Description
Book SynopsisIntroduced 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
