My Fellow Americans: The Inaugural Addresses of the U.S. Presidents

Donald Trump delivered his inaugural address on January 20th, 2017. For the 2nd time in the 21st century, a president who had not won the popular vote had won the electoral vote. The race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton was a contentious one and it was in many respects a presidency defined by the norms it broke. On January 6th, 2021, a mob broke into the Capitol Building in an attack stoked by the Presidents rhetoric, as well as those of others. Trump was twice impeached by the House of Representatives and, in the 2020 election, lost the electoral and popular vote to Joe Biden – who will be sworn in as the 46th President on January 20th, 2021.

The cover art is a photo of Donald Trump.

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Barack Obama delivered his second inaugural address on January 20th, 2013. Obama defeated Mitt Romney to win his 2nd term, which saw implementation of the ACA, a mounting and continued fight against climate change, and rapprochement with Cuba & Iran. It also saw the winding down of US forces in Afghanistan, though they still remain. His 2nd term saw more stalling as well, after Republicans took control of the Senate in 2014, eventually blocking him from nominating a Supreme Court Justice.

The cover art is a photo of Barack Obama.

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Barack Obama delivered his first inaugural address on January 20th, 2009. As the first Black president, Barack Obama was historic in more ways than one. His inauguration saw more than one million in attendance, the highest yet. He took the reins of the executive office at a perilous time, with the economy standing on the edge of a knife. Though the US clawed back safety, the Great Recession left an indelible mark on the country. His biggest achievement, the Affordable Care Act (popularly Obamacare) brought insurance to millions who didn’t have it.

The cover art is a photo of Barack Obama.

George W. Bush delivered his second inaugural address on January 20th, 2005. Just as his first term was consumed with the terrorist attacks of 9/11, before 2005 was over, Hurricane Katrina hit. The Category 5 hurricane caused almost 2,000 deaths and more than $120 billion in damage. It was one of the worst natural disasters in United States in history and Bush received criticism for his response. Years later, the Great Recession began under his term. When he left, his approval rating was in the mid-20s.

The cover art is a photo of George W. Bush.

George W. Bush delivered his first inaugural address on January 20th, 2001. His electoral win was a contentious won; though he won the electoral vote, he had lost the popular vote (Donald Trump would repeat that feat just 16 years later). But whatever the circumstances, they were quickly forgotten when just 8 months later, he would face the most trying task for his presidency – the terrorist attacks of 9/11. They would come to define the Bush presidency, as well as the beginning of the 21st century in the United States.

The cover art is a photo of George W. Bush.

Bill Clinton delivered his second inaugural address on January 20th, 1997. The presidency of Bill Clinton helped shape the Democratic party into the 21st century. His image began to take a beating through the sexual misconduct investigations and subsequent impeachment, though his approval ratings remained surprisingly high. By the time he left office, it was in the mid-60s – beating out Reagan by a slim point.

The cover art is a photo of Bill Clinton surrounded by a crowd.

Bill Clinton delivered his first inaugural address on January 20th, 1993. He had secured his victory over George H. W. Bush and Ross Perot. During his presidency, the economy boomed and NAFTA was ratified. Republicans took control of Congress in 1994, led by Newt Gingrich (who would later run for president unsuccessfully). Besides FDR and Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton has the distinction to leave the White House with a high approval rating. His two term presidency was also the only two term presidency by a Democrat since FDR (JFK was assassinated, LBJ only ran for one full term, and Jimmy Carter was defeated after a single term).

The cover art is a photo of Bill Clinton.

George H. W. Bush delivered his inaugural address on January 20th, 1989. Before becoming president, Bush Sr. served as Ronald Reagan's vice president. Foreign policy was a major aspect of his term – the final years of the Cold War and the reunification of Germany, the invasion of Panama and the Gulf War, and the negotiation of NAFTA (which was ratified under Clinton). However, to reduce the deficit, he had to renege on one of his promises – no new taxes. With his son, George W. Bush, the pair represent the only other father-son presidency – the other being John Adams and John Quincy Adams.

The cover art is a photo of George H. W. Bush by a White House Photographer.

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Ronald Reagan delivered his second inaugural address on January 20th, 1985. Reagan won his 2nd term in a landslide election against Walter Mondale. Since his first term, the United States began to move back towards conservatism and this rightward shift continued throughout his 2nd term. When he left office, his ratings were as high as FDRs, despite the numerous scandals that occurred during his presidency. His ability to escape blame for them earned him the "Teflon President" epithet.

The cover art is a photo of Ronald Reagan by a White House Photographer.

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Ronald Reagan delivered his first inaugural address on January 20th, 1981. Elected after the single-term presidency of Jimmy Carter, Reagan was no stranger to politics. He served as Governor of California from 1967 to 1975. He ran for the presidency in 1976, against Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination, but lost after Ford secured just a hundred more delegates than him. He was just shy of his 70th birthday when he was inaugurated, the oldest president at the time (until Donald Trumps swearing-in on January 20th, 2017).

The cover art is a photo of Ronald Reagan by Pete Souza.

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Jimmy Carter delivered his inaugural address on January 20th, 1977. Carter served as a Senator from and a Governor of Georgia prior to his presidency. He established the Department of Energy and Department of Education, which remain through today. Problems at home and abroad continued to mount, which helped lead to his defeat against Ronald Reagan. After leaving office, Carter remained busy – winning a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 and authoring over 30 books.

The cover art is the official portrait Jimmy Carter from the White House.

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Gerald Ford delivered his remarks upon assuming the office of the president on August 9th, 1974. Read by Susan Swain, author, journalist & co-CEO of C-SPAN. Assuming the presidency after the resignation of Richard Nixon, Ford would go on to serve a partial term of 2 years and 164 days. He would pardon his predecessor, an unpopular move that contributed to his loss against Jimmy Carter. Part of his reasoning: “That purpose was to change our national focus. I wanted to do all I could to shift our attentions from the pursuit of a fallen President to the pursuit of the urgent needs of a rising nation. Our nation is under the severest of challenges now to employ its full energies and efforts in the pursuit of a sound and growing economy at home and a stable and peaceful world around us.”

The cover art is a photo of Gerald Ford taken on August 27th, 1974 by David Hume Kennerly.

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Richard M. Nixon delivered his second inaugural address on January 20th, 1973. His term would be short just a little over one-and-a-half years into his second term, Nixon would resign as president and be replaced by his vice president, Gerald Ford. Ford would pardon Nixon, leading to an uproar – a move that likely doomed his chances at his own term, not defined by Nixon & Watergate. Nixon lived for another 20 years, during which his reputation rehabilitated a bit – though the stain of Watergate is unlikely to wash off.

The cover art is a photo of Richard Nixon from the White House Photo Office.

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Richard M. Nixon delivered his first inaugural address on January 20th, 1969. Five years later, he would resign in disgrace after the Watergate Scandal. His time in office nonetheless saw monumental moments in American history – the deescalation and end of the Vietnam War, détente with the Soviet Union  the ABM Treaty, formal diplomatic relations with China, and the establishment of the EPA. This culminated in a landslide victory of George McGovern in the 1972 election

The cover art is a 1984 portrait of Richard Nixon by James Anthony Wills.

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Lyndon B. Johnson delivered his inaugural address on January 20th, 1965. The 60s were a watershed year for the United States, and LBJ – as well as his predecessor, JFK – were intimately involved. From the Civil Rights movement to the Vietnam War, from the assassination of monumental figures in American history, to the moon landings, it was a tumultuous time. Less than a year before his inaugural address, LBJ had signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law. And less than a year after it, he signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Social Security Amendments of 1965 created Medicare and Medicaid, all part of LBJs "Great Society" programs.

The cover art is a 1968 portrait of LBJ by Elizabeth Shoumatoff.

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JFK delivered his inaugural address on January 20th, 1961. The youngest person to be elected president, he had served just a bit over 1,000 days before his assassination. His inaugural remains one of the most studied and is considered, along with FDRs 1st and Lincolns 2nd, to be one of the best. He had set a goal for the United States to go the moon – a goal that was reached under his successor, LBJ, in 1969. Despite his short term, his presidency still ranks highly among historians & the general public.

The cover art is a 1970 portrait of JFK by Aaron Shikler.

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Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered his 2nd inaugural address on January 20th, 1957. Again, Eisenhower beat Adlai Stevenson II to secure his second term, winning 457 to 73 (at this time, Alaska and Hawaii were still not states). It was during his Farewell Address after the conclusion of his second term that he warned against the "military-industrial complex", an alliance between the military & defense industry that shapes American public policy.

The cover art is a photo Dwight D. Eisenhower by a White House photographer.

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Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered his first inaugural address on January 20th, 1953. He had become a five-star general in the Army and was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe during WW2. After the war ended, he served as Army Chief of Staff for 3 years, president of Columbia for 5, and Supreme Commander of NATO for 2. He won both of his presidential elections against Adlai Stevenson II. He signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and, through the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, helped create the highway system we use & enjoy today.

The cover art is a 1967 portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower by James Anthony Wills.

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Harry Truman delivered his inaugural address on January 20th, 1949. He was locked in a dead heat with Thomas E. Dewey, governor of New York. Dewey was the odds on favorite – so much so that the Chicago Daily Tribune decided to preprint newspapers that proclaimed Dewey's victory over the incumbent. Alas, anyone that bet against Truman lost. Whereas Dewey went the strategy of not saying anything that could ruffle feathers, Truman went all in. If he went down, it would be in glorious flames. Polling was still in its infancy, but the upset victory prophesied elections to come.

The cover art is a 1945 portrait of Harry Truman by Greta Kempton.

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Herbert Hoover delivered his inaugural address on March 4th, 1929. Read by Yuvraj Singh. Herbert Hoover’s accomplishments prior to presidency were  effectively neutralized in public opinion after the Great Depression began on his watch. Though the seeds for such crisis are planted in the prior years, they tend to fall hardest on those that deal with the crisis. It was perhaps the single largest factor in deciding that Hoover would remain in the shadow of his successor.

The cover art is an 1956 portrait of Herbert Hoover by Elmer Wesley Greene.

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Calvin Coolidge delivered his inaugural address on March 4th, 1925. Read by Yuvraj Singh. Calvin Coolidge served out his partial first term before being elected as president. After the scandals that rocked Harding’s term, Coolidge served as a calming and rehabilitative president, restoring faith to the White House. He was famous for not talking more than needed (though he still gave a 4,000 word long inaugural address), earning him the nickname “Silent Cal”.

The cover art is an 1932 portrait of Calvin Coolidge by Charles Sydney Hopkinson.

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Warren G. Harding delivered his inaugural address on March 4th, 1921. Read by Yuvraj Singh. When he was elected, Harding was popular and well regarded. But if even George Washington couldn’t leave the presidency as popular as he was when he started it, there was little hope for someone who isn’t the Father of his Nation. An extramarital affair and and several scandals did a number on his own luster, and his presidency wasn’t what it could have been – he died a little over two years into his term, to be replaced with Calvin Coolidge.

The cover art is an 1922 portrait of Warren Harding by Edmund Hodgson Smart.

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Woodrow Wilson delivered his second inaugural address on March 5th, 1917. Read by Yuvraj Singh. A month after delivering his address, Wilson would officially take the United States into World War I. Following the war, he would help found the League of Nations and win a Nobel Peace Prize for it. It would cease operations in the 1940s, to be replaced with the United Nations.

The cover art is an 1919 portrait of Woodrow Wilson by John Christen Johansen.

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Woodrow Wilson delivered his first inaugural address on March 4th, 1913. Read by Yuvraj Singh. The only PhD to have been a president, Wilson came into power after Theodore Roosevelt split the Republican party. After World War I broke out in 1914, Wilson kept the US neutral. He would go on to win his 2nd term with “He kept us out of war” (though narrowly). A month after winning, the US would enter World War I.

The cover art is an 1935 portrait of Woodrow Wilson by Frank Graham Cootes.

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William Howard Taft delivered his inaugural address on March 4th, 1909. Read by Yuvraj Singh. A friend and adviser to Theodore Roosevelt, his ascent to the presidency would lead to a break in their friendship after his deviation from their political course. When he was up for re-election, Roosevelt ran against him and split the Republican ticket, allowing for Woodrow Wilson to win. Almost a decade after the end of his presidency, he was appointed Chief Justice by Warren Harding.

The cover art is an 1911 portrait of William Howard Taft by Anders Zorn.

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The inaugural address of Theodore Roosevelt, read by John J. Miller. Roosevelt delivered his inaugural on March 4th, 1905. It was the only full term he served as president. He was vice-president to William McKinley, who was assassinated 6 months into his 2nd term. Roosevelt served out the remaining 3.5 years before being elected president. He was the youngest person to become president (though JFK is the youngest person elected president).

William McKinley delivered his 2nd inaugural address on March 4th, 1901. Read by Yuvraj Singh. McKinley was only able to get six months into his 2nd term before anarchist Leon Csołgosz assassinated him. Theodore Roosevelt was soon elevated to the presidency. Originally chosen because the vice presidents role was not prominent and nobody expected the unexpected, his successor would soon overshadow him.

The cover art is an 1897 portrait of William McKinley by August Benziger.

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William McKinley delivered his first inaugural address on March 4th, 1897. Read by Yuvraj Singh. William McKinley marked the end of the Gilded Age and the beginning of the Progressive Era in American history. His victory also marked the beginning of the United States as an imperialist and global powers, setting the stage for the American century. Usually considered above average, he is often thought of the president who was succeeded by the inimitable Theodore Roosevelt.

The cover art is an 1902 portrait of William McKinley by Harriet Anderson Stubbs Murphy.

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Grover Cleveland delivered his 2nd inaugural address on March 4th, 1893. Read by Jennifer Stirling. For his 2nd term, Cleveland defeated the incumbent Benjamin Harrison, grandson of William Henry Harrison. Unfortunately, the beginning of his term intersected with the Panic of 1893 which had a tremendous impact on the Democratic Party, which would not regain control of any branch of the Federal Government until 1910; they would not regain the White House until 1913 and the election of Woodrow Wilson, 20 years later.

The cover art is an 1890-91 portrait of Grover Cleveland by Eastman Johnson.

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Benjamin Harrison delivered his inaugural address on March 4th, 1889. Read by TheUSPresidents (https://m.youtube.com/user/TheUsPresidents). Benjamin Harrison was the grandson of William Henry Harrison (and so the two are the only grandfather-grandson duo to hold the presidency). He defeated the incumbent, Grover Cleveland, who then defeated him next go-round.

The cover art is an 1895 portrait of Benjamin Harrison by Eastman Johnson.

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Chester Arthur delivered his address upon assuming the office of the president on September 22nd, 1881. Read by Yuvraj Singh. For the 2nd time in the nations history, a sitting president was assassinated. Chester Arthur rose through politics as a part of Roscoe Conkling’s political machine in New York. But as it turned out, Arthur was to play his presidency safely. As president, he avoided the corruption the period was rife with and, though unpopular immediately after his presidency, has seen his reputation improve.

The cover art is an 1885 portrait of Chester Arthur by Daniel Huntington.

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James Garfield delivered his inaugural address on March 4th, 1881. Read by John Greenman. Much like Lincoln’s nearly two decade before him, James Garfield was assassinated. But whereas Lincoln had served a full term, Garfield was granted just a little over six months. He was the iconic “self-made man”, rising from working on a canal boat to the highest office in the land. He supported abolition and black suffrage, though that only went so far. His assassin, Charles Guiteau, committed the heinous act for what amounted to being passed over for a job.

The cover art is an 1881 portrait of James Garfield by Calvin Curtis.

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Rutherford B. Hayes delivered his inaugural address on March 5th, 1877. Read by Yuvraj Singh. The Election of 1876 was only the 2nd time that a president had lost the popular vote but won the electoral; it is the first of four where a Republican had lost the popular vote, but won the electoral college. He had pledged not to run for a 2nd term and stuck with his promise; he used his time in government to reform the civil service restore faith in government. His presidency was during the Gilded Age, when wealth disparity was widespread. He noted this after his presidency.

> “[I]t is time for the public to hear that the giant evil and danger in this country, the danger which transcends all others, is the vast wealth owned or controlled by a few persons. Money is power. In Congress, in state legislatures, in city councils, in the courts, in the political conventions, in the press, in the pulpit, in the circles of the educated and the talented, its influence is growing greater and greater. Excessive wealth in the hands of the few means extreme poverty, ignorance, vice, and wretchedness as the lot of the many…. Let the people be fully informed and convinced as to the evil. Let them earnestly seek the remedy and it will be found…. We may reach and remove the difficulty by changes in the laws regulating corporations, descents of property, wills, trusts, taxation, and a host of other important interests, not omitting lands and other property.”

The cover art is an 1884 portrait of Rutherford B. Hayes by Daniel Huntington.

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Ulysses S. Grant delivered his 2nd inaugural address on March 4th, 1873. Read by Rick Vina. As with so many historical figures, Grant has undergone shifts: from being hailed as a hero by the north in the immediate aftermath of the American Civil War, to being bashed by the south in the late 19th and early 20th century, to undergoing a revival in the last 70 years with lauded biographies and reassessments. Grant was a family man; notably, he wrote his memoirs while suffering severely from cancer (he died only a few days after finishing them). These ensured a comfortable life his family, whom he loved dearly.

The cover art is an 1875 portrait of U. S. Grant by Henry Ulke.

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Ulysses S. Grant delivered his 1st inaugural address on March 4th, 1869. Read by Jim Clevenger. As with so many historical figures, Grant has undergone shifts: from being hailed as a hero by the north in the immediate aftermath of the American Civil War, to being bashed by the south in the late 19th and early 20th century, to undergoing a revival in the last 70 years with lauded biographies and reassessments. Grant was a family man; notably, he wrote his memoirs while suffering severely from cancer (he died only a few days after finishing them). These ensured a comfortable life his family, whom he loved dearly.

The cover art is an 1866 portrait of U. S. Grant by Constant Mayer.

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Andrew Johnson delivered his address upon assuming the office of president on April 17th, 1865.. Read by Yuvraj Singh. Whoever came after Lincoln would have a lot to prove, though it's difficult to suppose many could do worse than Andrew Johnson. Johnson was a slaver, but against southern secession; still, his mishandling of Reconstruction would have a significant impact on the United States.

The cover art is an c. 1866 photograph of Andrew Johnson by Washington Bogart Cooper.

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Abraham Lincoln delivered his fabled 2nd inaugural address on March 4th, 1865. Read by Jason Snell (https://sixcolors.com/), the host of Upgrade (https://www.relay.fm/upgrade with Myke Hurley) and The Incomparable podcasts (https://www.theincomparable.com/theincomparable/). The Civil War had just ended and the nation was on the road to recovery when the future was rent asunder by an assassins bullet. Just a little over a month later, Lincoln would meet his end, to be succeeded by Andrew Johnson – a president considered one of (if not the) best, followed by one of (if not the) worst.

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

The cover art is an 1869 portrait of Abraham Lincoln by George Peter Alexander Healy.

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Abraham Lincoln delivered his 1st inaugural address on March 4th, 1861. Read by John Greenman. James Buchanan, often the lowest ranked (or near the bottom) president, was followed by the inimitable Lincoln, often the highest (or, usually, in the top 3) ranked president. The Civil War began less than a month after this election and consumed his first term. In those first few years, his popularity was not what it is now. That changed after his death, hardly into his second term.

The cover art is an 1865 photograph of Abraham Lincoln by Alexander Gardner.

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Franklin Pierce delivered inaugural address on March 4th, 1853. Read by Yuvraj Singh. Franklin Pierce came into the presidency after suffering tragedy. Just a couple of months prior, he lost his 11 year old son, Benny, in a train wreck. He was the youngest elected president of the country at the time and, perhaps propelled into his work by the tragedy, read the address from memory over the following half hour.

The cover art is an 1858 portrait of Franklin Pierce by George Peter Alexander Healy

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Zachary Taylor delivered inaugural address on March 5th, 1849. Read by Yuvraj Singh. The 12th president of the United States, Taylor had served just a few months over a year before dying in office – the 2nd president to do so. Elected just 12 years before the beginning of the Civil War, slavery was the most important and dominant issue of his time. Though he doesn't rank highly as a president, it's less because of his failures and more because of his short term.

The cover art is an 1848 portrait of Zachary Taylor by Joseph Henry Bush.

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John Tyler delivered his address upon assuming the office of the president  on April 9th, 1841. Read by Yuvraj Singh. Tyler was the first vice president to become president; his predecessor, William Henry Harrison, had died a short month after becoming president. Tyler would not be re-elected. Interestingly, he would be the only president born in the 18th century to have grandchildren alive in the 21st century. 

The cover art is an 1959 portrait of John Tyler by George Peter Alexander Healy.

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William Henry Harrison delivered his only inaugural address on March 4th, 1841. Read by Yuvraj Singh. It was the longest inaugural address – 8.455 words – for the shortest presidency – 32 days. Harrison was the first president to die in office; his vice president, John Tyler, would assume office after him

The cover art is an 1835 portrait of William Henry Harrison by James Reid Lambdin.

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