Not nearly as many Americans are as excited about President Barack Obama’s second term swearing-in ceremony, The Christian Post reported on Wednesday, Jan. 9, but there is some excitement.
Frugal families can watch each presidential Inaugural address or swearing-in ceremony speech from John F. Kennedy in 1961 to Barack Obama in 2009. Presidential Inaugural addresses and presidential swearing-in speeches are a great teaching and learning opportunity for adults and children.
Inauguration Day generally falls on Jan. 20 each year, but because Jan. 20, 2013 falls on a Sunday, President Barack Obama will be sworn for his second term on Monday, Jan. 21, which also happens to be Martin Luther King Day.
For more information about President Obama’s swearing-in ceremony check out the Wednesday, Jan. 8 Washingtonian Blog post "The Secret Service's Dos and Don’ts for Inauguration Day". "The Secret Service Dos and Don’ts” contains a specific security plan for the inaugural activities spanning Sunday, Jan. 20 and Monday Jan. 21, 2013.
Here are some presidential facts to include in your lesson plan while watching the presidential Inaugural addresses and swearing-in speeches:
John F. Kennedy was the youngest president ever elected to the office. He was assassinated in Dallas, Texas on Nov. 22, 1963.
Lydon B. Johnson took the oath of office on Air Force One following the assassination of President Kennedy. In 1968, Lyndon Johnson was the first president to make the decision not to run for reelection.
Richard M. Nixon was the first president to resign from office, which he did on Aug. 9, 1974.
Gerald R. Ford, Jr.'s vice presidency and presidency were both unprecedented. Ford was the first vice president to be chosen under the terms of the 25th Amendment. President Ford was the only president to never have been elected to the office.
James Earl Carter's presidency was marred by unprecedented inflation, unemployment, unrest in the Middle East and the Iran hostage crisis. President Carter's Camp David Accord brought Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egypt's President Anwar Sadat to the table for the Middle East Peace Talks.
On January 20, 1981 during Ronald Reagan's Inaugural Address, the 52 hostages held in Iran for 444 days were released. John Hinckley, Jr. attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1989, only 69 days into Reagan's presidency. President Reagan, along with Russian President Mikail Gorbachev, was instrumental in ending the "Cold War" and bringing down the Berlin Wall.
President George H.W. Bush was the first post-cold war president and the Commander-in-Chief who led U.S. Armed Forces into Operation Desert Storm after Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait. President Bush's domestic policy did not fair well and his administration was diminished by an economic recession, mounting federal deficits, and his broken campaign pledge not to raise taxes.
President Bill Clinton's administration was marred by the fact that though Clinton was impeached by Congress, the president refused to resign amid allegations of adultery, perjury and shady business dealings. During the Clinton first administration the United States economy was on the upswing and unemployment was at its lowest ever in many years. However, during the second Clinton administration, another recession began.
President George W. Bush inherited the recession that began during the last years of the second Clinton administration. On Sept. 11, 2001 George W. Bush's presidency was changed forever by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. President Bush led the U.S. Armed Forces in the search for Osama bin Laden, the alleged mastermind behind the attacks. Bush's administration was marred by rising unemployment and what some called the next "Great Depression."
President Barack Hussein Obama is the first African-American elected to the presidency. For the first time in many years, Americans had hope that a president could effect change and turn America's economy around. Though unemployment has been at its highest rates in years, and the deficit has increased by $6 trillion, President Obama was reelected to a second term in November 2012.
Links to video of presidential inaugural addresses and swearing-in ceremonies:
- John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address Jan. 20, 1961
- Lyndon B. Johnson’s Inaugural Address Jan. 20, 1965
- Richard M. Nixon’s Inaugural Address Jan. 20, 1969
- Richard M. Nixon’s second term swearing-in speech Jan. 20, 1973
- Gerald R. Ford's swearing-in on Aug. 9, 1974
- James Earl Carter’s Inaugural Address Jan. 20 1977
- Ronald W. Reagan’s Inaugural Address Jan. 20, 1981
- Ronald W. Reagan’s second term swearing-in Jan. 21, 1985
- George H.W. Bush’s Inaugural Address Jan. 20, 1989
- William Jefferson Clinton’s Inaugural Address Jan. 20, 1993
- William Jefferson Clinton’s second term swearing-in Jan. 20, 1997
- George W. Bush’s Inaugural Address Jan. 20 2001
- George. W. Bush’s second term swearing-in Jan. 20, 2005
- Barack Hussein Obama’s Inaugural Address Jan. 20, 2009
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