3 Memorable Presidential Inaugurations in American History
Yesterday marked the 2nd inauguration of President Donald Trump—who is now both the 45th and 47th president of the United States of America. Over sixty inaugurations have taken place in United States history, and the circumstances of this well-known ceremony have changed over time.
Presidential inaugurations have taken place in Washington DC, New York City, and Philadelphia. Some inaugural addresses have been fairly short (under 200 words) and others have lasted over an hour.
So for today’s post, I wanted to discuss three of the most memorable inaugurations in American history. Without further ado, let’s move into the 1st inauguration on this list: Andrew Jackson’s 1829 Inauguration.
#1 Andrew Jackson’s 1829 Inauguration
President Andrew Jackson’s 1st presidential inauguration in 1829 could surely be called “the people’s inauguration”. After achieving a dominant victory in the 1828 US presidential election, the populist Andrew Jackson promised to root out the corruption of the previous John Q Adams administration and to serve the American people. An estimated twenty to thirty thousand of Jackson’s supporters came to
What happened next is nothing short of chaotic.
See how historian William Seale described the chaotic turn of events at the White House following Jackson’s inauguration:
The day’s defining hour, in fact, would not be the unadorned swearing-in at the Capitol. Instead, it would be when “the majesty of the people”1 descended on the presidential “Palace”2 to pay respects to the new president. Jackson’s arrival at the house amplified an already chaotic situation. Renowned visitors greeted him first, but ordinary folk soon rushed forward to shake his hand and offer best wishes.
The surging crowd made mingling impossible, and as people pushed toward Jackson and lunged toward refreshments, they collided with fragile furniture and shoved servants laden with punch bowls and trays of food. Waiters trying to maneuver with a large bowl of spiked orange punch crashed into a crowd and spilled it all on the carpet. Men in work boots, straining to see Jackson, stood on expensive upholstered furniture.
Yes, you read that correctly. An excited mob of Andrew Jackson’s supporters descended upon the White House and partied for hours–breaking furniture and dirtying the White House in the process.
It’s hard to believe now that the White House used to be open to the public at one point. However, the
The wild White House after-party following Andrew Jackson’s inauguration is a lesser-known but iconic moment part of American history.
Of course, Andrew Jackson’s inauguration does not have a video recording. However, a transcript of his inaugural address does still exist. So, you can find the transcript here if you’d like to read it. His address is fairly short in length, so it’s definitely a worthwhile read
#2 Ronald Reagan’s 1981 Inauguration
In January 1981, Ronald Reagan took the oath of office and became the 40th President of the United States of America. This inauguration was the 1st ever inauguration ceremony to take place on the west side of the US Capitol building in Washington DC. All previous presidential inaugurations took place on the east side of the Capitol building.
A lesser known fact is that President Reagan’s inauguration also marked the last day of the long-running Iranian hostage crisis. On the same day as Reagan’s inauguration, Iranian militants released over 50 captive US citizens minutes after Reagan’s inauguration. These American hostages were in captivity for over a year under the Carter administration.
#3 Donald Trump’s 2017 Inauguration
Eight years ago, Donald J. Trump took the oath of office and became the 45th President of United States. Hundreds of thousands of his supporters descended up Washington DC to see the first-ever American president to have neither held a military position or political office prior to becoming President.
The most memorable part of President Trump’s 1st inauguration was undoubtedly his excellent inaugural address. Trump’s roughly 16 minute speech centered around the “America First” themes of sovereignty, economic nationalism, and “law and order”.
The most iconic excerpt from President Trump’s inaugural address hit home the “America First” agenda that he ran on during the 2016 presidential election cycle:
“… We assembled here today our issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power, from this day forward: a new vision will govern our land, from this day forward, it’s going to be only America first. America first.“
Here is a video of the full speech for you convenience:
