Washington – In a public ceremony attended by nearly 1 million supported and watched by millions more on television, President Obama challenged Americans to work together to uphold the promise of democracy and meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Obama presented a sweeping vision of his second term in his inaugural address from the U.S. Capitol that touched on the most sacred themes of American democracy. He quoted from the Declaration of Independence, which set America on its course as an independent nation:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The president said that he and Vice President Biden will lead the United States on “a never-ending journey to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time.”
On January 21, Obama told the massive crowd gathered on the National Mall and millions more across the world via television that the United States will defend its people and uphold its values through “strength of arms and rule of law.” America, Obama said, will try to resolve differences with other nations and among nations peacefully because engagement can more durably lift suspicion and fear.
"America will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe; and we will renew those institutions that extend our capacity to manage crisis abroad, for no one has a greater stake in a peaceful world than its most powerful nation,” Obama said. “We will support democracy from Asia to Africa; from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom.”
“And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice – not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes: tolerance and opportunity; human dignity and justice,” the president added.
He concluded his address saying that “with common effort and common purpose, with passion and dedication, let us answer the call of history, and carry into an uncertain future that precious light of freedom.”
MONDAY’S PUBLIC EVENT PRECEDED BY PRIVATE CEREMONIES ON SUNDAY
Officially, both men’s second terms began the day before, on January 20.
With his family by his side in the ornate Blue Room at the White House, President Obama placed his left hand on a family Bible, raised his right hand and took the oath of office shortly before noon from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to begin the second term of his presidency.
Obama, who is the 44th president and first African-American president, swore to “faithfully execute the office” and “preserve, protect and defend” the American Constitution. He continues a tradition begun 228 years ago. His swearing-in marked the 57th time an elected president has taken the oath of office to become the nation’s president. The brief ceremony, at approximately 11:55 a.m. (1655 GMT) January 20 in front of a network television camera and selected family, guests and a small pool of White House journalists, lasted less than one minute. At the ceremony Obama used a Bible from first lady Michelle Obama’s family. The president stood next to his wife and their two daughters,Sasha and Malia.
Chief Justice Roberts, wearing his official black robe, entered the Blue Room followed by the president and first family. Then Roberts, reading from a card, administered the oath of office and the president responded.
“I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear 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, so help me God,” Obama recited after Chief Justice Roberts.
The 20th amendment to the U.S. Constitution specifies that presidents and vice presidents take the oath of office at noon on January 20 every four years, marking the peaceful, orderly transition of one administration to the next, as chosen by the American people after a general election. Because January 20 fell on a Sunday in 2013, a brief, private ceremony was held at the White House.
On January 21, the public ceremony on the west front of the U.S. Capitol was held, followed by a congressionally hosted luncheon, the accompanying inaugural parade led by the president and first lady, and then inaugural balls. In 2013, January 21 is also the federal holiday that honors the birthday of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
At the public ceremony on January 21, Obama used a Bible owned by President Abraham Lincoln and a Bible used by King. Obama becomes only the 17th U.S. president to be re-elected for a second term.
Vice President Joe Biden took the oath of office at 8:21 a.m. (1321 GMT) on January 20 at his official residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Northwest Washington with about 120 guests in attendance. Associate Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic and fourth woman justice, administered the oath at Biden’s request. Biden used the Biden family Bible that is five inches thick, has a Celtic cross on the cover, and has been in the Biden family since 1893. That Bible has been used by Biden in every swearing-in ceremony since he entered the U.S. Senate in 1973, according to the White House.
Obama and Biden began their second terms January 20 with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery, which overlooks Washington across the Potomac River in Northern Virginia. It is a poignant moment when presidents and vice presidents pause during a swirl of public inaugural events to remember and honor the service of the U.S. military.