15 h 6 minAudiobook13 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 15 h 6 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What does a president promise when a nation waits to hear its future?
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches gathers addresses from George Washington in 1789 through more than two centuries. Each speech marks the start of a presidency. Together, they bring you close to what American leaders promise, fear, and hope for as they take office.
Thomas Jefferson speaks after a bitter election. Abraham Lincoln faces a nation divided over the Union. Woodrow Wilson weighs the human cost of industrial growth. From Washington to John F. Kennedy and beyond, these addresses reveal how presidents frame a crisis, ask for trust, and describe the country they hope to lead.
What you’ll discover
- Washington sets the pattern Begin with Washington as he helps shape the ceremony and addresses members of Congress.
- A divided nation listens Read Lincoln's first address with seven states already declaring their departure from the Union.
- The cost of progress Explore Wilson's concerns about wasted lives, wasted resources, and the power of large interests.
- Promises across the years Follow war and peace, slavery and union, depression and prosperity through presidents' opening words.
- The shape of persuasion Notice recurring thanks and humility, then compare how each president seeks the nation's trust.
Who will love it
Readers who love history told in original voices, teachers and students of civics, and anyone curious how American leaders have framed duty, liberty, union, and peace.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Washington sets the pattern with humility and prayer
- Adams and Jefferson defend the Republic against faction
- Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe test the young nation
- Jackson, Van Buren, and Harrison argue over limits of power
- Polk, Taylor, Pierce, and Buchanan trust compromise to hold the Union
- Lincoln pleads for the Union, then for mercy
- Grant, Hayes, and Garfield face Reconstruction and the ballot
- Reform and fairness become the cause from Cleveland to Wilson
- War and Depression push presidents toward action
- Cold War and modern presidents set a global purpose
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 13 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
Discours d’investiture des présidents des États-Unis
Washington turns down a salary, and Lincoln pleads with the South to think before it breaks the Union.
Challenging10–20 hours to readfrançais
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
- Read or listen
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
In short
What does a president say at the very moment the job begins? George Washington, in 1789, says no event could have caused him greater anxiety than the call to office.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Washington sets the pattern with humility and prayer
The first address, in 1789, opens with worry instead of triumph. Washington says no event could have caused him greater anxiety than the call to office. He admits he has no experience in civil administration and asks the people to forgive any mistake.
He turns to prayer and credits providence for the peaceful joining of the states. He argues that a free government must rest on honest private morality. On policy he holds back and leaves amendments to Congress. He also declines any salary and asks only that the office's actual expenses be covered.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 13 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- Language
- français
- Reading time
- 9 h 50 min
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
United States. Presidents. United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/united-states-presidents-inaugural-speeches.
United States. Presidents. (2026). United States presidents' inaugural speeches. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/united-states-presidents-inaugural-speeches
United States. Presidents. United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/united-states-presidents-inaugural-speeches.
@book{unitedstatespresidents2026united,
author = {United States. Presidents},
title = {United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/united-states-presidents-inaugural-speeches}
}
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Discours d’investiture des présidents des États-Unis
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What are the United States presidents' inaugural speeches about?
They are the addresses presidents give when taking the oath of office. Each states the principles the president promises to follow, so together they show changing views on union, liberty, the limits of government, the economy, and America's place in the world.
Which presidents appear in this collection?
The collection runs in order from George Washington's first address in 1789 to George W. Bush's second in 2005. Many presidents appear twice, and some, such as Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, and Kennedy, are represented by addresses people still quote.
What is an inaugural address?
An inaugural address is the speech a president gives on taking the oath of office. It sets out goals and principles for the coming term and speaks to the whole country, not only to lawmakers or party supporters.
The author
United States. Presidents
American heads of state
United States. Presidents is a library heading for the presidents of the United States, not one person. The office was established in 1789, when George Washington became the first president. Presidents deliver inaugural speeches when beginning their terms. The listed title collects such speeches by holders of this office.
More like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Popular in history
See all
