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The Our White House Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids!by Geri Zabela Eddins and Mary Brigid Barrett
The NCBLA’s Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out book and website overflow with stories, poetry, articles, and art about our presidents, our White House, and our history that will enhance any inaugural celebration you plan for the young people in your life. Some of the ideas and activities we suggest spring directly from the content and illustrations in Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, which you can find at your local library or bookstore—but many of the suggested ideas and activities can be used independently of the book. Although the inauguration is Tuesday, January 20, 2009, variations on these ideas and activities can also be used at home, at schools, and in libraries throughout Presidents’ month in February, and to complement other American history lessons, celebrations, and anniversaries throughout the year.
We know how busy you are so our suggestions are simple and economical. We want young people to think critically and creatively, to learn by trial and error, so we have designed our ideas and activity suggestions to be as open ended as possible. When kids make projects— when they write, paint, build, and create—they will inevitably make mistakes and messes, and their results may not be “picture perfect.” We think that is great!
We believe you know the kids with whom you live and work far better than we do, so we leave to your judgment the activities that best serve the needs and ages of the young people in your life.
The Presidential Oath of Office
• America Celebrates Its First Presidential Inauguration
• The Oath of Office Signals the Transfer of Power
• Washington’s Inauguration Established Long-lasting Traditions
• To Swear or to Affirm?
• Modern Inaugural Ceremony Highlights
• Historical Moments
• Tragedy Necessitates Speed and Improvisation
• Reference Sources
Americans Love a Parade
• President Washington Parades to the First Inauguration
• Spontaneous Parades Make Way for Officially Planned Processions
• Modern Traditions
• Historic Moments Along the Parade Route
• Reference Sources
Moving In, Moving Out: White House Transitions
• Behind the Scenes—A Flurry of Activity
• Planning Ahead Eases the Transition
• Making the White House a Home
• Personalizing the Oval Office
• Beyond Paint and Furniture—Making it Comfortable!
• Reference Sources
Inaugural Activities and Discussion Questions for Young People
• Design a Parade Float!
• Inaugural Art
• Host an Inauguration Poetry Reading
• Bibles and Relics: Connecting with Past Presidents
• In His Words—Listening to the Inaugural Speech
• Design the Oval Office
• Host a Kids Inaugural Ball! Ideas and Activities!
For general facts and information about presidential inaugurations and presidents and first ladies that may help you in planning your Kids' Inaugural Celebration, ask for Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out at your local library or bookstore and check out our Presidential Fact Files and First Lady Fact Files, at:
www.ourwhitehouse.org/presfacts.html
www.ourwhitehouse.org/fstladyfacts.html
And visit our page for links to other great inaugural websites!
http://www.ourwhitehouse.org/greatinaugsites.html
The Inaugural Address; Speeches and Writing:Thomas LaFauci has been a speechwriter and communications advisor for over twenty years. Most recently, he served on the staff of United States Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. He has also served as a speechwriter on the staffs of Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts and former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Thomas S. Foley. Mr. LaFauci has been a consulting speechwriter to nationally recognized leaders in both the public and private sectors.
In 1990, during the First Gulf War, Mr. LaFauci served as a media advisor and communications consultant to the Kuwaiti Government in Exile. Based at the Dhahran International Hotel in Saudi Arabia, Mr. LaFauci assisted the Kuwaiti Ministry of Information in responding to the wartime demands of the international press corps, represented Kuwaiti officials to members of the press, and drafted speeches and other written materials for government officials, including the Minister of Information and the Crown Prince of Kuwait.
Mr. LaFauci received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Fordham University in New York City in 1971 and a Master of Arts in English Literature from New York University in 1974. In 1976 he joined the staff of the Governor of Rhode Island as a legislative assistant, and in 1984 he became Rhode Island State Campaign Director for the Presidential campaign of Senator Gary Hart. He was elected delegate to the 1984 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco and in August of that year was appointed Special Assistant for Communications to Mayor Joseph R. Paolino Jr. of Providence, Rhode Island.
Mr. LaFauci is currently consulting and working on a novel. Recently by email, he responded to questions posed by NCBLA president Mary Brigid Barrett.
MBB: Is the inaugural address high stakes? What is its historical significance and how does it differ from a state of the union address?
TSL: An inaugural address is a thematic speech setting the tone and tenor of an administration. It should blend poetry and political philosophy with a smattering of generalized policy without the weight of time limited statistics and detail. It should categorize challenges and opportunities and move the nation to reach for the stars. Inaugural addresses are, by nature, timeless and should be drafted with a sense of history in mind. A state of the union address, on the other hand, is a much more programmatic speech promoting specific policies and legislative goals that are time limited. An inaugural address speaks to generations while a state of the union address speaks to 535 members of Congress. Both are important speeches for any president, but state of the union messages tend to die a slow death in the Congressional Record; inaugural addresses, on the other hand, are remembered long after they are delivered. When read together, from George Washington’s first inaugural address to Barack Obama’s inaugural, we are given a unique glimpse into history through the hopes and aspirations of the forty-four presidents who have shaped this nation’s history.
MBB: Would a speech writer approach an inaugural speech with different goals in mind than a campaign stump speech?
TSL: The speechwriter’s task in an inaugural address is to tap into the true language of leadership, language that does makes us feel something in our gut and inspires us to follow. It is language that can make us see ourselves in a new, more focused light; language that reveals something about who we are and what we stand for as a people; language that unmasks a mystery or consoles us in times of tragedy or trouble. A great inaugural speech should reach into our collective soul to touch what is most human in the human spirit. Other speeches are more limited in scope, more issue oriented, demanding a more analytical presentation of facts and figures.
As I said above, the speechwriter’s fundamental task in drafting an inaugural message is to understand the difference between a timeless speech and a more specific time-limited speech like a state of the union message or political speech that might be more poll driven and focuses on issues of the moment.
MBB: How is writing a speech different from writing a lecture, or a short story? Do speeches have a narrative arc, a climax and a dénouement, like, say, great works of fiction?
TSL: A speech is not bound by the rigid grammatical rules we associate with the written word. A speech is dialogue, a long monologue. What may appear, on the page, to be an incomplete or run-on sentence might achieve a compelling cadence or rhythm that works well when spoken. We do not always speak as logically as we write. And those listening to a speech are not following the logic of the speaker, but reacting emotionally to the words. That’s why a well-written paper on a particular topic does not a great speech make, though too often politicians and businessmen believe that their most talented policy personnel are perfectly capable of writing their next keynote address. Not true! Speechwriting is a specific talent, an art unto itself. It requires an appreciation of the sound of words and an understanding that a good speech depends on the sound the words make, and the story they tell.
MBB: What do you consider to be your best speech? Did you feel the speech accomplished what you set out to do?
TSL: I wouldn’t say I have a best speech, but one of the most challenging to write was a eulogy for Senator Joe Biden to deliver at the funeral of Senator Strom Thurmond. Neither Senator Biden nor I agreed with Strom’s politics, but, for many years, Senator Biden had served closely with Strom on the Judiciary Committee and they became friends. Strom occupied the offices adjacent to Biden’s in the Russell Senate Office Building, the oldest Senate office building just north of the Capitol on Constitution Avenue. In fact, Strom’s personal office was directly adjacent to mine. He had been a staunch segregationist early in his career and ran for president in 1948 as a Dixiecrat. He was a drafter of the 1956 Southern Manifesto against Brown vs. Board of Education. In 1957 he filibustered against the Civil Rights Act for twenty-four hours and eighteen minutes, the longest filibuster in Senate history. But over the years, Strom’s views had mellowed. When Senator Biden was asked to deliver the eulogy, he called me into his office and we looked at each other and wondered exactly how he could fashion a fitting tribute to a good friend with whom he so fundamentally disagreed. The final result was one of our best collaborative efforts. The theme was redemption, based on a story I will tell you later. Senator Biden spoke movingly about redemption and the power of one man to change.
MBB: As a speech writer, you do all the leg work, the creative work, then the person who delivers the speech gets all the credit. Is it hard writing something for which someone else gets the credit?
TSL: It is true that speechwriters are the most invisible staff members in Washington. They are often introduced merely as aides or special assistants. But, recognition aside, it has been an honor to work with some of the most extraordinary leaders in our nation on issues that have changed the course of history, an honor to have played even a small role in the great debates of our time. The personal satisfaction of being present for history is the speechwriter’s reward.
MBB: Would you like to share a great memory or anecdote related to your work as a speechwriter?
TSL: There was a moving story Senator Biden told which, as I mentioned earlier, we worked into Strom Thurmond’s eulogy. It was a moving story of redemption that Senator Biden delivered at Strom’s funeral and it went like this:
“When I first arrived in the Senate in 1972 I met with John Stennis, an old southern senator who became my friend. We sat on the other end of this gigantic, grand mahogany table he used as his desk that had been the desk of Senator Richard Russell. It was the table upon which the Southern Manifesto was signed.
“Senator Stennis patted the leather chair next to him when I walked in to pay my respects as a new young senator, which was the order of the day. And he said, ‘Sit down. Sit down here son.’
“And he looked at me and he said, ‘Son, what made you run for the Senate?’
“And like a darn fool I told him the truth . . . I said, ‘Civil rights, sir.’ And as soon as I did I could feel the beads of perspiration pop out of my head. And he looked at me and said, ‘Good, good, good.’ And that was the end of the conversation.
“Well, eighteen years later . . . we had become friends. I saw him sitting behind the same table eighteen years later, only this time in a wheelchair. His leg had been amputated because of cancer. And I was going to look at offices, because in my seniority, his office had become available as he was about to leave.
“I went in and sat down and he looked at me as if it were yesterday and he said, ‘Sit down Joe, sit down,’ and tapped the chair next to him. And he said something that startled me. He said, ‘Remember the first time you came to see me, Joe?’ And I shook my head. I didn’t remember. And he leaned forward and recited the story.
“I said to him, ‘I was a pretty smart young fellow, wasn’t I, Mr. Chairman?’ He said, ‘Joe, I wanted to tell you something then that I’m going to tell you now. You’re going to take my office aren’t you?’ And I said, ‘Yes sir, Mr. Chairman.’
“And he ran his hand back and forth across the mahogany table in a loving way and he said, ‘You see this table, Joe?’
“And I said, ‘Yes sir, Mr. Chairman.’ He said, ‘This table was the flagship of the Confederacy from 1954 to 1968.’ He said, ‘We sat here, most of us from the deep South, the old Confederacy, and we planned the demise of the Civil Rights movement.’
“Then he looked at me and said, ‘And now it’s time; it’s time that this table go from the possession of a man against civil rights to a man who is for civil rights.’
“And I was stunned. And he said, ‘One more thing, Joe,’ he said. ‘The Civil Rights movement did more to free the white man than the black man.’
“And I looked at him and I didn’t know what he meant, and in only John Stennis fashion, he said, ‘It freed my soul; it freed my soul.’”
When Senator Biden told me that story, I knew it had to be in the eulogy for Senator Thurmond. I took that story, and ended it as follows:
“Strom Thurmond’s soul is free today. His soul is free. The Bible says: Learn to do well, seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow, come now and let us reason together, though your sins may be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”
After hearing that story, I sat at that old mahogany table many times, through many meetings. Each time I would quietly open a drawer just enough to peek inside, hoping a small piece of history might roll out, left behind by men like Stennis and Thurmond, a note from a conversation they had, an old fountain pen used to scribble the Southern Manifesto. Now, I can't help but think of the first African-American elected President of the United States and the man to whom that table was entrusted, about to be inaugurated as his Vice President. Times have changed, but that table remains as it was, tucked away somewhere in the Senate, holding a unique place in American political history. I wonder who will sit at it tomorrow.
MBB: Do you have favorite inaugural addresses—favorite presidential speeches?
TSL: I have many favorite presidential speeches, but one that is most pertinent today is Franklin Roosevelt’s first inaugural address, which I’m sure President-elect Obama and Jon Favreau, his speechwriter, are reading and re-reading as we speak.
On March 4, 1933 Franklin Roosevelt stood on the East Front of the United States Capitol and said, “The money changers have fled from their high seats in the temple of our civilization. We may now restore that temple to the ancient truths. The measure of the restoration lies in the extent to which we apply social values more noble than mere monetary profit.”
“Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits. These dark days will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves and to our fellow men.”
(For a primary source account of President Franklin Roosevelt’s first inauguration and first inaugural address go to: www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,745290,00.html)
MBB: If a young person wanted to grow up and become a political or presidential speechwriter, what would you recommend that they do right now?
TSL: Read. Write. Read poetry. Read history. Keep a broad perspective on how things work, how the political process works, how it affects the lives of people. See how the pieces fit together. Work in city government, town government, county government, state government to appreciate just how local politics really is. Learn the issues, all the issues, a little bit about everything, but not enough to get so lost in the weeds of any one issue that you lose sight of the human side, those things that touch the human spirit and warm the human heart. The best speechwriters are generalists who understand the issues, appreciate their historic significance, poets-at-heart who always see the big picture and can bring a particular vision to the policies and programs of a candidate.
Read. Write. You can’t do those things enough.
The NCBLA wishes to thank Mr. LaFauci for taking time in his busy schedule to answer our questions.
Presidential Inaugural Speeches Internet Resources: The Avalon Project at Yale Law School
Inaugural Addresses of presidents from Washington to Bush.
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/inaug.asp
The American Presidency Project
Contains inaugural address texts and audio and video tapes of a number of inaugural addresses.
www.presidency.ucsb.edu/inaugurals.php
www.presidency.ucsb.edu/media.php
Online Articles of InterestRead more about presidential inaugural addresses in the January 9, 2009 issue of The New Yorker in an article titled “The Speech” by Jill Lepore. The article is available online to subscribers only.
“From George Washington to George Bush, Speeches and Parades, Dances and Tradition.”
www.nytimes.com/1989/01/21/politics/1989inaug-history.html?printpage=yes
“George Washington, First Inauguration, April 30, 1789.”
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/piwi01.html
“George Washington gives first presidential inaugural address.”
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=511
“Can Political Speeches Make a Difference?”
www.boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/articles/2009/01/11/just_words/
The Presidential Oath of Officeby Geri Zabela Eddins
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute
the Office ofPresident of the United States,
and will to the best of my Ability,
preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
- The Constitution of the United States. Article II, Section 1.
With the United States finally at peace and a bold new Constitution leading the road to a democratic future, the American people were ready for a celebration. The inauguration of the new country’s first president provided the perfect incentive for a large-scale celebration that lasted over two weeks and spanned nearly three hundred miles from the coast of Virginia to America’s first capital, New York City. The festivities culminated with the inaugural ceremony on April 30, 1789, when the nation’s beloved General George Washington arrived in a carriage to the steps of Federal Hall. On this crisp, sunny day, banners and flags rippled across the city, while more than ten thousand cheering citizens crammed into the streets, peered through the windows of neighboring buildings, and gathered on rooftops to welcome Washington and witness his inauguration.
The tall, stately Washington wore an American-made brown suit fastened with metal buttons emblazoned with eagles. He carried a ceremonial sword at his side. Washington strode up the stairs to the second-floor balcony that overlooked the city. From there he could see the thousands of spectators, which included the entirety of Congress assembled on a platform facing the hall. A table covered in red velvet was situated in the middle of the balcony, and on it rested a Bible. With Vice President John Adams at his side, Washington placed one hand on the Bible and the other over his heart. Prompted by New York Chancellor Robert R. Livingston, Washington repeated the oath of office as required by the Constitution. Upon finishing the thirty-five word oath, legend states that Washington added, “I swear, so help me God” and kissed the Bible. Livingston then proclaimed, “It is done. Long live George Washington, President of the United States.” The crowds erupted into thunderous cheers and bells tolled throughout the city.
Shortly after swearing the oath of office, Washington addressed both the Senate and the House of Representatives in the Senate chamber, then walked up Broadway with a group of legislators and local political leaders to pray at St. Paul’s Chapel. Washington’s inaugural day festivities concluded with fireworks exploding over the city.
Most inauguration days continue to be festive events celebrated by traditional ceremonies, parades, and balls, but it is the oath of office that reigns as the highlight. The oath is in fact the only part of our elaborate inaugural ceremonies and celebrations that is required by the Constitution. Article II, Section 1 provides the short—but imperative—oath that every president beginning with George Washington has sworn to: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Every single president has stated these same words to swear his duty to the country and the Constitution, whether he was elected or required to assume the presidency following a president’s death or resignation.
The exact moment when a president-elect concludes the oath signals that he or she is now officially president and commander in chief. Regarding the remarkable significance of this uniquely peaceful transfer of power from one president to the next, historian Jim Bendat writes in Democracy’s Big Day, “Our Inauguration Day is one that demonstrates the continuity of our country and the renewal of the democratic process, as well as the healing that is sometimes needed after an election battle.”
Soon after his inauguration, Washington wrote, “I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of my conduct which may not hereafter be drawn into precedent.” With no guidelines having been prescribed in the Constitution for a presidential inauguration, many of Washington’s inaugural actions have served as precedents that continue to be followed by most of his successors. Although the Constitution does not dictate that the oath be concluded by the words “so help me God,” Washington’s spontaneous addition of this phrase has prompted most other presidents to also end their oaths in the same fashion. In fact, today the chief justice almost always prompts the president to say “so help me God” following the oath. Washington also set other precedents that most of his successors have followed: he took the oath of office in the open overlooking a crowd, he spontaneously kissed the Bible after swearing the oath, and he delivered his inaugural address immediately after the oath ceremony. Those presidents who chose not to deliver an inaugural address—John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Chester Arthur, and Gerald Ford—all assumed the presidency following his predecessor’s death or resignation and so decided that it would be inappropriate to give an inaugural address.
The Constitution does allow a president the choice of swearing or affirming the oath of office, but only one president—Franklin Pierce—chose to affirm his oath. Soon after Pierce was elected he was traveling with his wife and young son in a train from Boston when it suddenly derailed and crashed into a field below the tracks. The Pierce’s son was tragically killed in the accident. Pierce interpreted his son’s horrific death as punishment for his own sins. As a result, he refused to swear on the Bible at his 1853 inauguration. Instead, he raised his right hand and “affirmed” his loyalty to the Constitution.
Presidential inaugurations used to be celebrated on March 4, but Congress moved the date to January 20 when they ratified the Twentieth Amendment in 1933. The four-month delay between election and inauguration was needed in the early years of our country, but modern communication and transportation enabled newly elected administrations to assume power in a more timely manner. Following the passage of the Twentieth Amendment, Franklin Roosevelt became the first president to be inaugurated on January 20 in 1937.
Today inaugurations take place in Washington, D.C., on January 20 at the west front of the U.S. Capitol according to a schedule very similar to Washington’s. Though inaugural celebrations may last way past midnight, the swearing-in ceremony begins at 11:30 a.m. sharp. Following introductory band music, an invocation, and on occasion a poetry reading, the vice president-elect is sworn in first. At noon the president-elect is sworn in and then addresses the crowds and nation in his or her inaugural speech. The ceremony ends with a benediction and the playing of the “Star-Spangled Banner.” The new president and his or her family then join guests inside the Capitol’s Statuary Hall for lunch before parading back to the White House.
Though tradition plays a dominant role in presidential inaugural ceremonies, special circumstances and personal preferences sometimes compel changes.
• John Adams was the first president to receive the oath of office from the chief justice. Washington is the only elected president who was not sworn in by the chief justice because the Supreme Court had not yet been established.
• James Monroe was the first president to take the oath of office outdoors in Washington, D.C. After Washington swore his first oath of office before the city of New York from the balcony of Federal Hall in 1789, all subsequent inaugural oaths were sworn indoors until 1817. Washington swore his second oath of office in the Senate Chamber of Congress Hall in Philadelphia. John Adams swore the oath of office in the Hall of the House of Representatives in Philadelphia’s Federal Hall before a joint session of Congress. For both of his inaugurations Thomas Jefferson swore his oath in the new Senate Chamber of the partially built Capitol building in Washington, D.C. And James Madison was administered the oath of office in the Hall of the House of Representatives in the Capitol.
• The inauguration of Martin Van Buren in 1837 marked the first time both the incumbent and president-elect rode together to the Capitol for the inaugural ceremony.
• In 1853 Franklin Pierce affirmed his oath, instead of swearing it. He also chose not to kiss the Bible, but to place his hand on it instead.
• Because inauguration day was a Sunday in 1877, Rutherford Hayes was sworn in before the actual inauguration day, and for the first time, a president swore the oath privately in the White House on Saturday. He then swore the oath in public that Monday.
• In 1917 Woodrow Wilson became the first president to swear the oath on a Sunday. He also was the first to swear the oath in the President’s Room at the Capitol in private.
• In 1953 Dwight Eisenhower chose not to kiss the Bible, but to recite a personal prayer following the oath.
• President Lyndon Johnson was the first to ask his wife to actively participate in the inaugural ceremony. In previous years, the clerk of the Supreme Court would be asked to hold the Bible for the oath. However, Johnson asked his wife, Lady Bird Johnson, to hold the Bible. First Lady Johnson wrote about the experience, “I was touched that Lyndon wanted me to hold the Bible for the swearing-in. We used the Bible Lyndon’s mother had given us . . . and I stood facing the throng between the Chief Justice and Lyndon while he took the oath.” A new tradition was born. Since Johnson’s inauguration in 1965, every subsequent first lady has held the Bible for her husband’s oath.
Following the death of a president, it is critical that power be transferred immediately to the successor. Many vice presidents have therefore been sworn in as president under unusual circumstances.
• President William Henry Harrison died just thirty-one days after his inauguration, thrusting Vice President John Tyler into the presidency. Tyler swore the oath of office two days after Harrison’s death at Brown's Indian Queen Hotel in Washington, D.C. Chief Judge William Cranch of the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Columbia administered the oath.
• Expediency in the wake of the assassination of President James Garfield in 1881 forced Vice President Chester Arthur to be sworn in at his own home in New York. He had no Bible in his house, so he swore the oath without one.
• Vice President Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in quickly following the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901. He swore the oath at a friend’s house—with no Bible, but with his hand raised.
• Calvin Coolidge became president when President Warren Harding died unexpectedly. Coolidge was visiting his family farm in Vermont and sleeping when messengers arrived with the news. His father happened to be a notary public, and so he administered the oath of office. Although a family Bible was available, Coolidge did not use it for the ceremony. His father also had the privilege of being the first to address him as “Mr. President.”
• Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson was sworn in on an airplane. He swore the oath on the presidential jet Air Force One at Love Field in Dallas, Texas. This was also the first time a president was sworn in by a woman, Sarah T. Hughes, who was the U.S. District Judge of the Northern District of Texas.
Read the original text of the Constitution, including the presidential oath of office in Article II at: www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/freedom/constitution/text.html.
Review the dates and locations at which each president swore the oath of office at: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/pioaths.html.
Read an expanded list of precedents and historic events at inaugurations at: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/pinotable.html.
And read the story of presidential and vice presidential succession on this site:
A Heartbeat Away: The Story of Presidential and Vice Presidential Succession
Reference Sources: The Presidential Oath of OfficeBendat, Jim. Democracy’s Big Day: The Inauguration of our President 1789-2009. New York: iUniverse Star, 2008.
Hess, Stephen. What Do We Do Now? A Workbook for the President-Elect. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2008.
Santella, Andrew. U.S. Presidential Inaugurations. New York: Children’s Press, 2002.
Wagner, Heather Lehr. The Presidency. New York: Chelsea House, 2007.
“Bibles and Scripture Passages Used by Presidents in Taking the Oath of Office.” 1 December 2008. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/pibible.html
“From George Washington to George Bush, Speeches and Parades, Dances and Tradition.” 19 December 2008. www.nytimes.com/1989/01/21/politics/1989inaug-history.html?printpage=yes
“George Washington, First Inauguration, April 30, 1789.” 1 December 2008. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/piwi01.html
“George Washington gives first presidential inaugural address.” 19 December 2008.
www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=511
“George Washington Inaugural Bible.” 19 December 2008. www.stjohns1.org/bible.htm
“Inaugural History.” 13 November 2008. www.pbs.org/newshour/inauguration/history.html
“Inaugurals of Presidents of the United States: Some Precedents and Notable Events.” 13 November 2008. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/pinotable.html
“The Inauguration of George Washington, 1789.” 3 January 2009. www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/washingtoninaug.htm
“John Tyler, Tenth Vice President (1841).” 4 December 2008. www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/VP_John_Tyler.htm
“Presidential Oaths of Office.” 1 December 2008. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/pioaths.html
Americans Love a Paradeby Geri Zabela Eddins
Upon learning that his election as president was official, George Washington traveled leisurely over a period of seven days from his home at Mount Vernon to the country’s temporary capital in New York City, riding on horseback through Alexandria, Georgetown, Washington, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. Throngs of enthusiastic crowds cheered Washington along the many miles of his journey and treated him like royalty, crowning him with laurel wreaths, hosting banquets in his honor, and saluting him with cannon fire. Loyal members of local militias joined Washington’s procession to New York in increasing numbers as if they were following an irresistible piper. Members of the Continental Army, legislators, political leaders, and ordinary American citizens who were gathered in New York for the inauguration on April 30, 1789, also joined Washington’s “parade” as he left in a carriage from the home of Governor George Clinton, where he had stayed, to the steps of Federal Hall for the ceremony. The admiring crowds swarmed Washington a third time after he finished his inaugural address and accompanied him as he walked to a prayer service at St. Paul’s Chapel. In subsequent years impromptu parades of supporters also escorted John Adams and Thomas Jefferson to their inaugurations.
Although Thomas Jefferson was the first president to be inaugurated in the new capital of Washington, D.C., he preferred a more subdued atmosphere for his ceremony than the pageantry and splendor of Washington’s inauguration. He therefore chose to walk with a few friends from his hotel to the Capitol. After swearing the oath and delivering his inaugural address, Jefferson walked back to his hotel and ate dinner. Following his second inaugural ceremony in 1805, Jefferson rode from the Capitol to the White House on horseback and was accompanied by several hundred well wishers that included mechanics from the nearby navy yard, Congressmen, and diplomats. The Marine Band also joined the parade and played patriotic music as they marched.
Inaugural parades continued to be spontaneous, unplanned events until the inauguration of James Madison in 1809. An official parade that included a cavalry unit from Georgetown was organized to escort Madison to the Capitol. The officially planned inaugural parades continued to precede the inaugural ceremony until 1873. In the waning years of the nineteenth century, however, the inaugural parade had transformed into a much grander and more time-consuming event involving thousands of participants. So it was decided that the parade would no longer precede the inaugural ceremony, but follow it as a grand-scale public celebration.
Today’s inaugural parade continues to follow the inaugural ceremony and serves as a two-hour celebration that is not only enjoyed by the thousands of people lining the streets of Washington, but also the millions watching on television. After the newly sworn-in administration enjoys lunch in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall, the parade begins! The president and his or her spouse lead the way down Pennsylvania Avenue, followed by the Vice President and his or her spouse, all the way to the White House. Most presidents choose to ride in a limousine but may stop at certain points along the way, leave the car, and greet the cheering supporters. Once the president and vice president arrive at the White House, they and their spouses join special guests in the reviewing stand, a special viewing section constructed specifically for each inaugural parade and designed for both comfort and safety. Following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, each reviewing stand has been encased in bullet-proof glass to ensure the president is safe.
From the reviewing stand, the country’s new administration enjoys the remainder of the parade—a grand, festive spectacle that features thousands of marchers—military and high school marching bands playing patriotic music, tumbling cheerleaders, proud citizens’ groups, and military regiments representing all branches of the armed forces. Elaborately decorated floats celebrating American life in all fifty states also delight the crowds. The record for the most number of marchers in an inaugural parade was set in 1913 for the inauguration of Woodrow Wilson. Over 40,000 people participated in that parade. The parade celebrating Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration, however, holds the record for the longest. Those who watched the entirety of Eisenhower’s parade stood for four hours and thirty-nine minutes!
• From the moment Washington journeyed from his home at Mount Vernon escorted by enthusiastic supporters to his inauguration, the American people have honored their new presidents with festive parades. Many parades have included marchers and floats that revealed significant aspects of the new president’s life or issues of concern for the time.
• Thomas Jefferson walked to and from his first inaugural ceremony in 1801, but chose to ride on horseback from the Capitol to the White House after being sworn in for his second inauguration in 1805. Jefferson was the only president who ever walked to and from an inaugural ceremony.
• The first full-scale parade accompanied Andrew Jackson from the Capitol to the White House in 1829. Jackson’s parade was followed by a public reception at the White House, which was celebrated by a famously rowdy crowd of thousands that destroyed many of the interior furnishings. In later years the parade replaced public receptions as the primary public celebration.
• Floats were used for the first time in Martin Van Buren’s inaugural parade in 1837.
• Over the years parades became increasingly longer, and the parade that celebrated Zachary Taylor’s inauguration in 1849 was so long that it took one hour to pass any one point along the parade route.
• A reproduction of the U.S.S. Constitution was crafted as a float for James Buchanan’s 1857 inaugural parade.
• In 1861 the parade for Abraham Lincoln’s first inauguration included a number of floats, including one decorated in red, white, and blue that transported thirty-four young girls who represented each of the current states. All thirty-four of the girls attended a reception later that day and surrounded Lincoln, who picked up and kissed every single one of them!
• Native Americans and African Americans participated in the inaugural parade for the first time in 1865 for Lincoln’s second inauguration. The African Americans who marched represented civilian organizations, as well as a military battalion.
• In 1869 the inaugural parade for Ulysses S. Grant included eight military divisions.
• Prior to 1873 the inaugural parade and the president-elect’s procession to the Capitol were the same event. However, that changed for Grant’s second inauguration when the official inaugural parade became a new event that followed the inaugural ceremony.
• The year 1877 witnessed the country’s first hotly disputed election. Rutherford Hayes was declared the presidential winner just two days before the scheduled inauguration. Hayes was sworn in as president in a secret ceremony held in the White House that evening, just two days before the official inauguration at the Capitol. Because there was no time for advance planning, Hayes was escorted to the White House in a last-minute torchlight parade.
• The first parade reviewing stand in front of the White House was built for James Garfield’s inaugural parade in 1881.
• In 1897 William McKinley sat in the first glass-enclosed reviewing stand.
• Theodore Roosevelt set a new standard for inaugural parades in 1905. Nearly 35,000 people marched, including cowboys, Pennsylvania coal miners, and his Rough Riders (members of Roosevelt’s cavalry unit during the Spanish-American War) on horseback.
• William Taft was the first president whose wife rode with him from the Capitol to the White House.
• Women participated in the inaugural parade for the first time at Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration in 1917.
• Warren Harding was the first president to ride to and from the Capitol in a car.
• Airplanes first made a parade appearance in Herbert Hoover’s 1929 inaugural parade.
• The 1953 inaugural parade for Dwight Eisenhower was the longest parade ever held. The procession went on for ten miles, and the approximately 750,000 bystanders who witnessed the whole parade had to stand four hours and thirty-nine minutes to see its entirety. The parade featured numerous floats portraying scenes from Eisenhower's life and a live turtle waving the American flag with its front legs. Eisenhower had even agreed to be lassoed by the television cowboy Monte Montana, a stunt which did not endear him to the Secret Service.
• Because snow blanketed the ground for John F. Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961, army flame throwers were used to melt the snow off Pennsylvania Avenue so the parade could be held. Over 32,000 people marched in this parade. The parade included a PT (patrol torpedo) boat in honor of Kennedy’s war service, as well as nuclear missiles transported atop trucks.
• Protestors first appeared at an inaugural parade in 1969. Hundreds of citizens who condemned the Vietnam War burned small American flags and chanted protests such as “Four more years of death” at Richard Nixon’s inaugural parade.
• Following the inaugural luncheon in 1977, Jimmy Carter and his wife entered the limousine for the parade, but then decided they would walk instead. Carter and his wife thus became the only president and first lady to walk the entire one and a half miles from the Capitol to the White House. However, in subsequent years George and Barbara Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and George W. and Laura Bush all chose to walk part of the parade route from the Capitol.
• Protestors were granted permits and allocated space along the parade route for the first time during George W. Bush’s 2001 inaugural parade. Bush had won the Electoral College but not the popular vote in a hotly contested election, leaving many Americans furious over the election results. Thousands chose to assert their displeasure by hoisting posters at the parade proclaiming “Hail to the Thief” and “Supreme Injustice.”
Read an expanded list of precedents and historic inaugural events at: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/pinotable.html.
Reference Sources: Americans Love a ParadeAngelo, Bonnie. First Families: The Impact of the White House on Their Lives. New York: HarperCollins, 2005.
Bendat, Jim. Democracy’s Big Day: The Inauguration of our President 1789-2009. New York: iUniverse Star, 2008.
Hess, Stephen. What Do We Do Now? A Workbook for the President-Elect. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2008.
Santella, Andrew. U.S. Presidential Inaugurations. New York: Children’s Press, 2002.
Wagner, Heather Lehr. The Presidency. New York: Chelsea House, 2007.
“From George Washington to George Bush, Speeches and Parades, Dances and Tradition.” 19 December 2008. www.nytimes.com/1989/01/21/politics/1989inaug-history.html?printpage=yes
“Ike Takes Helm in a 'Time of Tempest'; Says 'We Are Linked to All Free Peoples'.” 2 January 2009. www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/inaug/history/stories/ike53.htm
“Inaugural History.” 13 November 2008. www.pbs.org/newshour/inauguration/history.html
“Inaugural Parade.” 2 January 2009. http://inaugural.senate.gov/history/daysevents/inauguralparade.cfm
“Inaugurals of Presidents of the United States: Some Precedents and Notable Events.” 13 November 2008. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/pinotable.html
“Inauguration Day.” Encyclopedia Americana Online. 2 January 2009.
http://ea.grolier.com/cgi-bin/article?assetid=0213430-00
“The Inauguration of George Washington, 1789.” 3 January 2009.
www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/washingtoninaug.htm
“Truman and Eisenhower: When the Man Who Loved Roads Met the Man Who Changed America.” 2 January 2009.
www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/met.htm
©2008 Geri Zabela Eddins; The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance
Moving In, Moving Out: White House Transitionsby Geri Zabela Eddins
“Inauguration Day is easily the busiest day of the year for the entire Executive Mansion staff. While the
changing-of-the-guard takes place officially a mile away at the Capitol steps, it happens physically at the White House.
Not only do we gear up for receiving important visitors from all over the country, . . . but we also must move
the outgoing President’s belongings out, and the incoming President’s belongings in during the . . . Inaugural
activities at the Capitol. Every carpenter, plumber, electrician, engineer, doorman, butler is put to work.”
- J.B. West, Former Chief Usher of the White House
in Upstairs at the White House: My Life With the First Ladies
Perhaps the most arduous of all inaugural traditions is that Inauguration Day is also moving day at the White House. At 10:00 a.m. on Inauguration Day President George W. Bush’s toothbrush still sits in the upstairs bathroom. Bush family pictures and mementoes continue to line the shelves of the residence, and favorite paintings of Texas remain hanging in the Oval Office.
It is a long-standing rule of respect that the incumbent president continues to reside at the White House with his or her family until the president-elect is sworn in as the new president. Though the presidential families—outgoing and incoming—have been planning their respective moves for weeks, not one item of the outgoing family’s possessions can be loaded onto the moving truck until the incumbent has left the White House with the president-elect for the inaugural ceremonies. So, on January 20, 2009, at approximately 11:30 a.m. when President Bush and President-elect Barack Obama finish their traditional coffee at the White House and leave with their wives to proceed to the Capitol, the White House staff will erupt into a bustling whirlwind of frantic but efficient activity as they begin to remove all of the Bush family’s possessions and simultaneously move in the Obama family’s boxes and furniture.
Because the synchronized moving out and moving in takes place in an impossible period of about five to six hours, the ambitious work schedule is organized weeks in advance by the Chief Usher, who supervises it with the precision of a military operation. The dozens of White House staff workers know exactly what to do once the limousines leave and the moving trucks pull in, whether it be polishing the fixtures in the thirteen bathrooms, painting the walls in the girls’ rooms, or moving furniture in the sitting room. Recently retired Chief Usher Gary Walters, who worked at the White House for nearly thirty years, has remarked, “Our aim is when the new president comes in from the inaugural reviewing stand, he feels at home. His clothes are hung in the closet; the first lady’s shoes are where they’re supposed to be; their favorite snacks are stocked in the pantry. We want them to know that this is their home, not a place they’re visiting. We’re here to make them comfortable.”
First ladies have historically taken charge of ensuring their families make a smooth transition into their new home, and so space planning and redecoration of the residence has fallen within their domain. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy bemoaned not being able to complete her redecoration plans before her husband’s inauguration, and First Lady Nancy Reagan was demonized in the press for having asked the Carters if they would move out early so she could begin redecorating. The fact is, though, that the White House Chief Usher does all he can to assist the president-elect’s family as much as possible in advance, providing them with printed floor plans and lists of all furniture and art pieces available in the White House and in storage. The Chief Usher also inquires about favorite foods, flowers, and daily rituals. The White House staff is in fact charged with delivering any and all requests made by a first family. Chief Usher Walters has noted that the executive mansion “is a home and the president and his family have to be comfortable in their home.” One of the more unusual requests was made by Richard Nixon. He insisted on a constantly burning fire in the Lincoln study, whether it be ten degrees or one hundred degrees! One request Michelle Obama has stated publically is that she would prefer that the staff not make her daughters’ beds or clean their rooms. In an interview with journalist Barbara Walters, Mrs. Obama noted, “That was the first thing I said to some of the [White House] staff when I did my visit: ‘You know, we're going to have to set up some boundaries. Because [the girls are] going to need to be able to make their beds.’”
Tradition also dictates that the incumbent president and first lady invite the president-elect and his or her spouse to visit the White House so they can personally review the accommodations in the weeks before the inauguration. They can then decide how to make the best use of the rooms and determine what furniture pieces they may need to bring or purchase. When the Obama family visited President and Mrs. Bush at the White House this past November, the Bush’s daughters Barbara and Jenna were on hand to assist with the tour and delighted in showing Sasha and Malia the two rooms they had called their own. Although the Obama’s final plans for the residence have not been publicized, Mrs. Bush stated in an interview on “Nightline” that the Obama’s daughters would likely choose the same rooms Barbara and Jenna had occupied because they are “obvious” choices for children’s rooms.
When children move into the White House, they are encouraged to decorate their rooms to suit their tastes. Eight-year old Amy Carter chose a Victorian bedroom set from the White House storage for her bedroom, as well as a painting of a Fourth of July picnic done by Grandma Moses. Teenager Chelsea Clinton hung up assorted posters in her White House bedroom.
Each first family does its best to make themselves at home in the nation’s presidential mansion. Some have been content to live there as they find it, while others have sought to completely transform its interior to suit their needs and personal tastes. In 1902 Theodore Roosevelt enlarged the formal dining room and hung a moose head over the mantel, but the moose was removed when the Hardings moved in. The Carters made very few decorating changes, but did install solar panels to improve energy efficiency. Four years later the Reagans had the solar panels removed. In previous years Jacqueline Kennedy sought to not only overhaul the upstairs residence space, but the public rooms on the ground and first floors as well. Her goal was to transform the White House into a “grand house” that would be the pride of the nation by integrating appropriate antiques and installing art pieces borrowed from the Smithsonian.
Each incoming first family is allotted a budget of $100,000 to furnish and decorate the White House residence to suit their needs and tastes. This may seem like a generous amount, but most first families spend well over $100,000 and cover the additional expense through private donations. Many first ladies also choose to renovate and redecorate the public rooms of the White House. These types of changes must be approved by the Committee for the Preservation of the White House. This committee ensures that all changes made to the White House décor and furnishings are “best suited to enhance the historic and artistic values of the White House.” Although the American public often resists changes to the White House, the fact is that as a beacon for international leaders, ambassadors, politicians, and tourists, the mansion undergoes much more traffic than a typical house and requires new floors, paint jobs, and furnishings on a regular basis. In the book Our Changing White House Chief Usher Walters explains: “The White House is the only residence of a sitting head of state or government that is open to the public on a regular basis. . . . There are always pressing needs. With over one million tourists and nearly forty thousand official guests in a year, the normal, everyday wear and tear on the Residence and its furnishings is enormous.”
The Oval Office serves as the president’s primary work and meeting space and is traditionally redecorated to reflect his personal tastes and attitudes. Jimmy Carter, who favored frugality, was one of the few recent presidents who chose to retain the Oval Office décor selected by his predecessor. To personalize this space most presidents choose furniture, artwork, and sculpture from the historic collection. Kennedy’s Oval Office walls were adorned with seascapes and naval paintings. Clinton chose busts of favorite presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln to sit on the table behind his desk and selected red, blue, and gold as the primary upholstery and carpet colors. George W. Bush replaced Clinton’s color choices with antique gold and hung paintings depicting his home state of Texas. One constant that no president changes, however, is the placement of the flags—the presidential flag always stands to the president’s left, while the United States flag always stands to the president’s right.
Reference Sources: Moving In, Moving OutAngelo, Bonnie. First Families: The Impact of the White House on Their Lives. New York: HarperCollins, 2005.
Bendat, Jim. Democracy’s Big Day: The Inauguration of our President 1789-2009. New York: iUniverse Star, 2008.
Garrett, Wendell. Our Changing White House. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1995.
Grace, Catherine O’Neill. The White House: An Illustrated History. New York: Scholastic, 2003.
Hess, Stephen. What Do We Do Now? A Workbook for the President-Elect. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2008.
West, J.B. Upstairs at the White House: My Life With the First Ladies. New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, Inc., 1973.
White House Historical Association. The White House: An Historic Guide. New York: National Geographic Society, 1991.
“Laura Bush on Michelle Obama's WH Visit.” 3 January 2009. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/President44/Story?id=6307674&page=1
“Malia Obama Calls Dibs on Lincoln's Desk: Obama Talks to Barbara Walters About Homework, History and Happy Family.” 3 January 2009. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/President44/story?id=6339711&page=1
“Obama Plans White House Basketball Court, If Elected.” 3 January 2009. www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2008/06/16/obama-plans-white-house-basketball-court-if-elected/
“The Bushes have redecorated several White House rooms by replacing historically inaccurate pieces.” 3 January 2009. <www.idahostatesman.com/105/story/308146.html>
“The White House Historical Association: Traditions and Transitions.” 2 December 2008. www.whitehousehistory.org/whha_press/press_feature-transitions.html
“What will change look like in Obama White House? First family can learn from those who redecorated before them.” 3 January 2009. www.ajc.com/living/content/living/homeandgarden/stories/2008/12/18/white_house_decorating.html
“White House Bowling Alley.” 3 January 2009.
www.whitehousemuseum.org/floor0/bowling-alley.htm
©2008 Geri Zabela Eddins; The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance
Inaugural Activities and Discussion Questions for Young People by Geri Zabela Eddins and Mary Brigid Barrett
Months of design planning and hard labor go into the construction of the elaborate floats we see during the inaugural parade. Some floats reflect the theme of the inauguration, others show off the industries and resources of a particular state, and then there’s the president’s float—a float designed to celebrate the newly inaugurated president’s life. The float created for Eisenhower was a golf course putting green. For George Bush the president’s float was an aircraft carrier that hauled one of the planes Bush had flown during WWII. Whatever is being created for President Obama will be a surprise until it glides down Pennsylvania Avenue on January 20!
Pose this question to your kids: If you could design a float for President Obama, what would it look like? Draw a picture of your design.
Your class or family might want to create your own inaugural parade of floats. Each person can choose a theme for his or her float. A larger class might consider having each student create a float for a certain state. Or, you might want to show off your school or community in your float design!
Young people can also find inspiration for parade and float themes from the articles and illustrations in Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out. For example: “ Presidential Pets” might be a great theme for elementary and middle school students who will find inspiration in Steven Kellogg’s article and double-page illustration of White House pets that appear in Our White House.
There are many ways kids can create their own parade of floats. One way is to draw pictures on paper and then tape them in a long parade line on a classroom or hall wall. Or, they can make their floats using shoe boxes or tissue boxes. Cut pictures from magazines. Puff balls and pipe cleaners make great animals. Brightly colored construction paper, foam sheets, and even popsicle sticks can be used to create and build just about anything they might want to add to their floats. They may also want to make floats from wagons, or other wheeled toys or objects, and form an mini-inaugural parade in a neighborhood playground or recreation center or school hallway.
You can find pictures of past parade floats to share with your kids at: http://media.myfoxdc.com/photos/photo_gallery/Past_Inaugurations/album/slides/Past_Inaugurations_8.html
You can read about the inaugural parade at:
Americans Love a Parade, on this page, and at the Senate’s website at: http://inaugural.senate.gov/history/daysevents/inauguralparade.cfm
The inaugural luncheon is held in National Statuary Hall within the Capitol. A new tradition was started in 1985 for one or two paintings to be selected to serve as a backdrop for the head table. The painting is chosen to reflect the official theme of the inaugural ceremony. In 1997 portraits of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were selected to highlight the 200th anniversaries of their inauguration as president and vice president in 1797. In 2005 a gleaming portrait of Wyoming titled Wind River, Wyoming and painted by Albert Bierstadt in 1870 was borrowed from a collection in Colorado to commemorate the 1905 inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt, as well as the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark expedition. This year’s inaugural theme is “A New Birth of Freedom” and was selected to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.
Though a portrait of Lincoln might be an obvious choice for this year’s luncheon, the committee has selected a landscape titled View of the Yosemite Valley by Thomas Hill. The inaugural committee selected this painting because “the painting reflects the majestic landscape of the American West and the dawn of a new era. The subject of the painting, Yosemite Valley, represents an important but often overlooked event from Lincoln's presidency—his signing of the 1864 Yosemite Grant, which set aside Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias as a public reserve.”
See the Yosemite portrait here: http://inaugural.senate.gov/luncheon/painting.cfm
Ask your kids: What do you think about the committee’s painting selection?
Have your kids consider what other paintings might also reflect this year’s inaugural theme. Together, look at art books and catalogs of museum collections at your library. Also, most major museums provide pictures of their collections on their websites. A good place to start a search might be the National Gallery of Art. You can all view its collection online at: www.nga.gov/collection/index.shtm
For both of Bill Clinton’s inaugurations, portraits of previous presidents were selected. In 1993 a portrait of Thomas Jefferson hung behind the head table. In 1997 portraits of both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were featured. Do your kids think a portrait of Lincoln would be an appropriate choice for this year’s luncheon? You can view the portrait of Lincoln that hangs in the Capitol (painted by artist Freeman Thorp) at www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/artifact/Painting_31_00008.htm and the portrait of Lincoln that hangs above the mantel in the state dining room of the White House (painted by George P. A. Healy) at www.whitehousehistory.org/03/subs/images_e/art_05.html. Look at both portraits and compare them. Ask your kids which one would they would choose and why.
Your kids might also want to paint their own piece of art for the inaugural! They could paint a portrait of Lincoln or a landscape featuring the log cabin in which he was born. For links to homes and historic sites associated with Lincoln, check out: www.ourwhitehouse.org/prespgs/alincoln.html
And, ask your kids: If you were elected president what would you choose for your inaugural theme? Draw and/or paint a picture that symbolizes that theme! This is a wonderful opportunity to discuss the concept of theme and symbols! There are many incredible illustrations in Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out that you can show to your students to inspire them!
You can read more about the paintings displayed at past inaugural luncheons at: www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/common/collection_list/inaugural_luncheons.htm
Poet Elizabeth Alexander will be reading a poem she has written to celebrate Obama’s new administration at the inaugural ceremony. Poetry reading has not been standard tradition at presidential inaugurations. In fact, only two previous presidents included a poetry reading. Robert Frost read for the inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961, and Bill Clinton included poets on the schedule for both of his inaugurations. Maya Angelou read a piece for the 1993 inauguration, and Miller Williams read a poem he wrote for the 1997 inauguration.
Read and share with your kids one or all three of the previous inaugural poems written by Frost, Angelou, and Williams. Read them aloud or have the young people in your life read them aloud. Poems are meant to be heard!
Find both the poem that Frost recited from memory at Kennedy’s inauguration (“The Gift Outright”), as well as the poem he wrote for the occasion (“Dedication”) at: www.pbs.org/newshour/inauguration/frost_poem.html.
Find the poem written by Maya Angelou for Clinton’s first inauguration at: http://poetry.eserver.org/angelou.html.
Find Miller Williams’ poem, “Of History and Hope,” written for Clinton’s second inauguration at: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/inaug/mon/poem.htm.
Find inaugural poet Elizabeth Alexander’s biography, as well as some of her poems, at: www.elizabethalexander.net/home.html.
Ask young people: Why do you think President Obama has decided to include a poetry reading? Why is this important? What poet would you invite to your presidential inauguration?
Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out is full of original poetry about presidents and the White House. The poems in Our White House range from poignant to humorous; read them aloud and share them with young people, for it will give them an idea of the wide emotional range that their own poetry can encompass.
Encourage your kids at home and in the classroom to write a poem for President Obama’s inauguration. The poem can rhyme or not rhyme. You can introduce kids to specific types and forms of poetry like haiku, sonnets, limericks, and free verse, or leave them to their own devices. They can create a poem inspired by their own hopes for our nation, inspired by the new president and his family, inspired by the day itself, or by an issue that is important to them. You can guide them in any direction you choose, in a more formal manner if you are teacher, and informally if you are a parent or youth group leader. What is most important is that they have an opportunity to hear a variety of poems read aloud, and have an opportunity to write poems themselves. They may also find inspiration in visuals, so if you can provide some historic and/or contemporary photographs and works of art as inspiration, that, too, could be useful. And a great place to start finding great visuals is to share the wonderful illustrations and photographs in Our White House with your kids. To find websites and books with more visual references that you can use, check out the Historic Resources section of this website at: www.ourwhitehouse.org/amhispage.html
You can check out a lesson plan related to inaugural poetry at:
www.teachervision.fen.com/poetry/lesson-plan/4414.html?detoured=1&for_printing=1.
President-elect Barack Obama will be swearing the oath of office on the same Bible used by Abraham Lincoln. President George W. Bush had wanted to swear his oath in 2001 on the same Bible used by George Washington, but poor weather thwarted his plan. Four other presidents did swear their oaths on Washington’s Bible: Warren G. Harding in 1921, Dwight Eisenhower in 1953, Jimmy Carter in 1977, and George Bush in 1989. Most presidents choose to swear on a family Bible, but Carter chose to swear on both the Washington Bible and a family Bible. John Quincy Adams actually chose to swear his oath using a book of constitutional law that had been given to him by Chief Justice John Marshall. Although Ulysses S. Grant and James Garfield did not swear on Washington’s Bible, they both chose to sit in the same chair Washington had used during his inauguration. Theodore Roosevelt chose one of the more unusual relics of a predecessor—he wore a ring that contained a lock of Lincoln’s hair!
Ask young people:
If you were being sworn in as president, would you choose to be sworn in using a Bible? If so, would you choose a family Bible or one used by a past president? Why?
Would you choose to honor a previous president by swearing on his Bible or using an object connected to him? Which president would you like to honor and remember during your own inauguration? What object of that president’s would you like to use?
Learn about the presidential oath of office at: The Presidential Oath of Office on this page.
Find more information about the oath in the following online articles:
“Bibles and Scripture Passages Used by Presidents in Taking the Oath of Office.” http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/pibible.html
“Presidential Oaths of Office.” http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/pioaths.html
“George Washington Inaugural Bible.” www.stjohns1.org/bible.htm
Almost every president has made a speech to the nation following his inauguration ceremony. Some presidents’ speeches have inspired generations. Franklin Roosevelt assured us that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” John F. Kennedy proclaimed, “Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.”
If young people cannot watch Obama’s inaugural ceremony and speech live, try to record it or watch it on YouTube. Tell young people that as they listen to our new president’s speech, they should take note of any promises and plans he makes. Have them write these things down. They should think about what he said and consider what plans seem reasonable. Have them discuss what plans they think the new administration can really accomplish. Which plans or promises do they think are too “pie in the sky?”
Have them focus on an idea or issue expressed in the speech that reflects their own interests—maybe it’s something they believe is very important to their family and interests, or maybe it’s something they believe should not be a priority right now. Encourage them to write a letter to President Obama and Vice President Biden expressing their feelings.
Encourage the kids to read the editorial pages in the next few days after the inauguration. Have them compare their thoughts on the inaugural speech with the editorialists’ opinions. Who agrees with them and who does not? Did any editorial or column cause them to reconsider their thoughts? Also encourage kids to write a letter to the editor expressing their thoughts. They should include their age with their signatures because if their letter is well written and their opinions are expressed cogently, their age may be a positive factor in getting published either in traditional print or on the newspaper’s website.
Each new president has a budget and staff to redecorate the Oval Office—the president’s main working space—to reflect personal tastes and interests. The Oval Office as designed for George W. Bush includes ecru walls, antique gold draperies, light gold damask sofas, and several paintings of Texas by Texas artists. There are also busts of three leaders admired by Bush: Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, and Dwight Eisenhower.
Ask young people:
What changes do you think President Obama will make to the Oval Office?
If you were president, how would you redesign the Oval Office?
Encourage kids to use crayons, colored pencils, markers, and/or watercolors to sketch their designs for the oval office. Would they like a patriotic scheme of red and blue like the colors used by Bill Clinton? Have them design the rug, which always includes the presidential seal in the middle. Would they like to change the furniture, perhaps adding more chairs? Also, have them think about the art they would like hung on the walls of the office and the sculpture they would like to include. Presidents have access to the entire Smithsonian and National Gallery of Art collections! Would they like to include paintings and sculptures that they love or pieces that symbolize their ideas, or both?
You can see a picture of George W. Bush’s oval office here:
www.whitehousemuseum.org/west-wing/oval-office-bush2-early.jpg
Here’s a picture of Bill Clinton’s oval office: www.whitehousemuseum.org/west-wing/oval-office-clinton.jpg
Read about the oval office at: www.whitehouse.gov/about/oval_office/
To view samples of the art and sculpture in the Smithsonian’s many collections, go to: www.si.edu
To view samples of the art and sculpture in the National Gallery of Art, go to: www.nga.gov
Read more about making changes in the Oval Office at: Moving In, Moving Out: White House Transitions on this page.
Find out more about previous changes made to the White House at: www.ajc.com/living/content/living/homeandgarden/stories/2008/12/18/white_house_decorating.html
Host your own Inaugural Kids' Ball at home, in school, at your local library or bookstore, or at your local community center!
• Have kids arrive in costume dressed as their favorite president or first lady—or dressed as a former presidential kid! Each young person can share a few facts about the person he or she is pretending to be and then have the rest of the kids guess who he or she is! The NCBLA’s book, Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, can inspire costume ideas and provide facts. And for more links and information about the presidents and first ladies check out the History Resource and Web Exclusives sections of the site.
• You can always serve punch and cookies at the ball, but you might want to check out historic White House menus and food ideas at: www.ourwhitehouse.org/tasteofpast.html. This article contains some samples of recipes and past inaugural menus, as well as White House cookbook references. You may want to print out some historic White House menus and recipes to share with the kids, and even try out some of the recipes yourself! Pick a recipe from our web article or one of the White House cook books—which you can find at your local library—and with help from your kids, create one of the recipes to share at your inaugural ball!
• Play “Pin President Obama on the Presidential Timeline!” Photocopy and blow up the double-page spread of the Our White House presidential timeline and trivia game that you will find on pages 224 and 225 of Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out. Make it big enough to be used on the wall as a game board. If you like, mount the Our White House presidential timeline on cardboard or foam core. Also, download the President Obama sticker and figure page from this web site at: www.ourwhitehouse.org/OWH_StickerSheet_Obama.pdf and photocopy and enlarge it to fit the size of the Our White House timeline and game. Photocopy the Obama figure enlargement so that each kid can have a copy. Cut out the Obama figure and back it with a small piece of sticky foam tape. At your ball, blindfold participants with red bandanas, give them a sticky-backed Obama figure, set them at a distance from the game board, and see if he or she can “pin” the Barack Obama figure to the appropriate spot on the game board timeline! If he or she lands the Obama figure on a board space occupied by a previous president, see if the participant can guess the identity of that president and the significance of the object that is presented with that president. (The answer guide to the timeline trivia game is on pages 226 - 227 of Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out.) If the young person guesses correctly he or she wins a prize! And if he or she gets President Obama in the right spot and can share one piece of information about President Obama, he or she also wins a prize!
• Using paper, cardboard, string, glue, tape, markers, crayons, and sticks create White House Pet stick-puppets and masks! Show kids the illustration of White House pets done by Steven Kellogg (pages 167 - 169) and the illustration of Teddy Roosevelt’s children and pets by Chris van Dusen (pages 96-97) in Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out! Use these great illustrations to inspire kids to create their own White House pet stick-puppets and masks. Have the kids sketch out their ideas—they can draw a historical White House pet or draw a new pet for Sasha and Malia Obama. Then using their sketch as a reference, have them draw their pet or pet’s head—if they are creating a mask—onto larger paper and/or cardboard. They can leave them black and white or fill their drawings in with color. Let them figure out how to construct their masks or stick-puppets! You give them all the supplies they need, and a bit of visual inspiration with the illustrations from the book—and let them do their thing!
• Plan your ball to have busy activity moments as well as quiet moments. Sharing stories and poetry work well for those for quiet times! Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out can provide all the stories you need! Read the poetry, articles, and stories from the book aloud with the kids and invite them to discuss what you have read. And encourage kids to share their own stories—stories about meeting presidents or presidential candidates, stories of visiting Washington, D.C.' and/or the White House or Capitol, stories of their own families coming to America. For example, ask if anyone has as relative who served in the current or past war; ask if anyone has visited a site such as Plymouth Plantation, Williamsburg, or Gettysburg; ask if anyone met candidates Obama, Biden, McCain, or Palin on the campaign trail; and ask the kids to share a little of their experiences with everyone.
• Have the kids draw what they might wear if they were invited to one of the “grown-up” inaugural balls held in Washington. Have them decide what kind of ball it would be and let them decide the theme—a cowboy ball, a rock and roll ball, or maybe a “Cinderella” ball with gowned ladies and men in formal attire. Then have the boys draw their costume or uniform, or tuxedo with black tie and tails—something that would be suitable for their chosen ball theme. Have the girls do the same thing.
• Provide a dance floor and play great music—as loud as you can! And encourage them to dance!!! Pre-record the music for your ball. Include good ole American rock and roll, waltzes, polka music, the hokey-pokey, country and western, and square dance music. Have fun teaching the kids different kinds of dances or just let them explode on the floor in their own style.
• For more ball activities, take a look at all the activities already suggested above on this web page and incorporate them with other traditional kids’ party activities and games!
Learn More About the Presidents and InaugurationsFor more information about presidents and inaugurations, check out the following books and online resources:
Bendat, Jim. Democracy’s Big Day: The Inauguration of our President 1789-2009. New York: iUniverse Star, 2008.
Grimes, Nikki. Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2008.
The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance. Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2008.
Santella, Andrew. U.S. Presidential Inaugurations. New York: Children’s Press, 2002.
“From George Washington to George Bush, Speeches and Parades, Dances and Tradition.” www.nytimes.com/1989/01/21/politics/1989inaug-history.html?printpage=yes
“George Washington, First Inauguration, April 30, 1789.” http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/piwi01.html
“George Washington gives first presidential inaugural address.”
www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=511
“Inaugural History.” www.pbs.org/newshour/inauguration/history.html
“Inaugural Luncheon.” http://inaugural.senate.gov/index.cfm
“Inaugurals of Presidents of the United States: Some Precedents and Notable Events.” http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/pinotable.html
“The Inauguration of George Washington, 1789.” www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/washingtoninaug.htm
“Laura Bush on Michelle Obama's WH Visit.” http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/President44/Story?id=6307674&page=1
“Malia Obama Calls Dibs on Lincoln's Desk: Obama Talks to Barbara Walters About Homework, History and Happy Family.” http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/President44/story?id=6339711&page=1
“The White House Historical Association: Traditions and Transitions.” www.whitehousehistory.org/whha_press/press_feature-transitions.html
©2008 Mary Brigid Barrett and Geri Zabela Eddins; The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance
