The day after the 2025 presidential inauguration, leading presidential historians and contributors to the recently published compendium My Fellow Americans: Presidents and Their Inaugural Addresses, Michael Gerhardt, Kate Masur, and Ted Widmer, reflect on inaugural addresses throughout history and how they relate to a president’s legacy. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources: 

• Yuvraj Singh and Ted Widmer, My Fellow Americans: Presidents and Their Inaugural Addresses (2024) 
• Martin Van Buren, Inaugural Address (March 4, 1837) 
• Donald Trump, Second Inaugural Address (Jan. 20, 2025) 
• Andrew Jackson, First Inaugural Address (March 4, 1829) 
• Andrew Jackson, Second Inaugural Address (March 4, 1833) 
• Grover Cleveland, Second Inaugural Address (March 4, 1893) 
• Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address (March 4, 1861) 
• Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address (March 4, 1865) 
• Franklin D. Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address (March 4, 1933) 
• John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address (Jan. 20, 1961) 
• Joe Biden, Inaugural Address (Jan. 20, 2021) 

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