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.
John Adams' inaugural address came after he defeated Thomas Jefferson in the 1796 election. His election came at a time when the Federalist party and Republican party were becoming bitter political foes, and Adams' presidency would prove turbulent.
This edition of John Adams’ Inaugural Address is specially formatted with a Table of Contents.
