Then: March 4, 1861
Before a crowd of 30,000 people, Lincoln takes the oath of office and declares that "the Union of these States is perpetual" and that secession is an act of rebellion – not a legal right.
Now: March 5, 2011
150 years later, the Lincoln Group of D.C. is commemorating the event with a day of activities, including a reenactment of Lincoln reading the speech.