The inauguration of Barack Obama as the forty-fourth President of the United States took place on January 20, 2009. The inauguration, with a record attendance for any event held in Washington, D.C., marked the commencement of the four-year term of Barack Obama as President and Joseph Biden as Vice President. With his inauguration as President of the United States, Obama became the first African American to hold the office and the first President born in Hawaii. The theme of the 56th inauguration was "A New Birth of Freedom," commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.[1]The inauguration celebration commenced on January 17, 2009 with a train ride beginning in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[2] Official events were held in Washington, D.C. from January 18 to 21, 2009,[3] including the We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial,[4] a day of service on the federal observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,[5][6] a "Kids' Inaugural: We Are the Future" concert event at the Verizon Center,[7] the inaugural ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, an inaugural luncheon at National Statuary Hall,[8] a parade along Pennsylvania Avenue, a series of inaugural balls at the Washington Convention Center and other locations, a private White House gala and an inaugural prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral.[9]
The inaugural program began on January 20, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. EST (15:00 UTC) on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. The National Mall, stretching to the Lincoln Memorial, served as the public observation area to witness the inaugural ceremony, and a section of the Mall between 3rd and 4th Streets, NW was reserved for ticket holders.[26][27] The event was planned by the United States Congress Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, and its chair, Senator Dianne Feinstein, acted as the day's emcee.[28][29][30]
The program by the congressional leaders included vocalist Aretha Franklin singing "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" and a performance of John Williams'[31] composition "Air and Simple Gifts," which was both pre-recorded and performed live synched with the recording by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, pianist Gabriela Montero and clarinetist Anthony McGill.[32][33] Other participants included the "The President's Own," the United States Marine Band, and the United States Navy Band.[33] The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus also performed at the ceremony.[25] Evangelical pastor Rick Warren delivered the invocation,[34][35] while civil rights activist Joseph Lowery, minister of the United Methodist Church, delivered the benediction.[36]
Vice President-elect Biden took his oath first from Associate Justice John Paul Stevens.[33] The oath of office for Vice President Biden was followed by the first playing of four ruffles and flourishes and "Hail, Columbia."
After the performance of "Air and Simple Gifts," Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath of office to President Obama shortly after noon. Although the inaugural ceremony ran longer than scheduled, which also delayed the administering of the oath that finished around 12:05 p.m. EST (17:05 UTC), Obama assumed the presidency at the expiration of President Bush's term at noon under the Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
The oath was followed by a 21-gun salute to the new President by members of the armed forces, followed by the first playing of four ruffles and flourishes and "Hail to the Chief." Obama delivered his inaugural address as the President of the United States following his swearing-in ceremony.[37] Poet Elizabeth Alexander then delivered the inaugural poem, "Praise Song for the Day."[33][38]
Vice President-elect Biden took his oath first from Associate Justice John Paul Stevens.[33] The oath of office for Vice President Biden was followed by the first playing of four ruffles and flourishes and "Hail, Columbia."
After the performance of "Air and Simple Gifts," Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath of office to President Obama shortly after noon. Although the inaugural ceremony ran longer than scheduled, which also delayed the administering of the oath that finished around 12:05 p.m. EST (17:05 UTC), Obama assumed the presidency at the expiration of President Bush's term at noon under the Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
The oath was followed by a 21-gun salute to the new President by members of the armed forces, followed by the first playing of four ruffles and flourishes and "Hail to the Chief." Obama delivered his inaugural address as the President of the United States following his swearing-in ceremony.[37] Poet Elizabeth Alexander then delivered the inaugural poem, "Praise Song for the Day."[33][38]
Chief Justice John Roberts administered the Oath of Office to Obama. Michelle Obama held the Bible, which was used in 1861 by Abraham Lincoln at his first inauguration, for President Obama.[39]
The administration of the oath included several missteps, although conflicting news accounts abound about the exact sequence of events. According to one news report, as Roberts administered the first part of the presidential oath, he paused after saying "I, Barack Hussein Obama." As Obama began to repeat those words, Roberts continued on with the oath by reciting "do solemnly swear," interrupting the President.[40] According to a different news report, it was Obama who interrupted Roberts during his recitation of the first part of the oath.[41] Following the completion of the first phrase of the presidential oath, Roberts recited incorrectly the next part of the oath by stating, "that I will execute the Office of President to the United States faithfully" (rather than "that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States"). Obama recited the words "I will execute," and then paused, looking at Roberts. Roberts then tried to correct his mistake in administering the oath by reciting "faithfully the Office of President of the United States."[42] However, Obama repeated Roberts' first mistaken phrase. As requested previously by then President-elect Obama, Roberts ended the presidential oath with the phrase "so help you God?," and Obama responded "so help me God." Roberts congratulated Obama as the new President at the end of the oath.[42][43]
The administration of the oath included several missteps, although conflicting news accounts abound about the exact sequence of events. According to one news report, as Roberts administered the first part of the presidential oath, he paused after saying "I, Barack Hussein Obama." As Obama began to repeat those words, Roberts continued on with the oath by reciting "do solemnly swear," interrupting the President.[40] According to a different news report, it was Obama who interrupted Roberts during his recitation of the first part of the oath.[41] Following the completion of the first phrase of the presidential oath, Roberts recited incorrectly the next part of the oath by stating, "that I will execute the Office of President to the United States faithfully" (rather than "that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States"). Obama recited the words "I will execute," and then paused, looking at Roberts. Roberts then tried to correct his mistake in administering the oath by reciting "faithfully the Office of President of the United States."[42] However, Obama repeated Roberts' first mistaken phrase. As requested previously by then President-elect Obama, Roberts ended the presidential oath with the phrase "so help you God?," and Obama responded "so help me God." Roberts congratulated Obama as the new President at the end of the oath.[42][43]
A central theme of President Barack Obama's inaugural address was a call to restore responsibility — both in terms of accountability in Washington and the responsibility of ordinary people to get involved.[50][51] Obama's address did not have memorable sound bite phrases; instead, he used traditional references to connect his new administration with the nation's history in a speech that was understated deliberately, according to rhetoric expert James Mackin.[52]
Obama concluded the second paragraph of his address by saying, "we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers and true to our founding documents." The speech reinforced words such as "legacy" and "heritage," as well as values such as "honesty," "courage" and "patriotism," which "are old." Near the end of the speech, Obama referred to a remark made long ago by George Washington to "a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires." Because Obama campaigned as a catalyst for change, which could be a concern to some, Mackin noted that Obama sought to reassure Americans that he would operate within the margins of the nation's traditions.
As part of Obama's call for responsibility, he said "those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account" and "what is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American." Obama also quoted the lyrics of the Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields song Pick Yourself Up from the musical comedy Swing Time, saying that "starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."[53] Columnist and former drama critic Frank Rich linked the lyric to Fields and the movie in The New York Times, writing that it was "one subtle whiff of the Great Depression" in the address.[54]
Obama concluded the second paragraph of his address by saying, "we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers and true to our founding documents." The speech reinforced words such as "legacy" and "heritage," as well as values such as "honesty," "courage" and "patriotism," which "are old." Near the end of the speech, Obama referred to a remark made long ago by George Washington to "a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires." Because Obama campaigned as a catalyst for change, which could be a concern to some, Mackin noted that Obama sought to reassure Americans that he would operate within the margins of the nation's traditions.
As part of Obama's call for responsibility, he said "those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account" and "what is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American." Obama also quoted the lyrics of the Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields song Pick Yourself Up from the musical comedy Swing Time, saying that "starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."[53] Columnist and former drama critic Frank Rich linked the lyric to Fields and the movie in The New York Times, writing that it was "one subtle whiff of the Great Depression" in the address.[54]
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