March 4, 1933: Inauguration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt
On this day in 1933, FDR stood outside the Capitol building and presented the New Deal through his inaugural speech as the 32nd U.S. president.
The New Deal was a series of economic reforms that responded to the Great Depression. It stressed the importance of the three R’s: Relief, Recovery, and Reform. During the famous first one hundred days, Roosevelt’s administration actively focused on measures that pushed for economic recovery, such as the Bank Holiday and Agricultural Adjustment Act, while also creating the National Recovery Administration and the Public Works Administration.
Historians have claimed that the New Deal represented total bipartisanship from members in Congress.
Remember the events during the Great Depression with American Experience’s timeline.
Image: Franklin Roosevelt explained many of the aspects of his New Deal programs to the American public through a series of “Fireside Chats” delivered by the new medium of the era, radio. (Library of Congress)
Marian Anderson was born on this day, February 27, 1897. The internationally renowned contralto opera singer sang the National Anthem at President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961.
Twenty two years earlier, Anderson’s concert at the Lincoln Memorial marked a watershed moment in the civil rights movement. Learn more about the concert, and the friendship between Anderson and Eleanor Roosevelt here.
Photo: President Kennedy with Marian Anderson and her accompanist Franz Rupp in the Oval Office, White House. 3/22/62.
-from the JFK Library
life:
Not originally published in LIFE. Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration, 1953.
(Alfred Eisenstaedt—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images)
The current Seal for the President of the United States made its debut at the 1949 Inauguration for Harry S. Truman.
A picture of the seal at the Inaugural Gala at the National Guard Armory in Washington, D. C. Harry, Bess, and Margaret Truman are seated in the bleachers. First row, at left. 01/19/1949.
-from the Truman Library
Source: research.archives.gov
A souvenir liquor bottle from the 1953 Inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Source: facebook.com
Ronald and Nancy Reagan waving from the limousine during the Inaugural Parade. Washington , DC. 1/20/81 .
Source: reagan.utexas.edu
The West front of the U.S. Capitol for President William J. Clinton’s First Inauguration, 01/20/1993.
Source: research.archives.gov
President Ronald Reagan giving the Inaugural Address from the U.S. Capitol. 1/20/81 .
Did you know that Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first President to be inaugurated on January 20th?
FDR was the last POTUS to take the oath of office on March 4, 1933. After the passage of the 20th Amendment, FDR became the first President to be sworn in on the new day of January 20 for his second inauguration in 1937.
President Roosevelt watching the Inaugural Parade from a replica of Andrew Jackson’s “Hermitage” in front of the White House. January 20, 1937.
Source: facebook.com
Jimmy Started Something New
In 1977, Jimmy Carter started a tradition that has now become one of the most anticipated events on Inauguration Day.
While in the motorcade of the Inaugural Parade, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter exited their car to walk the route to the White House.
Only the Secret Service had been notified of Carter’s decision to break with tradition, and at first, parade viewers thought the car had broken down.
Nine-year-old Amy Carter joined her parents for part of the parade route, jumping and skipping along Pennsylvania Avenue in her excitement.
-from the Carter Library
Source: presidentialtimeline.org
