[Detail] Administering the oath of office to Benjamin Harrison, 1889. 
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Collection Overview
"I Do Solemnly Swear..." Presidential Inaugurations, is a collection of approximately four hundred items or two thousand digital files from each of the fifty-four inaugurations from George Washington's in 1789 to George W. Bush's inauguration of 2001. This presentation includes diaries and letters of presidents and of those who witnessed inaugurations, handwritten drafts of inaugural addresses, broadsides, inaugural tickets and programs, prints, photographs, and sheet music.
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Special Features
These online exhibits provide context and additional information about this collection.
- Presidential Inaugurations: Historical Insights--A Video Presentation
- Presidential Inaugurations: Words and Images
- Presidential Oaths of Office
- Precedents and Notable Events
- Bibles and Scripture Passages
- Presidential Inaugurations: A Selected List of References
Historical Eras
These historical era(s) are best represented in the collection although they may not be all-encompassing.
- The American Revolution, 1763-1783
- The New Nation, 1780-1815
- Expansion and Reform, 1801-1861
- The Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850-1877
- Development of the Industrial United States, 1876-1915
- Emergence of Modern America, 1890-1930
- The Great Depression and World War II, 1929-1945
- Postwar United States, 1945-early 70's
- Contemporary United States, 1968-present
Related Collections and Exhibits
These collections and exhibits contain thematically-related primary and secondary sources. Also browse the Collection Finder for more related material on the American Memory Web site.
- Abraham Lincoln Papers
- An American Time Capsule
- A Century of Lawmaking, 1774-1873
- American Life Histories, 1936-1940
- American Treasures of the Library of Congress
- George Washington Papers, 1741-1799
- James Madison Papers
- The Nineteenth Century in Print
- Portraits of the Presidents and First Ladies, 1789-Present
- Theodore Roosevelt: His Life and Times on Film
- The Thomas Jefferson Papers
Other Resources
Recommended additional sources of information.
Search Tips
Specific guidance for searching this collection.
Search the collection using the keyword search, or by selecting from the Subject Index, and Inaugurations Index
For help with search words, go to the Synonym List.
For help with search strategies, see Finding Items in American Memory.
Last Updated: 06/12/2009