Every four years in the United States (US), the President-elect officially takes office at noon on the day of the inauguration, January 20, according to whitehousehistory.org. Inauguration day consists of many events, in which the former and elected President and Vice President gather and the citation of the Oath of Office takes place, according to constitutioncenter.org. However, this was not always the case and many changes have occurred over several decades, such as location and celebrations, according to whitehousehistory.org. Ultimately, inauguration day represents the peaceful transition of power and the marking of a new chapter in history, according to archives.gov.

Inauguration day originally took place on the first Wednesday in March. When the legislative branch approved to lock down this date September 12, 1788, it confirmed the date of inauguration. The following elections took place in March, until 1933 when Congress ratified Twentieth Amendment, according to whitehousehistory.org. Former President George Washington is responsible for the first inauguration, April 30, 1789 in New York City (NYC), New York. Several government representatives accompanied Mr. Washington to Federal Hall. The two houses of Congress, Representative and Senate, and former Vice President (VP) John Adams, awaited Mr. Washington and joined him when he officially cited the Oath of Office. The ceremony took place in NYC until 1801. Thereafter, the ceremony happened in Washington, District of Columbia, according to mountvernon.org.
After the establishment of the Oath of Office in 1844, the first photographed inauguration was in 1857, following former President James Buchanan. This moment was notable because photography allowed citizens who gathered to watch the official inauguration to see the forefront of innovation and progression. Four decades later, movie cameras came into action, and recorded former President William McKinley’s debut, according to clintonwhitehouse5.archives.gov. Former President Calvin Coolidge’s inauguration, March 4, 1925, holds the date of the first radio broadcast of a presidential inauguration, according to radiotv.house.gov. These technologies gave the American public the ability to witness the transfer of presidential power.

The Twentieth Amendment, which came about in 1933, changed history. Inauguration day no longer took place in March, and changed to January 20 because the government viewed the gap between election day in November and inauguration day in March to be too long, according to stpetersburg.usf.edu. Inaugurations today are extremely different than ones in the past, according to stpetersburg.usf.edu. Now, the day of inauguration acts as unification for the US after a long process of electing the president, when the past, the President-elect and Vice President-elect would cite the oath and quickly get to duties. Some traditions such as the President citing the oath while placing one hand on a Bible, speaking about the plans for the country, and the annual inaugural luncheon after the major events have carried out all the way back to the beginning, according to history.com. However, as it is now much more modernized, as guest speakers and performers take stage to contribute to the festivities, according to cbsnews.com.
The history of inauguration day has changed in both tradition and ceremony. However, inaugurations have continued to serve as a symbol of the strength of democracy and the unification of the US. Constantly remembered and highlighted within other inaugural speeches, former President Ronald Reagan spoke about the US and the heritage of the country during his inaugural speech, according to today.com.
“It is the American sound,” Mr. Regan said, according to today.com. “It is hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent, and fair. That’s our heritage, that’s our song. We sing it still.”
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