Famous Inaugural Addresses

After being sworn into office, each U.S. president delivers an inaugural address. Originally, Inauguration Day was held every four years on March 4, the exception being the inauguration of President George Washington. Washington, who was the first U.S. president, was inaugurated on April 30, 1789.
 
 
Today, the United States celebrates Inauguration Day every four years on January 20. At precisely noon on January 20, the newly elected U.S. president takes the Oath of Office at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The oath is as follows: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) 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."
 
After taking the Oath of Office, the president traditionally delivers his inaugural address. To date, 37 presidents have recited 55 inaugural addresses. The longest inaugural speech (approximately 8,500 words) was given by William Henry Harrison. The shortest (135 words) was George Washington's second inaugural address.
 
Interestingly, there have been five U.S. presidents who have never given an inaugural address:
  • Chester Alan Arthur
  • Andrew Johnson
  • Gerald Ford
  • John Tyler, Jr.
  • Millard Fillmore
The lack of speech can be attributed to the fact that these presidents were succeeding a president who had either resigned or died in office and were not elected to a second term.
 
In this section, we'll offer you some of the most famous presidential speeches, focusing on famous inaugural addresses. We'll offer you unedited versions of George Washington's first inaugural address, JFK's inaugural address, Bill Clinton's first address and more.

Washington's First Inaugural Address

In 1789, George Washington was elected as the United State's very first president. On April 30, 1789, he delivered his first inaugural address before an audience of the two Houses of Congress.

Lincoln's First Address

On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln took the Oath of Office and delivered his first inaugural speech on the East Portico of the Capitol.

Eisenhower's First Address

In 1953, the Dwight D. Eisenhower won the presidential election over the Democratic nominee, Adlai Stevenson. On Jan. 20, 1953, Chief Justice Frederick Vinson administered Dwight D. Eisenhower's oath to presidency on two Bibles. Immediately proceeding, Eisenhower delivered his first inaugural address.

Regan's First Inaugural Address

On Jan. 20, 1981, Chief Justice Warren Burger administered the Oath to Office Ronald Regan. Immediately after, Regan delivered his first inaugural address.
 
Resources
 
Project Gutenberg (1997). The Project Gutenberg Etext of US Presidents' Inaugural Speeches. Retrieved March 16, 2008 from Project Gutenberg Web site: http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext97/uspis10.txt.