There is a vast amount of information on U.S. presidents on the Internet. Even the simplest query brings up hundreds of sites, many of which deserve further exploration. The selected Web sites presented here relate more specifically to Presidential Inaugurations.
Many federal agencies have posted Web sites on the presidents or inaugurations. The suggestions below include sites from both legislative and executive branch agencies, among them the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, the White House, the presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and the Smithsonian Institution¹s National Museum of American History. Additionally, there is a link to the inaugural addresses provided by the Avalon Project at the Yale Law School. The sites listed here should provide balanced, thoughtful views on American history and will put into context the quadrennial presidential inaugurations.
It should be noted that interest in presidential inaugurations peaks in election years and some of the sites listed here may not remain active indefinitely; if they do have an extended life, they will probably be updated periodically.
| Library of Congress Web sites: |
American Memory: All Collections Search Page
Key in inaugural or inauguration for a global search through all
American Memory collections.
American Memory: A Century of Lawmaking
for a New Nation
Select Search and key in the dates of inaugurations from Washington's
first (key: April 30, 1789) to Grant's second (key: March 4, 1873)
to find the sessions in the House and Senate in which the inaugural addresses
were read. These dates will bring up references to the House Journal,
the Senate Journal, and the congressional record of debates.
American Memory: By Popular Demand: Portraits of the Presidents and First Ladies, 1789-Present
Portraits, mostly unrelated to inaugurations.
American Memory: Today in History
Key in inaugural or inauguration for information on a selection
of presidential inaugurations.
Key in a president's name for additional information on a particular president,
such as Jefferson or Polk.
Prints and Photographs Online Catalog
To do a global search through all Prints and Photographs collections, click on Search all categories and key in inaugural or inauguration. One can also search by specific categories such as by title or reproduction number. One can key in a president¹s name, for example, in a title search, and discover many images of a president, some of which may be related to an inauguration.
| Other World Wide Web sites that contain inaugural material: |
C-Span and the Library of
Congress: American Presidents: Life Portraits
This C-Span site presents interviews with historical specialists from the Library of Congress¹s Manuscript Division, who discuss documents in the Library¹s collections related to different presidents. The site also provides links to a vast array of multimedia offerings through its "Pick a President" feature, which provides biographical information, party affiliation, public offices held and dates when held, video or audio presentations, portraits, bibliographies, and teacher guides for use in the classroom.
The Avalon Project
at the Yale Law School
This site includes much presidential material, accessible through search or
browse modes. To find the full texts of inaugural addresses by presidents from
George Washington to George W. Bush, go to Subjects on the Avalon home page,
then select Presidents -- United States -- Inaugural addresses. The addresses
can also be accessed directly at: http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/presiden/inaug/inaug.htm
The White House
The White House Web site has sections devoted to the biographies of the presidents and first ladies and a history of the White House.
National Archives
and Records Administration (NARA), Presidential Libraries
This page provides direct links to each of the presidential libraries that are administered by NARA.
National Archives and Records
Administration, Archival Research Catalog (NARA/ARC)
For help with searching, click How to Search in ARC. The FAQ instructions provide information on how to order copies of images.
NARA Motion
Picture Films and Sound and Video Recordings
Follow instructions to search for films, sound recordings or videos. There are
about 265 films, not all of which are of U.S. presidential inaugurations. The
majority of these films are not available in digital form. Details on each film,
its format, black and white or color, length of footage, creator/photo agency,
copyright, and ordering information from NARA can be obtained by clicking Full
under Full Results.