10.+Inauguration

=Oath of Office= // "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that 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." //


 * [|I Do Solemnly Swear: Presidential Inaugurations] **

Introduction
Thomas Jefferson walked to his first inaugural. When it was over, he returned to his boardinghouse for dinner. All the seats were filled.

Andrew Jackson, having opened the White House to the public—in keeping with a tradition started by Jefferson—was forced to escape a rowdy mob of well-wishers by climbing out the window.

Ronald Reagan took the oath of office privately on the twentieth of January, holding the public ceremony the following day, due to a conflict with the Super Bowl. Presidential inaugurations have been solemn ceremonies and uninhibited celebrations. They are carefully scripted and they are unpredictable. They reflect tradition and they reflect the moment.

Help your students reflect on what the Presidential inauguration has become and what it has been, while they meet a host of memorable historical figures and uncover a sense of America's past through archival materials.

Learning Objectives
After completing the lessons in this unit, students will be able to:
 * Summarize the Constitutional requirements for inaugurations and the oath of office.
 * Identify at least three historical examples of inaugural exceptions or precedents.
 * List other activities that occur at inaugurations.
 * Describe the purpose of an inauguration.
 * State an opinion about what they believe should happen at an inauguration.

Guiding Question:
What is required by the Constitution to occur at a presidential inauguration? What other events occur/have occurred at inaugurations?