Inaugural Addresses

When George Washington became the new United States of America’s first president, he set several precedents, including one on April 30, 1789. That day, Washington was inaugurated as president, and for the occasion he gave the nation’s first presidential inaugural address, used to inform the people of his intentions as a leader.

Inaugural addresses have since become iconic moments for each new leader, sometimes providing the president’s most memorable moment. Franklin Delano Roosevelt told Americans they had nothing to fear but fear itself, John F. Kennedy asked Americans what they could do for their country, and Abraham Lincoln asked Northerners to show malice toward none and charity for all. Regardless of how each presidency turned out, inaugural addresses have always given voice to the optimism and hope that each new presidential term represents.  

Thomas Jefferson is well remembered today for his writing, mostly for the Declaration of Independence and his vast array of letters to people like John Adams, his friend and political adversary. Although his inaugural addresses fly under the radar, they are an important look at his presidency. 

This edition of President Thomas Jefferson’s Second Inaugural Address is specially formatted with a Table of Contents.