Historic Replicas

Happy Inauguration Day everyone! 

Regardless of one’s political beliefs, January 20th was a chance to reflect on the wonder of our democracy and the evolution of politics and human society. It is a symbol of representative government and an important reminder that unlike the kings and emperors of old, our leaders are chosen by the people, and govern only by popular consent.  Every presidential inauguration has been important, marked at once with both solemnity and celebration.  A few, however, are particularly memorable.  George Washington, a hero of the American Revolution, was inaugurated in two different cities, first in New York and then in Philadelphia.  Washington, D.C. had been designated as the new capital, but was still under construction.  On his second inauguration in 1793, he delivered the shortest-ever inaugural address, a remarkable 135 words!  It cemented his reputation as a man of action, rather than words. Abraham Lincoln was first inaugurated in 1861, only a few months before soldiers took up their Civil War rifles, and the mood in Washington was tense to say the least.  He entered the city in secret along an unannounced route, but once there, he paraded confidently down Pennsylvania Avenue in an open carriage.  Woodrow Wilson lead our nation through a storm of troubled times, an era commemorated by the World War I replicas on our site.  Women marched in the inaugural parade for the first time, and in a time-honored American tradition, they protested passionately for their right to vote.  Today’s inauguration will no doubt be memorable for its own reasons, so enjoy this special time.