In early 1797, the first vice president of the United States, John Adams, became the country’s second president. His inauguration, attended by former president George Washington and by his own vice president, Thomas Jefferson, took place in Philadelphia on March 4. Taking office after the nation’s most beloved figure would prove challenging, the more so after the divisive election that Adams won. Adams, a Federalist, defeated Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican with views often directly opposed to those of the new president, such as concerning trade with Great Britain and a strong federal government. In accordance with the laws regarding presidential elections at the time, Jefferson, as the runner-up, was to serve as Adams’s vice president.