Part 1 PDF Version: The Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents Reveal Their Christian Faith
Part 2 PDF Version: The Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents Reveal Their Christian Faith Pt. II
Compiled by Stephen McDowell
America began as a Christian nation. Christianity has been the predominant faith influencing the nation throughout our entire history. Even in recent years as we have been shifting to a humanistic foundation, Christianity is still the predominant faith. Evidence supporting this is vast and is examined in many of the books published by the Providence Foundation.* One indication of the Christian influence in America can be seen in the leaders we have chosen, in particular our Presidents.
All of America’s Presidents have professed Christianity. Many were devout in their religious beliefs, adhering to their faith in word and deed. Others, while saying they were Christians, did not live in accordance with the moral teachings of the Bible. Some may have externally held to the faith (by attending church, professing they were Christians, etc.) while their hearts were far from Him; but nonetheless, they culturally embraced the Christian faith. Every President has at least acknowledged God and sought His aid in some way. This is certainly seen in their inaugural addresses.
The mention of God by the Presidents in their first official speeches has varied in length, from a short mention by some, to about forty percent of George Washington’s entire address, and nearly one half of Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address. Many Presidents not only mentioned God in their speeches, but displayed throughout their lives Christian character and a genuine fear of God. Just as importantly, many had a Biblical worldview. Especially important for fulfilling their position as a civil ruler was their having a Biblical view of government — they saw government as limited, under God, based on self-government, and it’s purpose was to protect the lawful and serve man; it was not to be our savior. This Biblical view of government is seen in some of the President’s inaugural addresses. For example, Herbert Hoover wrote: “Self-government can succeed only through an instructed electorate.” Our best leaders have been those who feared God, displayed Christian character, and had a Biblical worldview.
The following excerpts show the strong reliance upon God many had, and for those whose faith was more superficial, the words still reveal how central Christianity has been in the history of the life of our nation, including the civil life.
Also notice that many of the Presidents spoke of the providential purpose of America as a nation that God would use to spread His liberty (personal, religious, civil, economic, political) throughout the world. For example, James Buchanan wrote:
“I feel an humble confidence that the kind Providence which inspired our fathers with wisdom to frame the most perfect form of government and union ever devised by man will not suffer it to perish until it shall have been peacefully instrumental by its example in the extension of civil and religious liberty throughout the world.”
Calvin Coolidge said in his inaugural address:
“America seeks no earthly empire built on blood and force. No ambition, no temptation, lures her to thought of foreign dominions. The legions which she sends forth are armed, not with the sword, but with the cross. The higher state to which she seeks the allegiance of all mankind is not of human, but of divine origin. She cherishes no purpose save to merit the favor of Almighty God.”
A couple of the Presidents offered a prayer in their addresses, including Dwight D. Eisenhower and George H.W. Bush, and a number have quoted Scripture.
* See for example, America a Christian Nation? Examining the Evidence of the Christian Foundation of America by Stephen McDowell.
George Washington (Federalist, 1789-1797)
First Inaugural Address, April 30, 1789, Federal Hall, New York, N.Y.
. . . [I]t would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes, and may enable every instrument employed in its administration to execute with success the functions allotted to his charge. In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good, I assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own, nor those of my fellow-citizens at large less than either. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency; and in the important revolution just accomplished in the system of their united government the tranquil deliberations and voluntary consent of so many distinct communities from which the event has resulted can not be compared with the means by which most governments have been established without some return of pious gratitude, along with an humble anticipation of the future blessings which the past seem to presage. These reflections, arising out of the present crisis, have forced themselves too strongly on my mind to be suppressed. You will join with me, I trust, in thinking that there are none under the influence of which the proceedings of a new and free government can more auspiciously commence.
. . . I dwell on this prospect with every satisfaction which an ardent love for my country can inspire, since there is no truth more thoroughly established than that there exists in the economy and course of nature an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness; between duty and advantage; between the genuine maxims of an honest and magnanimous policy and the solid rewards of public prosperity and felicity; since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained; and since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered, perhaps, as deeply, as finally, staked on the experiment intrusted to the hands of the American people. . . .
Having thus imparted to you my sentiments as they have been awakened by the occasion which brings us together, I shall take my present leave; but not without resorting once more to the benign Parent of the Human Race in humble supplication that, since He has been pleased to favor the American people with opportunities for deliberating in perfect tranquillity, and dispositions for deciding with unparalleled unanimity on a form of government for the security of their union and the advancement of their happiness, so His divine blessing may be equally conspicuous in the enlarged views, the temperate consultations, and the wise measures on which the success of this Government must depend.
John Adams (Federalist, 1797-1801)
Inaugural Address, Senate Chamber, Philadelphia, March 4, 1797
. . . Relying, however, on the purity of their intentions, the justice of their cause, and the integrity and intelligence of the people, under an overruling Providence which had so signally protected this country from the first, the representatives of this nation . . . cut asunder the ties which had bound them, and launched into an ocean of uncertainty.
. . . with humble reverence, I feel it to be my duty to add, if a veneration for the religion of a people who profess and call themselves Christians, and a fixed resolution to consider a decent respect for Christianity among the best recommendations for the public service, can enable me in any degree to comply with your wishes, it shall be my strenuous endeavor that this sagacious injunction of the two Houses shall not be without effect. . . .
And may that Being who is supreme over all, the Patron of Order, the Fountain of Justice, and the Protector in all ages of the world of virtuous liberty, continue His blessing upon this nation and its Government and give it all possible success and duration consistent with the ends of His providence.
Thomas Jefferson (Democrat-Republican, 1801-1809)
First Inaugural Address, Capitol Building, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1801
Relying, then, on the patronage of your good will, I advance with obedience to the work, ready to retire from it whenever you become sensible how much better choice it is in your power to make. And may that Infinite Power which rules the destinies of the universe lead our councils to what is best, and give them a favorable issue for your peace and prosperity.
Second Inaugural Address, Capitol Building, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1805
. . . I shall need, too, the favor of that Being in whose hands we are, who led our fathers, as Israel of old, from their native land and planted them in a country flowing with all the necessaries and comforts of life; who has covered our infancy with His providence and our riper years with His wisdom and power, and to whose goodness I ask you to join in supplications with me that He will so enlighten the minds of your servants, guide their councils, and prosper their measures that whatsoever they do shall result in your good, and shall secure to you the peace, friendship, and approbation of all nations.
James Madison (Democrat-Republican, 1809-1817)
First Inaugural Address, Capitol Building, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1809
. . . In these my confidence will under every difficulty be best placed, next to that which we have all been encouraged to feel in the guardianship and guidance of that Almighty Being whose power regulates the destiny of nations, whose blessings have been so conspicuously dispensed to this rising Republic, and to whom we are bound to address our devout gratitude for the past, as well as our fervent supplications and best hopes for the future.
James Monroe (Democrat-Republican, 1817-1825)
First Inaugural Address, Capitol Building, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1817
. . . If we persevere in the career in which we have advanced so far and in the path already traced, we can not fail, under the favor of a gracious Providence, to attain the high destiny which seems to await us.
. . . Relying on the aid to be derived from the other departments of the Government, I enter on the trust to which I have been called by the suffrages of my fellow-citizens with my fervent prayers to the Almighty that He will be graciously pleased to continue to us that protection which He has already so conspicuously displayed in our favor.
Second Inaugural address, Capitol Building, Washington, D.C., March 5, 1821
. . . that they may produce a like accord in all questions touching, however remotely, the liberty, prosperity, and happiness of our country will always be the object of my most fervent prayers to the Supreme Author of All Good.
. . . With full confidence in the continuance of that candor and generous indulgence from my fellow-citizens at large which I have heretofore experienced, and with a firm reliance on the protection of Almighty God, I shall forthwith commence the duties of the high trust to which you have called me.
John Quincy Adams (Democrat-Republican, 1825-1829)
Inaugural Address, Capitol Building, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1825
. . . I appear, my fellow-citizens, in your presence and in that of Heaven to bind myself by the solemnities of religious obligation to the faithful performance of the duties alloted to me in the station to which I have been called.
. . . and knowing that “except the Lord keep the city the watchman waketh but in vain,” with fervent supplications for His favor, to His overruling providence I commit with humble but fearless confidence my own fate and the future destinies of my country.
Andrew Jackson (Democrat, 1829-1837)
First Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1829
. . . And a firm reliance on the goodness of that Power whose providence mercifully protected our national infancy, and has since upheld our liberties in various vicissitudes, encourages me to offer up my ardent supplications that He will continue to make our beloved country the object of His divine care and gracious benediction.
Second Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1833
Finally, it is my most fervent prayer to that Almighty Being before whom I now stand, and who has kept us in His hands from the infancy of our Republic to the present day, that He will so overrule all my intentions and actions and inspire the hearts of my fellow-citizens that we may be preserved from dangers of all kinds and continue forever a united and happy people.
Martin Van Buren (Democrat, 1837-1841)
Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1837
So sensibly, fellow-citizens, do these circumstances press themselves upon me that I should not dare to enter upon my path of duty . . . . did I not permit myself humbly to hope for the sustaining support of an ever-watchful and beneficent Providence.
. . . Beyond that I only look to the gracious protection of the Divine Being whose strengthening support I humbly solicit, and whom I fervently pray to look down upon us all. May it be among the dispensations of His providence to bless our beloved country with honors and with length of days. May her ways be ways of pleasantness and all her paths be peace!
William Henry Harrison (Whig, 1841)
Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1841
I deem the present occasion sufficiently important and solemn to justify me in expressing to my fellow-citizens a profound reverence for the Christian religion and a thorough conviction that sound morals, religious liberty, and a just sense of religious responsibility are essentially connected with all true and lasting happiness; and to that good Being who has blessed us by the gifts of civil and religious freedom, who watched over and prospered the labors of our fathers and has hitherto preserved to us institutions far exceeding in excellence those of any other people, let us unite in fervently commending every interest of our beloved country in all future time.
John Tyler (Whig, 1841-1845)
[Tyler did not give an inaugural address. As vice-president under Harrison, he assumed the Presidency when Harrison died one month after taking office.]
James K. Polk (Democrat, 1845-1849)
Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1845
In assuming responsibilities so vast I fervently invoke the aid of that Almighty Ruler of the Universe in whose hands are the destinies of nations and of men to guard this Heaven-favored land against the mischiefs which without His guidance might arise from an unwise public policy. With a firm reliance upon the wisdom of Omnipotence to sustain and direct me in the path of duty which I am appointed to pursue, I stand in the presence of this assembled multitude of my countrymen to take upon myself the solemn obligation “to the best of my ability to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
. . . again humbly supplicating that Divine Being who has watched over and protected our beloved country from its infancy to the present hour to continue His gracious benedictions upon us, that we may continue to be a prosperous and happy people.
Zachary Taylor (Whig, 1849-1850)
Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 5, 1849
In conclusion I congratulate you, my fellow-citizens, upon the high state of prosperity to which the goodness of Divine Providence has conducted our common country. Let us invoke a continuance of the same protecting care which has led us from small beginnings to the eminence we this day occupy. . .
Millard Fillmore (Whig, 1850-1853)
[Fillmore became President when Taylor died in office in July 1850. He gave no inaugural address.]
Franklin Pierce (Democrat, 1853-1857)
Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1853
. . . It is with me an earnest and vital belief that as the Union has been the source, under Providence, of our prosperity to this time, so it is the surest pledge of a continuance of the blessings we have enjoyed, and which we are sacredly bound to transmit undiminished to our children. . . .
But let not the foundation of our hope rest upon man’s wisdom. It will not be sufficient that sectional prejudices find no place in the public deliberations. It will not be sufficient that the rash counsels of human passion are rejected. It must be felt that there is no national security but in the nation’s humble, acknowledged dependence upon God and His overruling providence.
. . . I can express no better hope for my country than that the kind Providence which smiled upon our fathers may enable their children to preserve the blessings they have inherited.
James Buchanan (Democrat, 1857-1861)
Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1857
In entering upon this great office I must humbly invoke the God of our fathers for wisdom and firmness to execute its high and responsible duties in such a manner as to restore harmony and ancient friendship among the people of the several States and to preserve our free institutions throughout many generations. . . .
. . . I feel an humble confidence that the kind Providence which inspired our fathers with wisdom to frame the most perfect form of government and union ever devised by man will not suffer it to perish until it shall have been peacefully instrumental by its example in the extension of civil and religious liberty throughout the world. . . .
I shall now proceed to take the oath prescribed by the Constitution, whilst humbly invoking the blessing of Divine Providence on this great people.
Abraham Lincoln (Union Party [Republican], 1861-1865)
First Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1861
Intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm reliance on Him who has never yet forsaken this favored land are still competent to adjust in the best way all our present difficulty.
Second Inaugural Address, Capitol Building, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1865
- . . . Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. “Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.” If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.”
- With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to 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.
Andrew Johnson (Union Party [Republican], 1865-1869)
[Johnson assumed the presidency on April 15, 1865, after Lincoln was shot and died.]
Ulysses S. Grant (Republican, 1869-1877)
First Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1869
. . . Why, it looks as though Providence had bestowed upon us a strong box in the precious metals locked up in the sterile mountains of the far West, and which we are now forging the key to unlock, to meet the very contingency that is now upon us. . . .
In conclusion I ask patient forbearance one toward another throughout the land, and a determined effort on the part of every citizen to do his share toward cementing a happy union; and I ask the prayers of the nation to Almighty God in behalf of this consummation.
Second Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1873
Under Providence I have been called a second time to act as Executive over this great nation. . . .
. . . I believe that our Great Maker is preparing the world, in His own good time, to become one nation, speaking one language, and when armies and navies will be no longer required.
Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican, 1877-1881)
Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 5, 1877
Looking for the guidance of that Divine Hand by which the destinies of nations and individuals are shaped, I call upon you, Senators, Representatives, judges, fellow-citizens, here and everywhere, to unite with me in an earnest effort to secure to our country the blessings, not only of material prosperity, but of justice, peace, and union — a union depending not upon the constraint of force, but upon the loving devotion of a free people; “and that all things may be so ordered and settled upon the best and surest foundations that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations.”
James Garfield (Republican, 1881)
Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1881
I shall greatly rely upon the wisdom and patriotism of Congress and of those who may share with me the responsibilities and duties of administration, and, above all, upon our efforts to promote the welfare of this great people and their Government I reverently invoke the support and blessings of Almighty God.
Chester A. Arthur (Republican, 1881-1885)
[Arthur became President after Garfield died on September 19, 1881, from a lingering illness from a gunshot wound of an assassin.]
Grover Cleveland (Democrat, 1885-1889)
First Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1885
And let us not trust to human effort alone, but humbly acknowledging the power and goodness of Almighty God, who presides over the destiny of nations, and who has at all times been revealed in our country’s history, let us invoke His aid and His blessing upon our labors.
Benjamin Harrison (Republican, 1889-1893)
Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1889
Entering thus solemnly into covenant with each other, we may reverently invoke and confidently expect the favor and help of Almighty God — that He will given to me wisdom, strength, and fidelity, and to our people a spirit of fraternity and a love of righteousness and peace.
Grover Cleveland (Democrat, 1893-1897)
Second Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1893
Above all, I know there is a Supreme Being who rules the affairs of men and whose goodness and mercy have always followed the American people, and I know He will not turn from us now if we humbly and reverently seek His powerful aid.
William McKinley (Republican, 1897-1901)
First Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1897
. . . relying upon the support of my countrymen and invoking the guidance of Almighty God. Our faith teaches that there is no safer reliance than upon the God of our fathers, who has so singularly favored the American people in every national trial, and who will not forsake us so long as we obey His commandments and walk humbly in His footsteps. . . .
Let me again repeat the words of the oath administered by the Chief Justice which, in their respective spheres, so far as applicable, I would have all my countrymen observe: “I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” This is the obligation I have reverently taken before the Lord Most High.
Second Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1901
Intrusted by the people for a second time with the office of President, I enter upon its administration . . . reverently invoking for my guidance the direction and favor of Almighty God.
Theodore Roosevelt (Republican, 1901-1909)
[Roosevelt assumed office on September 14, 1901, when McKinley died from an assassin’s bullet. After completing this term of office he was elected President in 1904.]
Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1905
My fellow-citizens, no people on earth have more cause to be thankful than ours, and this is said reverently, in no spirit of boastfulness in our own strength, but with gratitude to the Giver of Good who has blessed us with the conditions which have enabled us to achieve so large a measure of well-being and of happiness.
William Howard Taft (Republican, 1909-1913)
Inaugural Address, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1909
. . . I invoke the considerate sympathy and support of my fellow-citizens and the aid of the Almighty God in the discharge of my responsible duties.
Woodrow Wilson (Democrat, 1913-1921)
First Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1913
I summon all honest men, all patriotic, all forward-looking men, to my side. God helping me, I will not fail them, if they will but counsel and sustain me!
Second Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 5, 1917
I pray God I may be given the wisdom and the prudence to do my duty in the true spirit of this great people. I am their servant and can succeed only as they sustain and guide me by their confidence and their counsel.
Warren G. Harding (Republican, 1921-1923)
Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1921
. . . I must utter my belief in the divine inspiration of the founding fathers. Surely there must have been God’s intent in the making of this new-world Republic. . . .
America is ready to . . . promote that brotherhood of mankind which must be God’s highest conception of human relationship. . . .
Service is the supreme commitment of life. I would rejoice to acclaim the era of the Golden Rule and crown it with the autocracy of service. I pledge an administration wherein all the agencies of Government are called to serve, and ever promote an understanding of Government purely as an expression of the popular will.
. . . The world upheaval has added heavily to our tasks. But with the realization comes the surge of high resolve, and there is reassurance in belief in the God-given destiny of our Republic. . . .
I accept my part with single-mindedness of purpose and humility of spirit, and implore the favor and guidance of God in His Heaven. With these I am unafraid, and confidently face the future.
I have taken the solemn oath of office on that passage of Holy Writ wherein it is asked: “What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” This I plight to God and country.
Calvin Coolidge (Republican, 1923-1929)
[Coolidge became President on August 3, 1923, when Harding unexpectedly died while in office. He gave an inaugural address after he was elected in 1924.]
Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1925
America seeks no earthly empire built on blood and force. No ambition, no temptation, lures her to thought of foreign dominions. The legions which she sends forth are armed, not with the sword, but with the cross. The higher state to which she seeks the allegiance of all mankind is not of human, but of divine origin. She cherishes no purpose save to merit the favor of Almighty God.
Herbert Hoover (Republican, 1929-1933)
Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1929
This occasion is not alone the administration of the most sacred oath which can be assumed by an American citizen. It is a dedication and consecration under God to the highest office in service of our people. I assume this trust in the humility of knowledge that only through the guidance of Almighty Providence can I hope to discharge its ever-increasing burdens. . . .
I ask the help of Almighty God in this service to my country to which you have called me.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Democrat, 1933-1945)
First Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., March 4, 1933
In this dedication of a Nation we humbly ask the blessing of God. May He protect each and every one of us. May He guide me in the days to come.
Second Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., January 20, 1937
While this duty rests upon me I will do my utmost to speak their purpose and to do their will, seeking Divine guidance to help us each and every one to give light to them that sit in darkness and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Third Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., January 20, 1941
In the face of great perils never before encountered, our strong purpose is to protect and to perpetuate the integrity of democracy. For this we muster the spirit of America, and the faith of America. We do not retreat. We are not content to stand still. As Americans, we go forward, in the service of our country, by the will of God.
Fourth Inaugural Address, White House, Washington, D.C., January 20, 1945
As I stand here today, having taken the solemn oath of office in the presence of my fellow countrymen — in the presence of our God — I know that it is America’s purpose that we shall not fail. . . .
The Almighty God has blessed our land in many ways. He has given our people stout hearts and strong arms with which to strike mighty blows for freedom and truth. He has given to our country a faith which has become the hope of all peoples in an anguished world.
So we pray to Him now for the vision to see our way clearly — to see the way that leads to a better life for ourselves and for all our fellow men — to the achievement of His will, to peace on earth.
Harry S. Truman (Democrat, 1945-1953)
[Truman assumed office on April 12, 1945, upon the death of Roosevelt. After completing FDR’s term, Truman was elected in 1948.]
Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., January 20, 1949
The American people stand firm in the faith which has inspired this Nation from the beginning. We believe that all men have a right to equal justice under law and equal opportunity to share in the common good. We believe that all men have the right to freedom of thought and expression. We believe that all men are created equal because they are created in the image of God. . . .
Steadfast in our faith in the Almighty, we will advance toward a world where man’s freedom is secure. To that end we will devote our strength, our resources, and our firmness of resolve. With God’s help, the future of mankind will be assured in a world of justice, harmony, and peace.
Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican, 1953-1961)
First Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., January 20, 1953
My friends, before I begin the expression of those thoughts that I deem appropriate to this moment, would you permit me the privilege of uttering a little private prayer of my own. And I ask that you bow your heads.
Almighty God, as we stand here at this moment my future associates in the executive branch of government join me in beseeching that Thou will make full and complete our dedication to the service of the people in this throng, and their fellow citizens everywhere.
Give us, we pray, the power to discern clearly right from wrong, and allow all our words and actions to be governed thereby, and by the laws of this land. Especially we pray that our concern shall be for all the people regardless of station, race, or calling.
May cooperation be permitted and be the mutual aim of those who, under the concepts of our Constitution, hold to differing political faiths; so that all may work for the good of our beloved country and Thy glory. Amen. . . .
In the swift rush of great events, we find ourselves groping to know the full sense and meaning of these times in which we live. In our quest of understanding, we beseech God’s guidance. . . .
At such a time in history, we who are free must proclaim anew our faith. This faith is the abiding creed of our fathers. It is our faith in the deathless dignity of man, governed by eternal moral and natural laws. This faith defines our full view of life. It establishes, beyond debate, those gifts of the Creator that are man’s inalienable rights, and that make all men equal in His sight. . . .
This is the hope that beckons us onward in this century of trail. This is the work that awaits us all, to be done with bravery, with charity, and with prayer to Almighty God.
Second Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., January 20, 1957
Before all else, we seek, upon our common labor as a nation, the blessings of Almighty God. And the hopes in our hearts fashion the deepest prayers of our whole people. . . .
John F. Kennedy (Democrat, 1961-1963)
Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., January 20, 1961
. . . I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forefathers prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago.
The world is very different now. . . . And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe — the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God. . . .
Let both sides unite to heed in all corners of the earth the command of Isaiah — to “undo the heavy burdens . . . [and] let the oppressed go free.” . . .
With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.
Lyndon Baines Johnson (Democrat, 1963-1969)
[Johnson assumed office when President Kennedy was shot and died November 22, 1963. After completing this term, Johnson was elected as President in 1964.]
Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., January 20, 1965
My fellow countrymen, on this occasion, the oath I have taken before you and before God is not mine alone, but ours together. . . .
Under this covenant — of justice, liberty, and union — we have become a nation — prosperous, great, and mighty. And we have kept our freedom. But we have no promise from God that our greatness will endure. We have been allowed by Him to seek greatness with the sweat of our hands and the strength of our spirit. . . .
For myself, I ask only, in the words of an ancient leader: “Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this, thy people, that is so great?”
Richard M. Nixon (Republican, 1969-1974)
First Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., January 20, 1969
I have taken an oath today in the presence of God and my countrymen to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. To that oath I now add this sacred commitment: I shall consecrate my office, my energies, and all the wisdom I can summon, to the cause of peace among nations.
Let this message be heard by strong and weak alike: The peace we seek to win is not victory over any other people, but the peace that comes “with healing in its wings”; . . .
Only a few short weeks ago, we shared the glory of man’s first sight of the world as God sees it, as a single sphere reflecting light in the darkness.
As the Apollo astronauts flew over the moon’s gray surface on Christmas Eve, they spoke to us of the beauty of earth — and in that voice so clear across the lunar distance, we heard them invoke God’s blessing on its goodness. . . .
. . . let us go forward, firm in our faith, steadfast in our purpose, cautious of the dangers; but sustained by our confidence in the will of God and the promise of man.
Second Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., January 20, 1973
We are embarking here today on an era that presents challenges great as those any nation, or any generation, has ever faced. We shall answer to God, to history, and to our conscience for the way in which we use these years.
As I stand in this place, so hallowed by history, I think of others who have stood here before me. I think of the dreams they had for America, and I think of how each recognized that he needed help far beyond himself in order to make those dreams come true.
Today, I ask your prayers that in the years ahead I may have God’s help in making decisions that are right for America, and I pray for your help so that together we may be worthy of our challenge.
Let us pledge together to make these next four years the best four years in America’s history, so that on its 200th birthday America will be as young and as vital as when it began, and as bright a beacon of hope for all the world.
Let us go forward from here confident in hope, strong in our faith in one another, sustained by our faith in God who created us, and striving always to serve His purpose.
Gerald R. Ford (Republican, 1974-1977)
[Ford became President when Nixon resigned the office on August 9, 1974. The year before Vice-President Agnew had resigned and Nixon had nominated Ford, then Speaker of the House, to fill his position. After taking the oath of office, Ford gave a short speech in the East Room of the White House, from which the following is taken.]
Remarks following his swearing in, White House, Washington, D.C., August 9, 1974
I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your President by your ballots, and so I ask you to confirm me as your President with your prayers. And I hope that such prayers will also be the first of many. . . .
In the beginning, I asked you to pray for me. Before closing, I ask again your prayers, for Richard Nixon and for his family. May our former President, who brought peace to millions, find it for himself. May God bless and comfort his wonderful wife and daughters. . . .
I now solemnly reaffirm my promise . . . to uphold the Constitution, to do what is right as God gives me to see the right, and to do the very best I can for America. God helping me, I will not let you down.
James E. Carter (Democrat, 1977-1981)
Inaugural Address, Capitol Steps, Washington, D.C., January 20, 1977
Here before me is the Bible used in the inauguration of our first President, in 1789, and I have just taken the oath of office on the Bible my mother gave me a few years ago, opened to a timeless admonition from the ancient prophet Micah:
“He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” (Micah 6:8)
Ronald W. Reagan (Republican, 1981-1989)
First Inaugural Address, West Front of the Capitol, Washington, D.C., January 20, 1981
I am told that tens of thousands of prayer meetings are being held on this day, and for that I am deeply grateful. We are a nation under God, and I believe God intended for us to be free. It would be fitting and good, I think, if on each Inauguration Day in future years it should be declared a day of prayer…
The crisis we are facing today does not require of us the kind of sacrifice that Martin Treptow and so many thousands of others were called upon to make. It does require, however, our best effort, and our willingness to believe in ourselves and to believe in our capacity to perform great deeds; to believe that together, with God’s help, we can and will resolve the problems which now confront us. And, after all, why shouldn’t we believe that? We are Americans. God bless you, and thank you.
Second Inaugural Address, Capitol Rotunda, Washington, D.C., January 21, 1985
Well, with heart and hand, let us stand as one today: One people under God determined that our future shall be worthy of our past. . . .
The time has come for a new American emancipation—a great national drive to tear down economic barriers and liberate the spirit of enterprise in the most distressed areas of our country. My friends, together we can do this, and do it we must, so help me God. . . .
It is the American sound. It is hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent, and fair. That’s our heritage; that is our song. We sing it still. For all our problems, our differences, we are together as of old, as we raise our voices to the God who is the Author of this most tender music. And may He continue to hold us close as we fill the world with our sound—sound in unity, affection, and love—one people under God, dedicated to the dream of freedom that He has placed in the human heart, called upon now to pass that dream on to a waiting and hopeful world.
God bless you and may God bless America.
George H.W. Bush (Republican, 1989-1993)
Inaugural Address, West Front of the Capitol, Washington, D.C., January 20, 1989
I have just repeated word for word the oath taken by George Washington 200 years ago, and the Bible on which I placed my hand is the Bible on which he placed his. It is right that the memory of Washington be with us today, not only because this is our Bicentennial Inauguration, but because Washington remains the Father of our Country. And he would, I think, be gladdened by this day; for today is the concrete expression of a stunning fact: our continuity these 200 years since our government began.
We meet on democracy’s front porch, a good place to talk as neighbors and as friends. For this is a day when our nation is made whole, when our differences, for a moment, are suspended.
And my first act as President is a prayer. I ask you to bow your heads:
Heavenly Father, we bow our heads and thank You for Your love. Accept our thanks for the peace that yields this day and the shared faith that makes its continuance likely. Make us strong to do Your work, willing to heed and hear Your will, and write on our hearts these words: “Use power to help people.” For we are given power not to advance our own purposes, nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of power, and it is to serve people. Help us to remember it, Lord. Amen…
And so, there is much to do; and tomorrow the work begins. I do not mistrust the future; I do not fear what is ahead. For our problems are large, but our heart is larger. Our challenges are great, but our will is greater. And if our flaws are endless, God’s love is truly boundless.
Some see leadership as high drama, and the sound of trumpets calling, and sometimes it is that. But I see history as a book with many pages, and each day we fill a page with acts of hopefulness and meaning. The new breeze blows, a page turns, the story unfolds. And so today a chapter begins, a small and stately story of unity, diversity, and generosity—shared, and written, together.
Thank you. God bless you and God bless the United States of America.
William J. Clinton (Democrat, 1993-2001)
First Inaugural Address, West Front of the Capitol, Washington, D.C., January 20, 1993
When our founders boldly declared America’s independence to the world and our purposes to the Almighty, they knew that America, to endure, would have to change.
Not change for change’s sake, but change to preserve America’s ideals—life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. Though we march to the music of our time, our mission is timeless. . . .
And so, my fellow Americans, at the edge of the 21st century, let us begin with energy and hope, with faith and discipline, and let us work until our work is done. The scripture says, “And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not.”
From this joyful mountaintop of celebration, we hear a call to service in the valley. We have heard the trumpets. We have changed the guard. And now, each in our way, and with God’s help, we must answer the call.
Thank you and God bless you all.
Second Inaugural Address, West Front of the Capitol, Washington, D.C., January 20, 1997
From the height of this place and the summit of this century, let us go forth. May God strengthen our hands for the good work ahead—and always, always bless our America.
George W. Bush (Republican, 2001-2009)
First Inaugural Address, West Front of the Capitol, Washington, D.C., January 20, 2001
After the Declaration of Independence was signed, Virginia statesman John Page wrote to Thomas Jefferson: “We know the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong. Do you not think an angel rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm?”
Much time has passed since Jefferson arrived for his inauguration. The years and changes accumulate. But the themes of this day he would know: our nation’s grand story of courage and its simple dream of dignity.
We are not this story’s author, who fills time and eternity with his purpose. Yet his purpose is achieved in our duty, and our duty is fulfilled in service to one another.
Never tiring, never yielding, never finishing, we renew that purpose today, to make our country more just and generous, to affirm the dignity of our lives and every life.
This work continues. This story goes on. And an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm.
God bless you all, and God bless America.
Second Inaugural Address, West Front of the Capitol, Washington, D.C., January 20, 2005
America’s vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one. From the day of our Founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this earth has rights, and dignity, and matchless value, because they bear the image of the Maker of Heaven and earth. Across the generations we have proclaimed the imperative of self-government, because no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave. Advancing these ideals is the mission that created our Nation. It is the honorable achievement of our fathers. Now it is the urgent requirement of our nation’s security, and the calling of our time. . . .
We go forward with complete confidence in the eventual triumph of freedom. Not because history runs on the wheels of inevitability; it is human choices that move events. Not because we consider ourselves a chosen nation; God moves and chooses as He wills. We have confidence because freedom is the permanent hope of mankind, the hunger in dark places, the longing of the soul. When our Founders declared a new order of the ages; when soldiers died in wave upon wave for a union based on liberty; when citizens marched in peaceful outrage under the banner “Freedom Now”—they were acting on an ancient hope that is meant to be fulfilled. History has an ebb and flow of justice, but history also has a visible direction, set by liberty and the Author of Liberty.
When the Declaration of Independence was first read in public and the Liberty Bell was sounded in celebration, a witness said, “It rang as if it meant something.” In our time it means something still. America, in this young century, proclaims liberty throughout all the world, and to all the inhabitants thereof. Renewed in our strength—tested, but not weary—we are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom.
May God bless you, and may He watch over the United States of America.
Barack H. Obama (Democrat, 2009-2017)
First Inaugural Address, West Front of the Capitol, Washington, D.C., January 21, 2009
The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
…with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.
Second Inaugural Address, West Front of the Capitol, Washington, D.C., January 21, 2013
What makes us exceptional – what makes us American – is our allegiance to an idea articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Today we continue a never-ending journey to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time. For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they’ve never been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth.
