Applewood Books

Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States: George Washington (1789) to James A. Garfield (1881) Applewood Books

Jacket Description/Back: ""I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."" WITH THESE WORDS every U. S. President has taken office and by this rite become a living part of American history. Equally as monumental as taking the Executive Oath of Office, but as varied and unique as each President, is the inaugural address. ""The Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States"" provide many memorable and inspiring passages and their history is as interesting as it is important. Washington's second inaugural address on March 4, 1793 required only 135 words and is the shortest ever given. The longest inaugural address on record-8,495 words-was delivered in a snowstorm on March 4, 1841 by William Henry Harrison. He died of pneumonia a month later. Five U. S. Presidents never actually gave an inaugural address. This first volume in a two-volume set gives every inaugural speech from George Washington (1789) through James A. Garfield (1881). These addresses constitute a complete collection of American leadership, highlighting the policy and vision that surround the institution of the U. S. Presidency. From Washington's pledge to a new nation and Lincoln's plea to a divided one, to Roosevelt's confrontation of fear and Kennedy's exaltation of service for one's country, this two-volume set is a valuable reference for historians, scholars, and the American people.