WASHINGTON — The tradition of delivering an address on Inauguration Day started way back with America’s first president and has continued ever since. But not all of those speeches were made equally.
Who gave the shortest inaugural address?
During his second inauguration, George Washington gave the shortest Inaugural address on record — totaling just 135 words — in the Senate chamber of Congress Hall in Philadelphia.
“Fellow citizens,
I am again called upon, by the voice of my country, to execute the functions of its Chief Magistrate. When the occasion proper for it shall arrive, I shall endeavour to express the high sense I entertain of this distinguished honor, and of the confidence which has been reposed in me by the people of United America.
Previous to the execution of any official act of the President, the Constitution requires an oath of office. This oath I am now about to take, and in your presence; that if it shall be found, during my administration of the Government, I have in any instance, violated, willingly or knowingly, the injunction thereof, I may (besides incurring Constitutional punishment) be subject to the upbraidings of all who are now witnesses of the present solemn ceremony.”
Who had the longest inaugural address?
On the other end of the spectrum was William Henry Harrison.
If there’s two things people know about William Henry Harrison, it’s that he gave the longest inauguration speech, but was president for the shortest amount of time.
His address lasted nearly two hours and was 8,445 words, which he delivered on a bitterly cold and wet day on March 4, 1841.
He died one month later after he caught a cold that developed into pneumonia. It was believed to have been brought on by the extended exposure to the elements on his Inauguration Day. His term as Commander in Chief lasted just 30 days, 12 hours and 30 minutes, according to the National Park Service.
How long was Donald Trump’s first inaugural address?
Donald Trump’s first inaugural address totaled 1,433 words, which was the shortest since Jimmy Carter’s 1,229 word speech in 1977, according to data from The American Presidency Project at UC Santa Barbara. It ranks as the 16th shortest inaugural speech.
His second inaugural address will happen inside the Capitol Rotunda due to forecasts of intense cold weather.
How long was Joe Biden’s inaugural address?
President Joe Biden’s speech at his Inauguration Day was 2,540 words, which was the longest since Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985.
What were the 10 shortest inaugural addresses?
1. George Washington – 135 words – March 4, 1793
2. Franklin D. Roosevelt – 559 words – January 20, 1945 (FDR’s 4th inauguration)
3. Abraham Lincoln – 700 words – March 4, 1865
4. Theodore Roosevelt – 984 words – March 4, 1905
5. Zachary Taylor – 1,090 words – March 5, 1849
6. Ulysses S. Grant – 1,127 words – March 4, 1869
7. Andrew Jackson – 1,128 words – March 4, 1829
8. Andrew Jackson – 1,176 words – March 4, 1833
9. James Madison – 1,177 words – March 4, 1809
10. James Madison – 1,211 words – March 4, 1813
What were the 10 longest inaugural addresses?
1. William Henry Harrison – 8,445 words – March 4, 1841
2. William Howard Taft – 5,434 words – March 4, 1909
3. James K. Polk – 4,809 words – March 4, 1845
4. James Monroe – 4,472 words – March 4, 1821
5. Benjamin Harrison – 4,392 words – March 4, 1889
6. Calvin Coolidge – 4,055 words – March 4, 1925
7. William McKinley – 3,968 words – March 4, 1897
8. Martin van Buren – 3,843 words – March 4, 1837
9. Herbert Hoover – 3,672 words – March 4, 1929
10. Abraham Lincoln – 3,637 words – March 4, 1861