Inauguration Stories

Unanimously chosen by Congress to be the first president of the United States of America, George Washington set precedents for inauguration traditions and expectations. Following his first inauguration on April 14th, 1789, Washington continued to be the model for many aspects of the presidency.

In 1800, Thomas Jefferson was elected third president of the United States in one of the most bizarre and cantankerous elections on record. But he kept his inauguration simple. He also recognized how factions were tearing the country apart, which guided the message of his inaugural address.

Lincoln's First Inauguration in 1861. With more than half of the southern states already seceded, Lincoln sought to calm a nation on the precipice of unprecedented conflict at his first inauguration. Though the beginning of the Civil War erupted within a month of Lincoln’s March 1861 inauguration, the words uttered by the new president demonstrated a faith in the qualities that united Americans and a hope for a spirit of reconciliation.

Enshrined on the walls of the Lincoln Memorial and regarded as one of his two greatest speeches, Lincoln's Second Inaugural remains the benchmark for incoming and reelected presidents. More than elucidating why the Civil War was fought, the speech offers a promising potential vision of a newly changed nation. This message of reconciliation created an indelible link with Lincoln’s first inauguration, as the two inaugural speeches bookended a momentous and poignant presidency.

President Abraham Lincoln was first inaugurated in 1861. He served as president through the American Civil War. His second inauguration in 1865 was shortly before the end of the conflict. Explore Abraham Lincoln's first and second presidential inaugurations through artifacts from the Ford's Theatre National Historic Site museum collection.

Andrew Johnson Inauguration

March 4, 1881, in Washington D.C., James A. Garfield was sworn in as the 20th President of the United States. Read his Inaugural Address here.

On March 4, 1881 James A. Garfield took the oath of office and was sworn in as the 20th President of the United States, learn more about this history of the inauguration in this article.

Shortly after being naugurated as the 20th President of the United States, James A. Garfield started the process of writing his Inaugural Speech. His diary entries leading up to March 4, 1881 show us the process in which he had taken to complete the speech.

Remembering President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was president during World War II, we might forget that at the time of his first inauguration, we were a nation caught firmly in the grip of the Great Depression. Despite the difficulties the country faced, and struggles related to his health and personal life, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was able to restore the nation’s confidence, and that legacy endures.