United States History Semester Final January 25, 2017 Handout #1 Please access the following website to complete this assessment: http://inaugural.senate.gov Presidential Swearing-In Ceremony Source: Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies Presidential Swearing-In Ceremony http://inaugural.senate.gov/history/daysevents/potusswearingin01.cfm "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." Presidential oath of office, Article II, Section 1, United States Constitution Proceedings associated with the Presidential elections and Inaugurations, almost routine after two centuries, were entirely new and untried following the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The Constitution provides that the President be elected through an electoral college, with membership equal to the number of Senators and Representatives from each state. It authorizes Congress to determine when elections are held, when the Electoral College meets, and when the new President takes the oath of office. The Constitution also requires that the President must be a native born citizen of the United States, have lived in this country for at least fourteen years, and have attained the age of thirty-five. April 30, 1789: George Washington taking Inaugural oath at Federal Hall, New York, NY Source: National Archives It even specifies the oath of office that the new President should swear or affirm. Beyond that, the Constitution says nothing about the Inaugural ceremony. The first Inauguration of George Washington occurred on April 30, 1789, in front of New York's Federal Hall. Our nation's first President took the oath of office on a balcony overlooking Wall Street. With the ceremony complete, the crowd below let out three big cheers and President Washington returned to the Senate chamber to deliver his brief Inaugural address. He called upon "That Almighty Being who rules over the universe" to assist the American people in finding "liberties and happiness" under "a government instituted by themselves." 1. When and where was the Oath of Office established? 2. What does it require Presidents to say and do?
Handout #2 Access the following website to view these past inaugural addresses: http://inaugural.senate.gov A Call to Action Use the chart below to organize information you find about Presidential Inaugural Addresses. Select 3 presidents to write what each president asked the American public to do in his Inaugural Address? President George Washington Call to Action in Inaugural Address Thomas Jefferson Abraham Lincoln Franklin D. Roosevelt John F. Kennedy Barack Obama M. Herczog/LACOE Page 1
Handout #3 Presidential Calls to Action What do they have in common? After reviewing the various Calls to Actions put forth in Presidential Inaugural Addresses, respond to the questions below. 1. What do the various Calls to Action have in common? 2. Why did each president feel the need to call upon the American public for assistance? 3. Why is it important for everyone living in this country to step up and contribute to American society? M. Herczog/LACOE Page 2
Handout #4 The Citizens Oath Natural born U.S. citizens not employed by the U.S. government are not required to take an oath. However, a new oath has recently been authored and introduced, the Citizen s Oath. Senators Robert Byrd and Harris Wofford first administered the Citizen s Oath at the 2006 National Conference on Citizenship to a group of civic leaders in Washington DC and students at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, connected via satellite. Founded in 1946 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1953, the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) tracks, measures and promotes civic engagement in partnership with leading organizations on a bipartisan, collaborative basis. NCoC enhances history and civics education, encourages national and community service, and promotes greater participation in the political process. While the President stands up and recites the oath found in the Constitution, we urge all citizens of the United States of America to reflect upon our own duties and responsibilities to our great nation. We suggest you begin by reading the Citizen s Oath: As an American I embrace the responsibilities of self-government. I PLEDGE to learn and live the principles set forth in the charters that define our freedoms: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I PLEDGE to keep myself informed about the challenges that face our country and world, and to work with others to meet those challenges. I PLEDGE to assist persons in need, and thereby strengthen the bonds among us. I PLEDGE to register and vote when I am of age, in every election in which I am eligible. I PLEDGE to conduct myself according to the highest standards of civic decency, to foster those standards throughout my community and to expect them of all public officials. Through these acts, I commit myself to building a more just, humane, and ethical nation, for my own and all future generations. Source: National Conference on Citizenship, http://www.ncoc.net M. Herczog/LACOE Page 3
Handout #5 I Pledge Review each of the pledges below of the Citizens Oath. Write down what each means to you. Give a specific example of how you can meet this pledge. I Pledge What does it mean to you? I PLEDGE to learn and live the principles set forth in the charters that define our freedoms: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I PLEDGE to keep myself informed about the challenges that face our country and world, and to work with others to meet those challenges. I PLEDGE to assist persons in need, and thereby strengthen the bonds among us. I PLEDGE to register and vote when I am of age, in every election in which I am eligible. I PLEDGE to conduct myself according to the highest standards of civic decency, to foster those standards throughout my community and to expect them of all public officials. M. Herczog/LACOE Page 4
Handout #6 Directions: Answer the following questions: My Oath of Citizenship For a democracy to be effective, what is the role of its citizens? If our nation is committed to solving problems home and abroad, what must citizens commit themselves to do? Ask yourself, What can I do to be an informed, responsible citizen? Is there a service-learning project I can work on to solve a problem in my community? Describe it. Are there things I can do or say on a daily basis that will end discrimination and ensure justice and equality for all people? Are there things I can do to influence or create public policies that will solve problems and ensure fair treatment of all people? M. Herczog/LACOE Page 5
Handout #7 MY OATH OF CITIZENSHIP I, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully fulfill the responsibilities of citizen of the United States of America and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. I will do this by Date Signature M. Herczog/LACOE Page 6
Handout #8 A Letter of Commitment Assessment Directions: Reflect upon the various activities you participated in and why it is important for all citizens to make a commitment to act as responsible citizens in our American democracy. Write a letter to your family, teacher, and/or local/state legislator that describes at least three personal goals and commitments you will make as a responsible citizen in the United States. Include a rationale to explain why it is important for Americans to act as responsible citizens by citing at least three examples from Presidential Inaugural speeches in which a President made a call to action. Describe in detail why you are making the commitments you are making and why. Provide specific examples. M. Herczog/LACOE Page 7