My Fellow Americans: Presidents and Their Inaugural Addresses

Synopsis

Introduced 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 that contextualize the speech within the presidential administration that followed. Each of the contributors explores what a president expected to be dealing with when entering the highest office in the land and what he hoped to do for the country. The authors examine decisions the president made and how this impacted the nation's trajectory. They also reflect on how the address relates to the president's legacy in and out of office. The essays also offer distinctive approaches: some consider the political, economic, and military status of the country; others the composition of the address itself; and still others the personal circumstances of the president at the time of his inauguration. Covering over 230 of years of American history, My Fellow Americans captures a snapshot of America at unique points in time, with perceptive commentaries by America's finest presidential historians and a broad-ranging introduction by Ted Widmer.

Copyright:

2024

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

ISBN-13:

9780197645000

Related ISBNs:

9780197645017, 9780197644997

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Date of Addition:

11/04/24

Copyrighted By:

Oxford University Press

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

History, Nonfiction, Biographies and Memoirs, Politics and Government

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.

Edited by:

Yuvraj Singh

Introduction by:

Ted Widmer