“I Do Solemnly Swear...” Inaugural Materials from the Collections of the Library of Congress
Answers to Questions on the Discover Card for Kids
Spreading the News
What is the first-known photograph of an inauguration?
1857
President Harry Truman was the first president to have inauguration broadcast on television in what year?
b. 1949
Which President's inaugural was the first to be broadcast on the Internet?
d. Bill Clinton
Taking the Oath
The Oath of Office transforms a citizen into a president and, according to the second article of the Constitution, signals the beginning of a new administration.
Whose inauguration on January 20, 1985 was the coldest inauguration on record, with a noontime high of 7?
Ronald Reagan
Whose inauguration was so rainy that everyone needed an umbrella?
a. Benjamin Harrison
Inaugural Parade
Early parades were mostly military escorts, but by 1841, floats, citizens groups, and bands became standard.
Whose inaugural parade was the first to include a reviewing stand for the president?
James Garfield
In what year were African Americans first invited to participate in the parade?
b. 1865
What was the first year that women marched in the parade?
d. 1917
Which President was the first to have his wife ride with him during the parade?
c. William H. Taft
Inaugural Address
Since George Washington in 1789, every president has delivered an inaugural address, ranging from 8,445 words, to just 135. George Washington gave the shortest inaugural address. Can you find which president gave the longest address?
William H. Harrison
Match the President to the quotes from their inaugural addresses.
a. Thomas Jefferson
b. John F. Kennedy
c. Franklin Roosevelt
d. Abraham Lincoln
c. "[It is] my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. . . ."
a. "We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists."
b. "[A]sk not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country."
d. ". . . [T]o bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."
Arrival
Warren G. Harding was the first president to ride to and from his inauguration by an automobile. In what year was the president Harding's inauguration?
1921
