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Presidential Inaugurations: Symbolic Gestures

Inaugural ceremonies are huge public events, and both presidents and inaugural planners have recognized their potential for symbolic gestures. James Madison was inaugurated at a time when Americans were developing their own national identity. Demonstrating this emphasis, every item of President Madison’s inaugural outfit was made in the United States, including his silk stockings, manufactured in Massachusetts. With the na

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Reagan's Second Inauguration

Because the beginning of President Reagan’s and Vice President George H.W. Bush’s second terms, January 20, 1985, fell on a Sunday, President Reagan and Vice President Bush were sworn in for their new terms at the foot of the Grand Staircase in the Entrance Hall of the White House. The following day, intense cold caused the previously scheduled public inau