Which president took the first presidential oath of office in Washington, D.C.?

Thomas Jefferson took the first presidential oath of office in Washington, D.C.

Jefferson’s first inauguration occurred on March 4, 1801, at the United States Capitol. It was the first presidential inauguration held in the new national capital, which had replaced Philadelphia as the seat of government.

Chief Justice John Marshall administered the oath. Jefferson became the third president after defeating incumbent John Adams in the election of 1800. The election ended in an Electoral College tie between Jefferson and Aaron Burr, so the House of Representatives selected Jefferson after 36 ballots; Burr became vice president.

George Washington had taken the first presidential oath in New York City in 1789 and the second in Philadelphia in 1793. John Adams was inaugurated in Philadelphia in 1797. Jefferson’s ceremony therefore marks the move of the inauguration tradition to Washington, where it has remained, apart from later changes in location within the city.