My Fellow Americans
Presidents and Their Inaugural Addresses

Introduction by Ted Widmer

ISBN13: 9780197644997

Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

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Published: 03/03/2025

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Description
Introduced by presidential historian Ted Widmer, this work offers both the original texts and insightful essays by leading historians on each of the presidential inaugural addresses--from George Washington to Joseph Biden. Every four years, the incoming president of the United States delivers an inaugural address in a tradition that dates back to 1789, with the first inauguration of George Washington. The address tells Americans--and peoples around the world--what the country has been and what it has the potential to become. In a speech freighted with importance, they express their fears, their hopes, and their most personal aspirations for the nation and for democracy. This work brings together all of the inaugural addresses--from George Washington's first in 1789 through Joseph Biden's in 2021. What distinguishes it from other compilations of inaugural addresses are brief, original essays by leading scholars, speechwriters, historians, biographers, and editors of presidential papers that contextualize the speech within the presidential administration that followed. Each of the contributors explores what a president expected to be dealing with when entering the highest office in the land and what he hoped to do for the country. The authors examine decisions the president made and how this impacted the nation's trajectory. They also reflect on how the address relates to the president's legacy in and out of office. The essays also offer distinctive approaches: some consider the political, economic, and military status of the country; others the composition of the address itself; and still others the personal circumstances of the president at the time of his inauguration. Covering over 230 of years of American history, My Fellow Americans captures a snapshot of America at unique points in time, with perceptive commentaries by America's finest presidential historians and a broad-ranging introduction by Ted Widmer.
Preface- Yuvraj Singh List of Contributors Introduction- Ted Widmer 1. George Washington: First Inaugural Address 2. Inaugurator: George Washington's First Inaugural Address by Stephen H. Browne 3. George Washington: Second Inaugural Address 4. The American Cincinnatus: The Second Inaugural Address of George Washington by Kevin Butterield 5. John Adams: Inaugural Address 6. The Colossus of Independence: The Inaugural Address of John Adams by Rhonda Barlow 7. Thomas Jefferson: First Inaugural Address 8. The Sage of Monticello: The First Inaugural Address of Thomas Jefferson by Peter S. Onuf 9. Thomas Jefferson: Second Inaugural Address 10. The Man of the People: The Second Inaugural Address of Thomas Jefferson by Annette Gordon-Reed 11. James Madison: First Inaugural Address 12. The Father of the Constitution: The First Inaugural Address of James Madison by Stuart Eric Leibiger 13. James Madison: Second Inaugural Address 14. The First Wartime President: The Second Inaugural Address of James Madison by J. C. A. Stagg 15. James Monroe: First Inaugural Address 16. The Era of Good Feelings: The First Inaugural Address of James Monroe by Daniel F. Preston 17. James Monroe: Second Inaugural Address 18. The Last Cocked Hat: The Second Inaugural Address of James Monroe by Sandra Moats 19. John Quincy Adams: Inaugural Address 20. The Corrupt Bargain: The Inaugural Address of John Quincy Adams by C. James Taylor 21. Andrew Jackson: First Inaugural Address 22. Calm Before the Storm: The First Inaugural Address of Andrew Jackson by Harry L. Watson 23. Andrew Jackson: Second Inaugural Address 24. Old Hickory: The Second Inaugural Address of Andrew Jackson by Thomas Coens 25. Martin Van Buren: Inaugural Address 26. The Little Magician: The Inaugural Address of Martin Van Buren by Michael J. Gerhardt 27. William Henry Harrison: Inaugural Address 28. Old Tippecanoe: The Inaugural Address of William Henry Harrison by Daniel Walker Howe 29. John Tyler: Address Upon Assuming the Office of President of the United States 30. The President Without a Party: John Tyler's Address Upon Assuming the Office of President of the United States by Christopher J. Leahy 31. James K. Polk: Inaugural Address 32. Dark Horse: The Inaugural Address of James K. Polk by Walter R. Borneman 33. Zachary Taylor: Inaugural Address 34. Old Rough and Ready: The Inaugural Address of Zachary Taylor by Michael F. Holt 35. Millard Fillmore: Announcement to Congress of the Death of President Taylor 36. 'The Last Whig: Millard Fillmore's Announcement to Congress of the Death of President Taylor by Claude Welch 37. Franklin Pierce: Inaugural Address 38. Handsome Frank: The Inaugural Address of Franklin Pierce by Peter A. Wallner 39. James Buchanan: Inaugural Address 40. Doughface: The Inaugural Address of James Buchanan by Jean H. Baker 41. Abraham Lincoln: First Inaugural Address 42. Trying to Stave off War: The First Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln by David S. Reynolds 43. Abraham Lincoln: Second Inaugural Address 44. The Great Uniter: The Second Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln by Richard John Carwardine 45. Andrew Johnson: Address Upon Assuming the Office of President of the United States 46. On Opposite Ends: Andrew Johnson's Address Upon Assuming the Office of President of the United States by Michael Les Benedict 47. Ulysses S. Grant: First Inaugural Address 48. The Hero as President: The First Inaugural Address of Ulysses S. Grant by Joan Waugh 49. Ulysses S. Grant: Second Inaugural Address 50. "Errors of judgement, not of intent": The Second Inaugural Address of Ulysses S. Grant by John Marszalek 51. Rutherford B. Hayes: Inaugural Address 52. The End of Reconstruction: The Inaugural Address of Rutherford B. Hayes by Dustin McLochlin 53. James A. Garfield: Inaugural Address 54. The Preacher President: The Inaugural Address of James A. Garfield by Charles W. Calhoun 55. Chester A. Arthur: Address Upon Assuming the Office of President of the United States 56. "Chet Arthur? President of the United States? Good God!": Chester A. Arthur's Address Upon Assuming the Office of President of the United States by Walter Nugent 57. Grover Cleveland: First Inaugural Address 58. "A fine man, a grand man": The First Inaugural Address of Grover Cleveland by Mark W. Summers 59. Benjamin Harrison: Inaugural Address 60. Little Ben: The Inaugural Address of Benjamin Harrison by Allan B. Spetter 61. Grover Cleveland: Second Inaugural Address 62. Grover the Good: The Second Inaugural Address of Grover Cleveland by Matthew Algeo 63. William McKinley: First Inaugural Address 64. The Front Porch Campaign: The First Inaugural Address of William McKinley by Christopher Capozzola 65. William McKinley: Second Inaugural Address 66. The Imperial Presidency: The Second Inaugural Address of William McKinley by Christopher McKnight Nichols 67. Theodore Roosevelt: Inaugural Address 68. The Bully Pulpit: The Inaugural Address of Theodore Roosevelt by Jean Yarbrough 69. William Howard Taft: Inaugural Address 70. Between Giants: The Inaugural Address of William Howard Taft by Jonathan Lurie 71. Woodrow Wilson: First Inaugural Address 72. The Schoolmaster: The First Inaugural Address of Woodrow Wilson by Robert A. Enholm 73. Woodrow Wilson: Second Inaugural Address 74. The Eve of War: The Second Inaugural Address of Woodrow Wilson by John Milton Cooper 75. Warren G. Harding: Inaugural Address 76. Return to Normalcy: The Inaugural Address of Warren G. Harding by James D. Robenalt 77. Calvin Coolidge: Inaugural Address 78. Cool Cal: The Inaugural Address of Calvin Coolidge by Amity Shlaes 79. Herbert Hoover: Inaugural Address 80. The Great Humanitarian: The Inaugural Address of Herbert Hoover by Kendrick A. Clements 81. Franklin D. Roosevelt: First Inaugural Address 82. Fear Itself: The First Inaugural Address of Franklin D. Roosevelt by Cynthia M. Koch 83. Franklin D. Roosevelt: Second Inaugural Address 84. "One-third of a Nation...": The Second Inaugural Address of Franklin D. Roosevelt by David M. Kennedy 85. Franklin D. Roosevelt: Third Inaugural Address 86. Pathbreaker: The Third Inaugural Address of Franklin D. Roosevelt by Michael Kazin 87. Franklin D. Roosevelt: Fourth Inaugural Address 88. Unprecedented: The Fourth Inaugural Address of Franklin D. Roosevelt by David B. Woolner 89. Harry S. Truman: Inaugural Address 90. Cold Warrior: The Inaugural Address of Harry S. Truman by Andrew E. Busch 91. Dwight D. Eisenhower: First Inaugural Address 92. Ike: The First Inaugural Address of Dwight D. Eisenhower by Michael J. Birkner 93. Dwight D. Eisenhower: Second Inaugural Address 94. The Price of Peace: The Second Inaugural Address of Dwight D. Eisenhower by Louis Paul Galambos 95. John F. Kennedy: Inaugural Address 96. Camelot: The Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy by Barbara Ann Perry 97. Lyndon B. Johnson: Inaugural Address 98. The Art of Power: The Inaugural Address of Lyndon B. Johnson by Mark K. Updegrove 99. Richard M. Nixon: First Inaugural Address 100. Peacemaker: The First Inaugural Address of Richard M. Nixon by Ken Hughes 101. Richard M. Nixon: Second Inaugural Address 102. A Moment of Triumph Before Disaster: The Second Inaugural Address of Richard M. Nixon by Thomas Alan Schwartz 103. Gerald Ford: Remarks Upon Taking the Oath of Office as President 104. "Just a Little Straight Talk": Gerald Ford's Remarks Upon Taking the Oath of Office as President by John Robert Greene 105. Jimmy Carter: Inaugural Address 106. The Peanut Farmer: The Inaugural Address of Jimmy Carter by Mark Atwood Lawrence 107. Ronald Reagan: First Inaugural Address 108. The Great Communicator: The First Inaugural Address of Ronald Reagan by Gil Troy 109. Ronald Reagan: Second Inaugural Address 110. The Teflon President: The Second Inaugural Address of Ronald Reagan by Iwan W. Morgan 111. George H. W. Bush: Inaugural Address 112. "A Thousand Points of Light": The Inaugural Address of George H. W. Bush by Mary Kate Cary 113. Bill Clinton: First Inaugural Address 114. The Comeback Kid: The First Inaugural Address of Bill Clinton by Steven M. Gillon 115. Bill Clinton: Second Inaugural Address 116. The Politician: The Second Inaugural Address of Bill Clinton by Russell L. Riley 117. George W. Bush: First Inaugural Address 118. Common Ground: The First Inaugural Address of George W. Bush by James Mann 119. George W. Bush: Second Inaugural Address 120. A Vision of America: The Second Inaugural Address of George W. Bush by Mark J. Rozell 121. Barack Obama: First Inaugural Address 122. A New Birth of Freedom: The First Inaugural Address of Barack Obama by Tracy Denean Sharpley-Whiting 123. Barack Obama: Second Inaugural Address 124. Faith in America's Future: The Second Inaugural Address of Barack Obama by James T. Kloppenberg 125. Donald Trump: Inaugural Address 126. Uniquely American: The Inaugural Address of Donald Trump by Nicholas F. Jacobs 127. Inaugural Address of Joseph Biden 128. "Democracy is precious, Democracy is Fragile": The Inaugural Address of Joe Biden by Kate Masur
  • Biography: historical, political & military
  • Comparative politics
  • History of the Americas
  • Political leaders & leadership
  • General (US: Trade)
  • Professional & Vocational
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