Van Buren and the physically declining Andrew Jackson ride to his inauguration in a wooden coach constructed from planks of the fabled USS Constitution warship—symbolism not lost on those aware that this year is the fiftieth anniversary of the US Constitution. As the carriage parades through the streets of Washington, soldiers on horseback provide escort, followed by a marching band playing patriotic tunes. Twenty thousand people line the streets on this March morning, warmed by a “balmy vernal sun,” in the words of one eyewitness.
