(From the Inaugural Committee)
In this series, we’ll examine past presidential inaugurations, paying tribute to our country’s rich past and setting the stage for the most open and accessible inauguration in history this January.
The first post in this series tells the story of our country’s first presidential inauguration, that of George Washington, in April 1789.
After receiving the news that he had been elected, President-elect George Washington reluctantly accepted the post and embarked on a trip to New York, which was at the time the nation’s capital. Supporters lined the roads to cheer on the country’s first official leader.
At the time, the founding fathers had not yet decided on the title for the president. Vice President-elect John Adams, for one, wished to name the position “His Most Benign Highness,” but a congressional committee chose the title “President of the United States.”
When Washington arrived in New York City, after a long journey from his home in Mount Vernon, Virginia, he was forced to wait a week until his actual inauguration, as a congressional committee ironed out the details of the ceremony. On April 30th, after Washington’s weeklong wait, he was ushered to Federal Hall, where an enthusiastic crowd gathered outside.
Because the Supreme Court had not yet been assembled, New York’s most senior judge, Chancellor Robert R. Livingstone, administered the Oath of Office. While taking the oath, Washington, dressed in a brown suit with white silk stockings and a hefty sword by his side, placed his right hand on the Bible, and punctuated the oath with his own addition, “So help me God.” The words stuck; nearly every president since has repeated that phrase.
After taking the oath, Washington and the others returned to the Senate Chamber where the he gave an inaugural address, another tradition that remains to this day. But whereas Washington left the crowd outside Federal Hall to address Congress inside the Senate chamber, modern inaugurations feature a public presidential address to the assembled public and guests.
Indeed, 219 years later, thousands of people are working to make the Inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden the most open and accessible one in history. All who wish to attend will be welcome to watch from the National Mall in Washington, DC, which will be equipped with jumbo screens, food, and bathroom facilities.