Presidential Inaugurations: I Do Solemnly Swear
Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution specifies the oath the president takes in assuming the responsibilities of this highest executive...
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Presidential Inaugurations: Traditions & Transitions
The peaceful transfer of presidential power from one administration to the next is a hallmark of American democracy. This transition,...
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The Willard Hotel
During the Civil War, the fighting at times came so close to the capital that the Lincolns could hear the...
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Caroline Harrison's 1891 Music Room
The Green Room, positioned between the East Room and the Blue Room, is one of the principal parlors of the...
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Inaugural Balls
Three key features characterize nearly every presidential inauguration: the oath of office taken by the president at the Capitol, the...
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Afternoon Accolades
Since the second inauguration of Ulysses S. Grant in 1873, inaugural reviewing stands— temporary pavilions built in front of the White Ho...
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A "Dark Horse" in Sunlight and Shadow
When Whig opponents chanted “Who is James K. Polk?” throughout the presidential election of 1844, it was more an attempt to infl...
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The Revolutionary Inauguration of Thomas Jefferson
Nearly two decades after his election to the presidency, Thomas Jefferson elaborated on the significance of this triumph to his...
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Inauguration of 1861
On December 20, 1860, South Carolina seceded from the United States. Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas followed soon after. In...
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Motor Cars Come to the White House
At the beginning of the twentieth century, some people believed that the automobile was a toy for the rich that...
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Abraham Lincoln's White House
On a hot summer day in August 1864, Abraham Lincoln strolled from his Second-Floor office to the lawn outside the Executive...
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Jerry Smith
Jeremiah “Jerry” Smith worked at the White House through eight presidencies. Government documents listed him as a laborer, but he took...