wasn’t. Rachel Jackson died shortly after the election but before the inauguration, and Andrew Jackson was still in mourning for his beloved wife when he arrived in Washington. He blamed Adams’ followers for the death of his wife, who died of a heart attack after a campaign of extremely personal charges against her character made by Jackson’s political opponents hoping to goad him into rash actions in defense of his wife.
During the days before the inauguration of Andrew Jackson, wagons were constantly shuttling between the White House and the mansion on Meridian Hill that Adams had rented after he and his wife decided to remain in Washington. During his lame-duck period (between the election and the inauguration of his successor), President Adams and his wife remained in the White House, trying not to notice the continuous celebrations being held to honor Jackson’s victory, and Adams’ defeat. After moving to his rented house on March 3rd, the day before the inauguration, they remained in their mansion. He did not attend or participate in any of the inaugural festivities.
In the next article, we will conclude with Andrew Johnson and his bitter feud with Ulysses S. Grant, the result of which was Johnson's refusal to even ride with Grant to the inauguration.
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