On april 30, 1789, george washington took the oath as the first president of the united states. Among the vicissitudes incident to life no event could have filled me with greater anxieties than that of which the notification was transmitted by your order, and received on the 14th day of the present. George washingtons first inauguration america nation one. He delivered the message in the senate chamber at federal hall in new york city. Constitutional experts abounded in 1789 at americas first presidential inauguration. A transcription april 30, 1789 fellow citizens of the senate and the house of representatives. Print showing george washington delivering his inaugural.
The celebration in the streets of new york city was also a very serious event, however, as it marked the beginning of a new era. General washington had been unanimously elected president by the first electoral college, and john adams was. The inauguration of george washington as the first president of the united states on april 30, 1789, was a public event witnessed by a cheering crowd. George washington and the inaugural inauguration picture. George washington first inaugural address in the city of new york thursday, april 30, 1789. First inaugural address 1789 teaching american history. A prominent statesman, thomas jefferson became george washingtons first secretary of state. Washington was reelected unanimously in the 1792 presidential election. The george washington university will celebrate the inauguration of thomas j. George washington inaugural buttons and medalets 17891793 this check list of metallic material related to george washington, our. George washingtons inaugural address bill of rights. Washingtons inauguration marked the beginning of many things in the united states, including a developing focus on the rich visual possibilities and symbolism of inaugural events. Presidential inaugurations are important civic rituals in our nations political life. He acknowledged providence as guiding the nations steps.
In instances in which a new president has been elected, the outgoing. President washingtons second oath of office was taken in the senate. Gw presidential inauguration website is launched gw. Delegates delegates from other colleges and universities march in the academic procession according to the schools founding date, the oldest school going. To protect american shipping from barbary pirates and other threats, he. The official website for the george washington universitys presidential inauguration 2017 is up and running, offering a range of information to the gw community about the november events when thomas leblanc will be inaugurated as gws 17th president the website lists the schedule of inauguration events that start nov. Although not required by the constitution, george washington presented the first presidential inaugural address on april 30, 1789. Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades. Timeline of the inauguration of president washington george. Washington lived in a time when royal rule began to be shaken. Leblanc as its seventeenth president on november, 2017.
Roosevelt attended church services on the morning of his first swearingin ceremony in 1933, all the succeeding presidents have done the same. There were other examples from the late 1940s and early 1950s of the. After taking the oath of office on the portico before a cheering crowd, george washington proceeded into the senate chamber to deliver his first inaugural address. Because of that, georges coats instantly came to mind the other day when this news story started going around about congresswomanelect alexandria ocasiocortezs wardrobe. After repeating the 35word oath, washington responded, i solemnly swear. Presidents change, inauguration day stays the same. Washington and members of congress then moved to the senate chamber, where washington delivered his inaugural address to a joint session of congress. George washington gave the first inaugural address as the first president of the united states before a joint session of the two houses of congress assembled inside the senate chamber. Constitutional experts abounded at americas first inauguration. George washingtons presidency study guide by mrsbudd includes 14 questions covering vocabulary, terms and more. All i dare hope is that if, in executing this task, i have been too much swayed by a grateful remembrance of former instances, or by an affectionate sensibility to this transcendent proof of the confidence of my fellowcitizens, and have thence too. George washingtons first inaugural address, 1789 introduction. George washington fragments of the discarded first inaugural address. George washington s first inaugural address george washington, the first president of the united states of america, delivered this message to the united states congress on april 30, 1789.
There have been about thirty inaugurations when there was no president in attendance other than the one being swornin. President george washington calls on congress to avoid local and party partisanship and encourages the adoption of a bill of rights, without specifically calling them by name. George washingtons second inauguration the civil war. The first major theme of washingtons address involved the role he and others of the nations. Washington was then notified of his victory and traveled to new york city from his home in virginia. George washingtons first inaugural address thursday, april 30, 1789 the nations first chief executive took his oath of office in april in new york city on the balcony of the senate chamber at federal hall on wall street. George washingtons first inaugural address fellow citizens of the senate and house of representatives among the vicissitudes incident to life no event could have filled me with greater anxieties than that of which the notification was transmitted by your order, and received on the 14th day of the present month. George washingtons first inaugural address wikisource. Want to know what washington did on his first day as president. In honor of the upcoming presidential inauguration, washingtons first inaugural address and the bible that he used to swear his oath of office are on display. I have in any instance violated willingly or knowingly the injunctions thereof, i may.
George washington has his left hand rest upon his heart and his right hand extended to a bible, which is held by james otis, secretary of the united states senate. Washingtons mother is supposed to have said, when told of one of his revolutionary war victories, george generally completes what he undertakes. George washington was a virginia plantation owner who served as a general and commanderinchief of the colonial armies during the american revolutionary war, and later became the first president. About the inauguration george washington university. William maclays eye witness account of george washington s inauguration.
George washington s first inaugural address, april 30, 1789 records of the united states senate view images of the first inaugural address. After the worship services, the presidentelect and vice presidentelectas well as the current president and vice president, family. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the united states. Among the vicissitudes incident to life, no event could have filled me with greater anxieties than that of which the notification was transmitted by your order, and received on the fourteenth day of the present month. On the other hand, the magnitude and difficulty of the trust to which the voice of. Along with james madison, jefferson took up the cause of strict constructionists and the republican party, advocating limited federal government. With no cases on the docket and little pressing business a few procedural. The second inauguration of george washington as president of the united states took place in the senate chamber of congress hall in philadelphia on march 4, 1793 the inauguration was the beginning of the second term of george washington as president and john adams as vice president. George washington inaugural bible federal hall national. On april 30, 1789, george washington took the oath of office as the first president of the united states. But in george washingtons lifetime, these were new ideas. Washington was inaugurated as the first president of the united states on april 30. The day of the inauguration includes a number of events that have become tradition.
All i dare hope is that if, in executing this task, i have been too much swayed by a grateful remembrance of former instances, or by an affectionate sensibility to this. My, how time flies, as washington is once again making preparations for a presidential inauguration to take place on january 20, 2017. There were three three circumstances where is happened because there was such personal bitterness on the part of the outgoi. Four years ago, my colleague, donna sokol, provided a snapshot of the inaugural platform being constructed on the west front of the capitol. Presidential inaugurations outside of washington, d. On april 16, 1789, two days after receiving official notification of his election, george washington left his home on the potomac for new york.
Fragments of the discarded first inaugural address teaching. On april 30, 1789, the hero of the american revolution took the oath of office, making him the first head of a new federal government. George washingtons second inaugural address 1793 u. George washingtons first inaugural speech conservapedia. Printed in london in 1765, it is now known as the george washington inaugural bible. George washingtons first inaugural address 1789 george washington, the nations first president, made his first inaugural address before both houses of congress. Not only was the first inauguree george washington a signer of the constitution but numerous drafters of the constitution were serving in the congress that organized and directed that first inauguration. If like me, youre studying woolen cloth in early america, one of the stories that comes up a lot is that of george washingtons inauguration suit. I have been too much swayed by a grateful remembrance of former instances. Christmas with george washington 17761799 philadelphia. George washingtons first and second inaugural addresses. Washington delivering his inaugural address april 1789, in the old. The bible has subsequently been used in the inauguration ceremonies of several other u.
While, on the one hand, it awakened my gratitude for all those instances of affectionate partiality, with which i have been honored by my country. George washington takes the oath of office inauguration karl johnson. President george washington took his oaths in new york city and philadelphia. General washington had been unanimously elected president by the first. According to assembled members of congress, president washington was visibly nervous, spoke in a surprisingly quiet voice, and maintained a serious, modest demeanor. Ix of documentary history of the first federal congress of the united states of america 4 march 1789. He delivered his first inaugural address to a joint session of congress, assembled in federal hall in the nations new capital, new york city. The republican court or american society in the days of washington, rufus wilmot griswold, 1856, p8 the anxiously expected morning of thursday, the thirtieth of april, was greeted with a national salute from the bowling green, and at an early hour the streets were filled with men and women, in their holiday attire, while every moment arrived new crowds from. Several weeks later, the nearly completed platform was chronicled by robert brammer in his post.
What were the important themes of george washingtons. Presidential entertaining george washingtons mount vernon. Washington took office after the 178889 presidential election, the nations first quadrennial presidential election, in which he was elected unanimously. The bible george washington used during his inauguration as the first president of the united states on april 30, 1789 was loaned to him by a local masonic lodge, st. The presidency of george washington began on april 30, 1789, when washington was inaugurated as the first president of the united states, and ended on march 4, 1797.
George washington s first inaugural address 1789 george washington, the nations first president, made his first inaugural address before both houses of congress. The joint congressional committee on inaugural ceremonies. The new constitution required the president to deliver an. Yet the celebration in the streets of new york city was also a very serious event, as it marked the beginning of a new era in history. The bible is the king james version, dated 1767, complete with the apocrypha and elaborately supplemented with the. Ask the students to complete part one of the worksheet.
On the other hand, the magnitude and difficulty of the trust to which the voice of my country called me, being sufficient to awaken in the wisest and most experienced of her citizens a distrustful scrutiny into his qualifications, could not but overwhelm with despondence one who inheriting inferior endowments. Washington served 17 years at the center of american lifea record that has not been matched. After the message, washington and the entire congress went down the street to st. All i dare hope is that if, in executing this task, i have been too much swayed by a grateful remembrance of former instances, or by an affectionate sensibility to this transcendent proof of the confidence of my fellowcitizens. Third, washington himself, and numerous other founding fathers, repeatedly affirmed that an oath of office was a religious act. Among the vicissitudes incident to life no event could have filled me with greater anxieties than that of which the notification was transmitted by your order, and received on the 14th day of the present month. George washingtons inaugural address book of mormon. Taking the oath of office white house historical association. Neither swearing the oath on a bible nor giving an inaugural address were mandated by article 2, section 1 of the constitution. George washingtons inauguration ceremony in new york city was a grand historical event, attended by hundreds. Since the countrys first inauguration of george washington. President george washingtons first inaugural speech 1789. On the morning of april 30, 1789, george washington took the oath of office as the first president of the united states, setting traditions in place his very first day in office. Unlike the lengthy 73page first draft of his speech which was completely discarded.
Transcript of president george washingtons first inaugural speech 1789 fellowcitizens of the senate and of the house of representatives. George washingtons first inaugural address george washington, the first president of the united states of america, delivered this message to the united states congress on april 30, 1789. George washington takes the oath of office inauguration. George washington would set many precedents in the next eight years, but this inauguration, and the humbling of a man who could have been a king before the will of the people, was his first. It was the first presidential inauguration to be held in philadelphia, pennsylvania. With one exception, his first inaugural address did not contain specific policy recommendations. The george washington inaugural bible is the bible that was sworn upon by george washington when he took office as the first president of the united states on april 30, 1789. An incredible descriptoin of the second inauguration of george washington, with pictures and his speech. Timeline of the inauguration of president washington. On the other hand, the magnitude and difficulty of the trust to which the voice of my. Holland and the swiss cantons were exceptions, but all of the major countries and most of the small ones were ruled by people who ruled them for life. George washingtons first inaugural address april 30, 1789. The first president demonstrates his reluctance to. Of course there have been instances where necessity dictated that the swearingin take place outside of washington.
Ask the students to write a newspaper article about washingtons first or second inaugural address. All members of the gw community are invited to participate in this special occasion. Has every presidential inauguration in the us other than. George washington s first inaugural speech 1789 fellowcitizens of the senate and of the house of representatives. The presidency of george washington began on april 30, 1789, when washington was. Lincoln served four years as president and was murdered a month after his second inauguration. Second inauguration of george washington simple english. The four words we wish george washington said history news. Two main themes characterized the april 30, 1789 inaugural address of president george washington. Most of the rulers in the world were kings or monarchs of some sort.