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• Presidential Inaugurations

  On April 30, 1789, George Washington took the oath of office in New York City. Later he said of this new presidential...

• Presidential Inaugurations: A Court of Honor

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• Presidential Inaugurations: Celebrate New Times

  Thomas Jefferson’s 1801 inaugural, the first held in the city of Washington, bore little resemblance to modern extravaganzas. Avoiding monarchical to...

• Presidential Inaugurations: The Inaugural Address

  George Washington delivered the first inaugural address, invoking God’s guidance, demurring about his qualifications for presidential tasks, and declaring hi...

• Presidential Inaugurations: Symbolic Gestures

  Inaugural ceremonies are huge public events, and both presidents and inaugural planners have recognized their potential for symbolic gestures. James...

• 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...

• Presidential Inaugurations: Traditions & Transitions

  The peaceful transfer of presidential power from one administration to the next is a hallmark of American democracy. This transition,...

• Inaugural Balls

  Three key features characterize nearly every presidential inauguration: the oath of office taken by the president at the Capitol, the...

• 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...

• 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...

• Afternoon Accolades

  Since the second inauguration of Ulysses S. Grant in 1873, inaugural reviewing stands— temporary pavilions built in front of the White Ho...

• 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...