'I can't even imagine what it was like during the period of time between Buchanan and Lincoln,' said Goodwin. After Abraham Lincoln's election in November 1860, he had to wait four months (back then the Inauguration wasn't until March) before President James Buchanan vacated the premises. Goodwin said, 'Originally, the purpose of the waiting period was to give time for the new president to get from wherever they were to Washington, D.C., and that purpose seems to be less necessary today given modern transportation.'īut 2020 isn't the first tumultuous transition. To many people, the 78 days between November 3 and January 20 are feeling like 78 years … which raises the question, why is this period so long?
