#Inaugural addresses

[deadpresidents]

Who, in your opinion, was a better writer: Lincoln or Jefferson? If America's future today hung on one inspiring speech, which would you rather have write it?

Oh, most definitely Lincoln. I think Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address is not only the greatest speech in American history, but one of the best pieces of writing done by any American ever. But just reading Lincoln's letters -- even mundane letters that he wrote to associates or friends -- shows how remarkable of a communicator he was. If we're being honest, it's often a pain in the ass reading a lot of stuff from the 18th and 19th Centuries because of how formal everyone was, but Lincoln's unique background and self-education helps cut through a lot of that and just gets to the point effectively and memorably. His letters to General McClellan imploring McClellan to stop being so cautious and to actually fight are incredible. My favorite is this telegram to General McClellan from October 24, 1862:

"I have just read your despatch about sore tongued and fatigued horses. Will you pardon me for asking what the horses of your army have done since the battle of Antietam that fatigue anything?"

That's AMAZING. That's the entire telegram! The President of the United States actually sent that to his commanding general during the Civil War because Lincoln was so annoyed at McClellan's hesitancy. Lincoln's letters are full of gems like that. I think Lincoln is one of America's greatest writers of any type, not just the best of the Presidents.

#History #Writing #Abraham Lincoln #President Lincoln #Civil War #Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address #Presidential Writing #Presidential Correspondence #Presidential Letters #George B. McClellan #General McClellan

[lavenderling]

This gorgeous mug from @cozycryptidcorner arrived yesterday! It's the perfect size, I love it so much. These pictures honestly don't do it justice, this'll bring me happiness for years to come!

#handmade mug #ceramics #pottery #no my hand is not tiny the mug is just that big <3 #also it was addressed to Lavender Darling which was really sweet #had to have some lavender tea to inaugurate it ofc

[fictionadventurer]

Good news! The channel that plays only old History Channel documentaries had a day entirely devoted to American presidents, so I have a lot more president facts to share with you!

(Important note that I have fact-checked nothing. I am only spouting off trivia the way I would if you were here for me to info-dump at).

Andrew Jackson's wife died soon after he was elected president, and he believed her death was caused by the vicious attacks against her during the election. Because he apparently lived his life as though he were a Shakespeare character, he said something along the lines of, "On the grave of this saint, I forgive all my political and personal enemies, but as for those who slandered her, they must look to God for mercy."

When William Jennings Bryan ran against William McKinley in 1896, he went on an epic nationwide whistle-stop campaign. Though he never drank alcohol, he reeked of liquor throughout his tour--because he was using gin as a deodorant! Instead of stopping to bathe, he would wipe himself down with gin to mask his body odor.

After Harry Truman, it became the practice for both presidential nominees to get security briefings months before the election, so when they came into office they'd be up-to-date on world events--with the understanding that all this info was strictly confidential. When Richard Nixon heard that LBJ's administration was putting together peace talks to end the Vietnam War, he went to the South Vietnamese and told them to refuse to go to the table, because if they waited until he was in office, they'd get a better deal. LBJ found out and told the head of the Republican Party to tell Nixon to stop it, because this was treason. Nixon called LBJ back and said this story was untrue and he had nothing to do with any such actions. LBJ knew he was lying, but only because he'd been secretly recording sessions with the South Vietnamese, so he couldn't do anything without exposing his own actions. Because of this, South Vietnam never came to the bargaining table, and the war dragged on more than five years longer.

When Ronald Reagan was shot by an assassin, Soviet submarine activity increased near US shores, and people thought this might be part of a Soviet attack. George Bush, the vice president, was (I think) in Texas at the time, and immediately started flying back to Washington, but his plane didn't have a secure phone line, so he couldn't be in charge of the country, and people weren't sure who was next in line. Both the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense believed that they should be in charge. The press also wanted to know who was in charge, but the press secretary was doing a terrible job at the press briefing, essentially saying that they didn't know who was in command. The Secretary of State then sprinted into the briefing room, took the microphone, and assured everyone that there was a clear chain of command, and he was in charge. The only problem was that he was wrong--he'd completely forgotten that both the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate ranked ahead of him.

At the time this documentary was made (2016), Dick Cheney held the record for the shortest presidency. The president is allowed to temporarily hand over power to the vice president if he's going to be incapacitated. George W. Bush made use of this rule twice when he was going in for colonoscopies, so Dick Cheney served as president for a total of four hours.

#history is awesome #presidential talk #i was babysitting the nephew who was very very fussy #so i was stuck in one room for hours with tv on in the background #this happy coincidence made it rather enjoyable and nephew now has a good grounding in american history #only trouble was that once i finally got a reprieve from babysitting i wanted to keep watching the documentary about elections #they were just about to start lincoln! #i watched through lincoln and mckinley's elections and then even i'd had enough #the lincoln stuff lined up well with what i've read #and i was very glad to have read it because i wouldn't have followed their telling if i didn't have background #i had a minor issue with a line about 'a series of weak presidents had appeased the south for years with compromises' #when zachary taylor's face showed up in that line-up i yelled at the tv 'zachary taylor never compromised on anything in his life!' #the slander! #it's also interesting to see old documentaries and how history changes #the one about early presidents was from 1996 and pushed the 'harrison died of pneumonia after his long inaugural address' narrative #jefferson's slave mistress story was only 'many historians believe this to be true' and not 'tear-down-his-statues settled fact' #among other things this experience made me more appreciative of the merits of broadcast tv #even if these things were available on streaming i'd never pick '1996 presidential elections documentary' on my own #i need some guy desperate to fill airtime to curate this for me

[wanderingnork]

Wiztober Day 5: Nothing to Fear

There isn’t anything in the Spiral that can hurt Ryan anymore. They can defeat any foe, with cleverness and raw magical might. There will be difficulty, pain—but nothing that can’t be overcome.

An army of friends and allies stands behind them. Not even their taloned shadow threatens them, when they’re the master of shadow magic. The very sap of the World Tree flows in their veins.

Yet when they’re alone, they’re afraid. A nameless, unreasoning terror paralyzes them. They can’t make themselves look in the mirror. What would their reflection be? An aberration? A paradox?

An hourglass running out?

(Read the collection on AO3 here.)

#nork writes #wiztober2023 #inspired by fdr's inaugural address #nothing to fear but fear itself is a misquote #it's actually the only thing we have to fear is fear itself #'nameless unreasoning terror' is borrowed from the speech

[quotesfromall]

Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths and encourage the arts and commerce.

John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address

#cold war #anarchy #solarpunk #cyberpunk #john f kennedy #john f. kennedy #john kennedy #kennedy #jfk #President John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address #President John F Kennedy's Inaugural Address #President John F. Kennedys Inaugural Address #President John F Kennedys Inaugural Address #1961 #kennedy 1961

[ceevee5]

The words are from President Franklin Roosevelt’s second inaugural address given January 20, 1937.

#fdr #franklin d. roosevelt #his 1937 inaugural address #quotes #political quotes

[irreplaceable-spark]

But if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else?

President Ronald Reagan, First Inaugural Address, Tuesday, January 20, 1981

#president ronald reagan #president reagan #presidential inaugural address #inaugural address #quote #government #governing #capable #capacity #reflection

[incorrectpizza]

I’m taking a public speaking course this semester and we did Ceremonial Occasion speeches this week. I was very curious to see what folks would present on since we were allowed to pick any occasion we wanted to write for and it was interesting. 

The two days featured:

An Inaugural Address taking place in 2034 by a student who fancied herself the first female president

A wedding toast that will actually be given tomorrow 

Two guys doing each others’ eulogies

A retirement speech in honor of Pat Sajak, taking place precisely two years in the future

A speech in honor of the college’s founder

A eulogy for a grandfather whom the speaker had never met

A speech for an opening ceremony of a hypothetical book store

Multiple retirement speeches for a hockey caller who’s apparently retiring this weekend

#real life #college life #public speaking #ceremonial occasion speech #pat sajak #eulogy #inaugural address #most of them were good presentations #and even those that weren't got kudos for creativity

[play-now-my-lord]

jfk famously changed the course of fashion by making many appearances at state functions without a hat, which was previously considered mandatory for well-dressed men. at his inaugural address, he even bragged about "[his] big juicy melon, naked as a jay bird for all the world to see". unfortunately we can all see how that turned out for him in the tragic events of the zapruder footage

[beatleshistoryblog]

LECTURE 10: THE BIG 6-4: President John F. Kennedy’s landmark Inaugural Address, delivered January 20, 1961, signified what many regarded at the time as the opening of a new chapter of American History. Indeed, the speech set the early tone for the decade that was to follow, designated this moment in history as a time of idealism and hope. Over time, the decade would shift to one of tumult, polarization, protest and increasing despair. But the idealism of this speech helped pave the way for the sunny optimism of The Beatles, who evolved with the decade they so profoundly shaped. (Note: Go to about 11:30 to see the buildup to “Ask not…”)

#John F. Kennedy #JFK #United States #1960s #The Beatles #JFK Inaugural Address #idealism #hope #1961

[spreadgreatideas]

“I favor the policy of economy…because I wish to save people…Economy is idealism in its most practical form.”

– Calvin Coolidge, Inaugural Address, March 4, 1925

Read more Free Market Quotes: The Importance of Free Market Economy here: https://spreadgreatideas.org/quotes/quotes-free-market-economy/

#Calvin Coolidge #Inaugural Address #spreadgreatideas #quote #quotation #quoteoftheday #freemarket #economy

[deadpresidents]

Inauguration of James Garfield as the 20th President of the United States, East Portico, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1881.

#History #Presidents #James Garfield #President Garfield #Garfield Administration #Presidency #Presidential History #Inaugurations #Presidential Inaugurations #1881 Inauguration #Inauguration of James Garfield #Garfield Inauguration #Presidential Inauguration #Inaugural Address of James Garfield #24th Presidential Inauguration #24th Inaugural Ceremonies

[alabs1]

INAUGURATION ADDRESS DELIVERED BY THE GOVERNOR OF OSUN STATE, HIS EXCELLENCY, SENATOR ADEMOLA JACKSON NURUDEEN ADELEKE

INAUGURATION ADDRESS DELIVERED BY THE GOVERNOR OF OSUN STATE, HIS EXCELLENCY, SENATOR ADEMOLA JACKSON NURUDEEN ADELEKE

INAUGURATION ADDRESS DELIVERED BY THE GOVERNOR OF OSUN STATE, HIS EXCELLENCY, SENATOR ADEMOLA JACKSON NURUDEEN ADELEKE ON SUNDAY NOVEMBER 27TH, 2022 Protocol, 1. Today, I stand on the podium of history with a sacred pledge to God and the good people of Osun State that my intellect, passion and strength will be devoted to nothing but the welfare, peace and security of our people. 2. As I accept…

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#Address #Governor #HIS EXCELLENCY #Inauguration #November #OSUN STATE #SENATOR ADEMOLA JACKSON NURUDEEN ADELEKE #SUNDAY

[duranduratulsa]

On this day in 1789...George Washington gave the very first Presidential Inaugural Address #history #georgewashington #firstpresidentialinauguraladdress

#history #george washington #president george washington #first presidential inaugural address

[quotesfromall]

Where hostility to the United States in any interior locality shall be so great and universal as to prevent competent resident citizens from holding the Federal offices, there will be no attempt to force obnoxious strangers among the people for that object. While the strict legal right may exist in the Government to enforce the exercise of these offices, the attempt to do so would be so irritating and so nearly impracticable withal that I deem it better to forego for the time the uses of such offices. The mails, unless repelled, will continue to be furnished in all parts of the Union. So far as possible the people everywhere shall have that sense of perfect security which is most favorable to calm thought and reflection.

Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address

#secession #southern pride #dixie #us constitution #abraham lincoln #first inaugural address #lincoln #1861 #lincoln 1861 #history #american history #civil war #american civil war #domestic terrorism

[irreplaceable-spark]

It is no coincidence that our present troubles parallel and are proportionate to the intervention and intrusion in our lives that result from the unnecessary growth of government.

President Ronald Reagan, First Inaugural Address, Tuesday, January 20, 1981

#president ronald reagan #presidential inaugural address #inaugural address #quote #coincidence #troubles #intervention #intrusion #government #growth