Hello, and welcome back to This Week in History. Each week of this column I attempt to find a theme among events, or if there isn’t a clear congruence, I focus on standout or impactful moments. After doing so for over a year now, I feel that when taking a step back and looking at the patterns across several weeks in a row, it’s almost as if each month of the year has a theme.
January and February are months of promise, endurance and progress. For instance, last week I covered former President John Tyler’s shocking experience aboard a simple boating excursion and his desperate attempt to reach his unconscious lover. Likewise, in 2021, the former writer of the column, Gino Giansanti, covered pivotal moments such as the Salem Witch Trials and the interception of the Zimmerman Telegram. While I don’t want to cover events Giansanti already did so well, in line with such pivotal history in the column, I’ve found three momentous historical occasions that are befitting of March. This week in history, we’ll be looking at three speeches, each with its own remarkable context.
In March 1865, the United States was entering its first year in nearly five, as the “United” States. Incumbent President Abraham Lincoln entered into his second term as president, comfortable with his support base and looking to rebuild a country that he fought so hard to restore.
Now, Lincoln is a standout name in the history books, but can the same be said about Hannibal Hamlin? To many, his name certainly doesn’t share the same significance, but Hamlin was Lincoln’s vice president throughout his first term. While overshadowed by Lincoln, Vice President Hamlin has a unique history of his own, which, while out of the scope of this column, is worth looking into. Nevertheless, he would be replaced for Lincoln’s second term, by a Southern Democrat, Andrew Johnson.
Johnson may be familiar to many for his largely disjointed approach to reconstruction in the late 1860s — but that was after Lincoln’s assassination. In March 1865, Johnson was being sworn in as vice president, accompanied by the outgoing Hamlin and the returning Lincoln.
The soon-to-be vice president was quite a character. Despite being a member of the House of Representatives representing Tennessee’s 1st district for 10 years and later a governor of the state, Johnson refused to side with the state as it seceded in 1861. Johnson aligned with the Union’s cause, casting him out of the South’s favor, who now deemed him a traitor.
I am a plebian. I glory in it. I am a-going to tell you here today, yes today, in this place, the people are everything.
Andrew Johnson
By 1865, with the war largely over and Hamlin’s vice presidency being rather ineffective, Lincoln — the great compromiser that he was — saw Johnson as a link between the now shakily reunited North and South. With Johnson as his running mate, Lincoln would have more pulling power over Southern Democrats who were desperate to have some voice in the restored government.
And so, we arrive at Capitol Hill early on March 4, muddy after long spells of rain. Thousands gathered around to hear the inauguration of Lincoln — but Johnson’s speech was first.
Johnson stumbled to the podium, could barely make out the thousands of people scattered in front of him and incoherently uttered, “I am a plebian. I glory in it.” Then a pause, followed by a stumble. Johnson continued, saying, “I am a-going for to tell you here today, yes today, in this place, the people are everything.”
Hamlin, standing right alongside Johnson, desperately tugged at his replacement’s suit. The smell of whisky was no doubt reeking from Johnson’s coarse lips. After 20 minutes of further rambling, Johnson held up the Bible on which he was to swear his oath, and kissed it.
Lincoln, rightfully upset with this debacle, quickly spoke to Congress and his cabinet about Johnson’s character. To Lincoln, it was impossible to fight the common perception that Johnson had an alcohol problem, with the spectacle tanking the vice president’s reputation. However, as Lincoln was aware, the drinking was actually an attempt to help combat a cold and tiredness that had overcome Johnson in the days leading up to the speech. Lincoln told one member of his cabinet, “I have known Andy Johnson for many years; he made a bad slip the other day, but you need not be scared; Andy ain’t a drunkard.”
Once again, Lincoln’s outstanding ability to make the best of a bad situation helped preserve Johnson’s career — his impeachment was proposed soon after his inaugural address, but soon was prevented as Lincoln and Johnson appeared to be effective with each other.
I am glad to come to Westminster College this afternoon, and am complimented that you should give me a degree. The name ‘Westminster’ is somehow familiar to me. I seem to have heard it before. Indeed, it was at Westminster that I received a large part of my education in politics, dialectic, rhetoric, and one or two other things.
Winston Churchill
Now, March was a common month for U.S. Presidential inaugurations, but since Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s second term, Jan. 20 has been the most common date. This is due to term cycle changes in the 20th Amendment passed in January 1933, shifting terms from March 4 to Jan. 20. So, although a serious blunder, Johnson’s speech at least was given on the correct date, March 4.
The same cannot be said for Zachary Taylor, 12th President of the U.S. — and not to be confused with John Tyler, as I often do. In 1849, March 4 fell on a Sunday, and for Taylor, a devout Christian, setting Sunday aside for religious observance took priority over giving his speech.
It turns out, Taylor is not the first president to do so. During the inauguration of President James Monroe for his second term, the returning president pushed the date of his address to occur on Monday, March 5, 1821.
While Taylor’s speech was certainly interesting, it was nothing out of the ordinary; what I find more fascinating here is the different interruptions to the inauguration which have taken place over the many U.S. presidential elections. For instance, another interesting example actually features President Tyler. While not this week in history, Tyler’s inaugural address took place on April 6, 1841 rather than the usual date of March 4, as it was the first unscheduled inauguration as a result of the unexpected passing of President William Henry Harrison.
The final speech that occurred this week in history comes from one of the most monumental figures of the 20th century. Before we dive into this final speech, presidential ineptitude is a recurring theme as the U.S. enters election season. Presidents feel distant and out-of-touch, to put it lightly, which is a frequent point of contention in modern elections.
So, with that context in mind, doesn’t it feel weird to imagine a president speaking before a lecture at a university? Of course, President Biden visited UConn for the Dodd Center’s rededication ceremony in 2021, and Trump had done similar talks at other universities during his term; but, those were one-off occasions and students were sidelined.
From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia, all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and, in many cases, increasing measure of control from Moscow.
Winston Churchill
History, however, shows that this disconnect between presidents and university students is not a constant theme. This week in history, on March 5, 1946, President Harry Truman spoke at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri.
Now, President Truman was speaking to the student and faculty body at Westminster, a fairly small yet prestigious university, but he wasn’t the “headliner” per say. After an introduction by university President Dr. Franc L. McCluer, and some brief words by Truman, the British statesman and Winston Churchill took the floor. The former British Prime Minister took the podium:
“I am glad to come to Westminster College this afternoon, and am complimented that you should give me a degree,” Churchill said. “The name ‘Westminster’ is somehow familiar to me. I seem to have heard of it before. Indeed, it was at Westminster that I received a very large part of my education in politics, dialectic, rhetoric, and one or two other things.” With those opening lines, Churchill’s sense of humor and character radiated through an audience who was both intent on hearing the man’s words, while also clapping at any given pause.
Churchill’s speech, titled “The Sinews of Peace” is one of history’s greatest insights into the post-war era. You may not be familiar with that title, or Churchill’s presence in Missouri, but you most likely have heard the phrase “the iron curtain.”
“From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent,” Churchill firmly remarks after a pause. He follows rather coldly, “Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia, all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and, in many cases, increasing measure of control from Moscow.” Notice how Churchill says that he “must” call those regions as being part of the Soviet sphere, there is an apprehensiveness in his writing and tone.
Now, since this has already been a lengthy article, I recommend you listen to the speech which lasts about an hour to further understand Churchill’s thoughts. The speech encompasses so much about the state of Europe, and in particular, reveals the insights of a man who lived through early days of British global imperialism, the horrors of the First World War, and the absolute catastrophe of WWII. At the foundation of his speech lies this one truth — Churchill is a man who yearns to never see war again. The full speech can be read at www.nationalchurchillmuseum.org.
And with that, This Week in History comes to a close. Hopefully the warm weather and final days leading up to spring break treat you well, the next issue of the column will be out when we return from break. Until then, best of luck with midterms and have a rejuvenating week off!