Presidents swear on a Bible. Inauguration Day, while not a federal holiday, is observed as a holiday by federal employees who would be working in the "Inauguration Day Area". On some occasions, the outgoing Vice President administered the oath to the Vice President-elect. Since 1937, it has taken place at noon EST on January 20, the first day of the new term, some 72 to 78 days after the presidential election, except for three occasions when January 20 fell on a Sunday. Although it is tradition, nothing legally requires a president to swear their oath on the Bible. Term began when President Harding died on August 2. Military support to the inauguration honors the new president, who is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and recognizes civilian control of the military.[11]. Five inaugural ceremonies since 1961 have included a reading by a poet. Newly sworn-in presidents usually give a speech referred to as an inaugural address. “Are you ready to take the oath?” Roberts asked. “I, Donald John Trump, do solemnly swear 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,” he promised the American people, as prescribed by Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution, just as the presidents before him have done. Each city was, at the time, the nation's capital. [49], In 1977, Jimmy Carter became the first president to set out by foot for more than a mile on the route to the White House. In some cases, presidents have used two Bibles during their swearing in. Symbolism is not always what it seems. There were also 65 musical units, 350 horses, 3 elephants, an Alaskan dog team, and the 280-millimeter atomic cannon. Gold medals were to be produced as gifts for the president, vice president, and committee chair; silver medals were to be created and distributed among Inauguration Committee members, and bronze medals would be for sale for public consumption. Over the years, various traditions have arisen that have expanded the inauguration from a simple oath-taking ceremony to a day-long event, including parades and multiple social gatherings. [46] Women were involved for the first time in 1917. Because of the construction work on the center steps of the East Front, Johnson's casket was taken up the Senate wing steps of the Capitol when taken into the rotunda to lie in state. [33] (Full text ), Since 1937, the ceremony has incorporated one or more prayers. The president ‘shall swear fidelity to the union . Have a question about our comment policies? More recently, in 1973, the celebrations marking Richard Nixon's second inauguration were altered because of the death of former president Lyndon B. Johnson two days after the ceremony. “A variety of officials have administered the oath to Vice Presidents,” the joint committee says. Here’s what it looked like. Capitol.[32]. Others, in addition to the chief justice, have administered the oath of office to several of the nine vice presidents who have succeeded to the presidency upon their predecessor's death or resignation intra-term. Another precedent was the maximum of two terms for each president—these were termed "Washington precedents." Although there have been a few cases where Bibles weren't used during the swearing into office process, swearing the oath isn’t a requirement either. Several variants of the oath have been used since 1789. In 1829, Andrew Jackson spoke to approximately 10,000 people at his inauguration. God should have very little to do with it, irrespective of traditions. [55], Unlike his predecessor, when Theodore Roosevelt took his oath of office in 1905, he found the previous presidential medal unacceptable. The exception to this pattern was those years in which March 4 fell on a Sunday. When it comes to the fact that all presidents have sworn on the bible, the conclusion is fiction, as may be the book that so many swer on. Only five have chosen not to do so. Only three incumbent presidents have refused to accompany the president-elect: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Johnson. The wording of the oath is specified in Article II, Section One, Clause 8, of the United States Constitution.. But have all presidents followed suit, and sworn on the Bible? This changed in 1953 when the Medallic Art Company was chosen to strike Walker Hancock's portrait of President Eisenhower. In 1923, upon being informed of Warren Harding's death, while visiting his family home in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, Calvin Coolidge was sworn in as president by his father, John Calvin Coolidge, Sr., a notary public. While reciting this oath, presidents are required to place their hand on the Bible due largely in part to a long line of tradition. The first Inaugural Ball was held on the night of James Madison's first inauguration in 1809. Image via .css-1psntrz{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1psntrz:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}VK. by taking an oath of office,’ was an early version. While it is unsure when the cloning will take place, it is inevitable. Instead, he took his oath in a way that many would consider to be much more powerful than using the Bible. While there are a few more precedents and long-standing traditions that have been reinforced throughout the centuries, swearing in on the Bible is one of the most iconic. Some of the most eloquent and powerful speeches are still quoted today. Clearly, Adams was not a man who acted because of tradition alone. Every president since Washington has delivered an Inaugural address. What makes the words so unique is that the incoming president is the only one required to declare them. Events (Inaugurations) sort alphabetically by president's last name. The ceremony itself is carried live via the major U.S. commercial television and cable news networks; various ones also stream it live on their websites. In modern times, the president took the oath on a Sunday in a private ceremony and repeated it the following day among all that pomp and circumstance. In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt avowed, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” And in 1961, John F. Kennedy declared, "And so my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country. During his time in office, George Washington established precedents like the Cabinet within the Executive Branch by appointing Thomas Jefferson Secretary of State and Alexander Hamilton Secretary of Treasury, a body that was not outlined within the Constitution. By exploring the unexamined nooks and crannies of the Star Wars universe, we are exposed to regions, realms, and characters that, even though they have never seen the big screen (yet), have a compelling and inspiring tale to tell. Since World War II, Vice Presidents have chosen friends and associates to administer the oath of office.”, Pence used the Reagan family Bible, which he said he would open to II Chronicles 7:14, the same scripture Reagan used, according to The Post’s Katie Mettler. While most have, John Quincy Adams did not use a Bible when taking the oath in 1825;[25] neither did Theodore Roosevelt in 1901. It reads: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”.


Our first president, George Washington, placed his hand on the Bible while taking the oath of office and it is believed that most of his successors kept the tradition. The most recent presidential inauguration ceremony was held on January 20, 2017, when Donald Trump officially assumed office. Term began when President Taylor died on July 9. J.J. Abrams may have rebooted the beloved galaxy of far, far away forward into the previously static Star Wars timeline, but to truly appreciate the expanse of George Lucas’ universe, it is perhaps better to take a step back. Porter H. Dale, The Calvin Coolidge Inauguration Revisited: An Eyewitness Account by Congressman Porter H. Dale, republished in Vermont History magazine, 1994, Volume 62, pages 214-222. The first inauguration, that of George Washington, took place on April 30, 1789. Maybe they should swear over Frank Herbert’s Dune or George R.R. To achieve this goal, the president hired Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a famous American sculptor, to design and create his inauguration medal. There was no parade because of gas rationing and a lumber shortage. Presidents can either say, “I do solemnly swear” or “I do solemnly affirm.” Only one President has affirmed the oath rather than swearing it which was Franklin Pierce in 1853, because of his own religious reasons. In fact, John Quincy Adams didn’t swear the oath on the Bible at all.