Presidential Inaugurations: A Capital Parade on a Cold Winter’s Day
In unfolding to my countrymen the principles by which I shall be governed in the fulfillment of those duties, my first resort will be to that Constitution which I shall swear, to the best of my ability, to preserve, protect, and defend. That revered instrument enumerates the powers and prescribes the duties of the Executive Magistrate; and, in its first words, declares the purposes to which these and the whole action of the Government instituted by it should be invariably and sacredly devoted — to form a more perfect union, to establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to the people of this Union in their successive generations.
—From President John Quincy Adams’ Inaugural Address, March 4, 1825. This is available from the EDSITEment web resource American Memory Project by the Library of Congress.
Every four years Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., is lined with chilly spectators, and red, white, and blue bunting for one day in the third week of January. Americans arrive by the thousands—or the millions expected in the case of President-elect Barack Obama—to watch the official procession that slowly makes its way to the Capitol building where the newly elected or re-elected president will take the Oath of Office and be sworn into office for the next four years. With the inauguration of President-elect Obama, scheduled for January 20, 2009, this is the perfect time to take a journey into the history of inaugurations in the United States.
This feature will guide students, parents, and teachers in using EDSITEment’s resources to learn more about this ceremony and its historical significance within the American system of constitutional government. You may wish to read this feature in tandem with teaching these EDSITEment lesson plans, all of which are designed for grades 3–5: I Do Solemnly Swear: Presidential Inaugurations, We Must Not Be Enemies: Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address and A Landmark Lesson: The United States Capitol Building, which has a section on inaugurations with links to images. For grades 9-12 lessons be sure to consult two EDSITEment lessons on Abraham Lincoln’s great presidential addresses: The First Inaugural Address (1861) — Defending the American Union and The Second Inaugural Address (1865) — Restoring the American Union.
The First Inauguration
The presidential inauguration didn’t always take place in January. Until the 1930s the inauguration was scheduled for March 4th (or the 5th if the 4th fell on a Sunday). Students might be surprised to hear that the inauguration of George Washington, our first president, was delayed until April 30, 1789. This inauguration, which took place in New York City, was postponed because representatives of the Electoral College were unable to get to New York as early in the year as they had planned.
Students can view a digital version of George Washington’s inaugural address of April 30, 1789 that is available from the EDSITEment reviewed web resource American Memory Project by the Library of Congress. For more information on George Washington and his presidency, you may wish to visit the EDSITEment-reviewed web resource American President, the Gilbert Stuart portrait to be found on the Picturing America site, and the National Portrait Gallery’s interactive of this portrait http://www.georgewashington.si.edu/portrait/index.html.
Guiding Questions: What is the tone of Washington’s inaugural address? What are the most important messages conveyed by this speech?
Inaugurations in Difficult Times
President Abraham Lincoln’s two inaugurations came at some of the darkest moments in the history of the United States. In the four months that separated his election victory in November of 1860 and his first inauguration on March 4, 1861, seven southern states seceded from the Union, setting in motion the events which would lead to the Civil War.
You may wish to watch a short video about Lincoln’s first inaugural address available from the EDSITEment reviewed web resource Crisis at Fort Sumter. This video can be watched in preparation for reading the speech. For an in-depth study of the speech and its meaning designed for grades 9–12 consult the EDSITEment lesson The First Inaugural Address (1861) — Defending the American Union.
Guiding Questions: What is the focus of Lincoln’s first inaugural speech? What does it tell us about the state of the country and the Union during the time of his first election?
By the time of Lincoln’s re-election and his second inaugural address, the nation was in the middle of a great war testing the principles upon which the United States was founded. In his address Lincoln notes the change in circumstances:
On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago, all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it — all sought to avert it.
A digital version of Lincoln’s second inaugural address, delivered March 4, 1865, as well as a photograph of the swearing-in ceremonies are available from the EDSITEment-reviewed web resource American Memory Project by the Library of Congress. You may wish to ask students to read Lincoln’s first and second inaugural addresses together so that they may compare and contrast them.
Guiding Questions: What is the focus of Lincoln’s second inaugural address? How does this speech differ from the one he delivered four years earlier? What can we learn about the changes to the country that had occurred over the course of Lincoln’s first term as president?
Lincoln did not survive his second term in office. He was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth barely a month after delivering this address. If you would like more information on the life and presidency of Abraham Lincoln you may wish to visit the EDSITEment-reviewed web resource, American President. Students can also profit from viewing Alexander Gardner’s photograph of our 16th president, which is found on the Picturing America website. A more in-depth study of Lincoln’s second inaugural address designed for grades 9–12 can be found in the EDSITEment lesson plan The Second Inaugural Address (1865)—Restoring the American Union. In addition, EDSITEment also has a lesson plan on Lincoln’s wartime policies entitled Lincoln Goes to War also designed for grades 9-12.
Taking the Oath
Article II, Section I, Clause B of the Constitution of the United States, which is available online from the EDSITEment reviewed-web resource Civics Online, states:
Before he enter on the execution of his office, he shall take the following oath or affirmation:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States."
Students can use the vast collection of images available from the EDSITEment- reviewed web resource American Memory Project by the Library of Congress as a way of viewing the ceremony over time. Ask students to view the following series of images of presidents taking the Oath of Office:
Guiding Questions: What is similar about each of the ceremonies captured in these images? What is different? Why do you think these changes have occurred? Why do you think that certain aspects of the ceremony—such as the words of the oath—have stayed the same?
Poetic Inspiration
The well known American poet Robert Frost was asked to read one of his poems at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961. While he was unable to read the poem at the inauguration due to the glare of the sun on that day, a reading copy of “Dedication”—the original poem he wrote for the occasion — is available from the EDSITEment-reviewed web resource American Memory Project by the Library of Congress. His poem begins:
Summary artists to participate
in august occasions of the state
Seems something for us all to celebrat
e
This day is for my cause a day of days,
And his be poetry’s old-fashioned praise
These opening lines tell us something about the Kennedy administration’s relationship with culture and cultural institutions, but what else do they tell us? You may wish to learn more about President Kennedy’s life and presidency by visiting the EDSITEment-reviewed web resource American President. In particular, you might consult the information available about President Kennedy’s First Lady, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy.
Guiding Questions: What is Frost’s “cause” in the fourth line? Why does he wish to offer Kennedy praise? Why does he offer poetry’s praise rather than simply a citizen’s praise?
Having a Ball! Inauguration Balls
After the inauguration most presidents host an inaugural ball to celebrate the commencement of their presidential term. The EDSITEment-reviewed web resource American Memory Project by the Library of Congress has made available numerous original documents connected to presidential inaugural balls. Students can look at a sampling of these documents, from handbills to photographs, investigating each object for clues about the moment in American history when the ball took place, or about the president whose term is being celebrated. Among the objects available are:
- Regulations for guests attending William McKinley’s 1897 inaugural ball.
- Handbill warning against a protest inaugural ball during James K. Polk’s 1845 celebration
- Inaugural Ball program from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1933 event.
- Photograph of crowds trying to see Lyndon B. Johnson dancing with the First Lady at his inaugural ball, 1965
Guiding Questions: Why do you think there are so many regulations for guests attending William McKinley’s inaugural ball? What can we learn about the political situation from the handbill warning guests not to be fooled by a protest inaugural ball during James K. Polk’s celebration? Why do you think Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1933 Inaugural Ball Program focused primarily on the history of the event rather than on the present day? Why do you think the crowds at Lyndon B. Johnson’s inaugural ball felt that it was so important for them to see him dancing with the First Lady?
Conclusion
Parents and educators might wish to introduce the ideas of this feature using short activities which ask students to think about the meaning of the history of presidential inaugurations in the United States.
1. Speech! Speech!
The inaugural address given by each president after taking the oath of office is the first official speech given in their capacity as president. Each president attempts to outline the course he hopes to follow over the following years and address concerns within the framework of our constitutional system, all in just a few short pages. (The exception to this rule was William Harrison, who gave an inaugural address in 1841 that lasted nearly two hours. He subsequently became ill from his long exposure to the inclement weather of his inauguration day and died.)
Have your students choose two inaugural addresses—either by different presidents or by the same president initiating two different terms. Have them compare and contrast the two speeches. They may use any of the inaugural addresses discussed in this lesson, or they may research additional addresses available from the EDSITEment-reviewed web resource American Presidency Project
Guiding Questions: What vision does this president set for his term in office in these two speeches? What are his hopes and goals?How much of a role does the Constitution play in each speech? Is this significant?
Next, have students read about the terms in office of the presidents whose inaugural addresses they have just read. This information can be found on the EDSITEment- reviewed web resource American President. Have your students answer the following questions:
Guiding Questions: Was this president able to achieve the goals he set out in his inaugural address? Did the concerns he noted in his address prove to be difficulties during his presidency? Was he able to overcome those difficulties? How?
If your students will be completing this assignment after the January 20, 2009 inauguration, you may wish to have students study the inauguration address of President Barack Obama.
2. Inaugural History
You may wish to have your students pursue a research project on how the presidential inauguration reflects the historical situation of the country. Ask students to research the collections of the EDSITEment-reviewed web resource American Memory Project by the Library of Congress for primary documents connected to presidential inaugurations throughout the history of the United States. Students should use these documents as a way of reflecting the history of the country.
Students might compare a photograph of Lyndon B. Johnson taking the Oath of Office in 1963 immediately after the assassination of President John. F. Kennedy with a photograph of President Johnson being sworn in after his own election to the highest office in 1965. Another comparison might be to view a photograph of President Herbert J. Hoover’s inauguration six months before the crash of the stock market on October 29, 1929 with a photograph of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s inauguration in the midst of the Great Depression in 1933. Do the images of these events reflect what was happening in the country at large? Ask students write an essay explaining their findings.
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