PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION IS DEEPLY WOVEN THROUGH OUR COLLECTIONS. FROM THE FIRST LADY'S GOWNS THAT YOU CAN FIND UPSTAIRS TO GRANT'S INAUGURAL CARRIAGE....

ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY FOR AN EXCITING MOMENT. HERE WITH THE A THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY IN WASHINGTON, D.C. A CITY THAT'S GEARING UP...

A GOOD QUESTION. AS A MATTER OF FACT, A LARGER QUESTION IS REALLY INAUGURATIONS, THAT BIG A DEAL? WHAT IS THE POINT OF SO MANY PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER...

STUFF, THE REALLY IMPORTANT STUFF, THE EARLY PERIOD WHEN IT ALL BEGAN. I'M THE 18th CENTURY GUY. >> SO HERE'S WHAT I

THE BIGGEST WINDOW THERE EVER WAS, ED. THIS IS THE OPENING ONE, THE INAUGURAL INAUGURAL, GEORGE WASHINGTON, 1789. IT'S APRIL 30th, WELL, IT'S NOT WASHINGTON,...

TO REPEAT THOSE WORDS. TIME-OUT. I'M 20th CENTURY GUY, BUT PETER, A TRANSLATION FOR THOSE OF US ALIVE TODAY. >> THEY

GEORGE WASHINGTON. ALL RIGHT. THE 19th CENTURY HAS GOT TO HOLD ITS OWN SO HERE'S THE SCENE. IT'S THE BEGINNING OF MARCH. THE PRESIDENT SHOULD BE A MAN...

RIGHT. ROADFORD B. HAYES IS WHO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. WHAT JUST HAPPENED IN THE ELECTION OF 1876? THE HIGHEST VOTER TUNOUT IN ALL OF AMERICAN HISTORY....

McCLELLAN! YES, GEORGE McCLELLAN, THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE IN '64. WE SHOULD GO BACK TO HIM AND TAKE THE COUNTRY. SO ALMOST A CENTURY AFTER IT LOOKS...

A GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE WHERE THE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE IS UNIVERSAL TO GIVE TO THE WORLD THE FIRST EXAMPLE IN HISTORY OF A GREAT NATION IN THE MIDST...

COUPLE THINGS. HE SAYS NO NATION IN HISTORY HAS BEEN ABLE TO HANDLE THE TUMULT CAUSED BY PARTY CONFLICT. SO THE VERY THING PEOPLE WISHED FOR BACK IN...

HAVEN'T. BUT I WANT TO CUE THE TAPE TO HEAR FROM DELANOR ROOSEVELT IN 1933. [ INAUDIBLE ] >> SO I'M SURE MANY OF YOU

EMPHASIS IN ARRANGEMENT WITHOUT LOVE OF A CENTRAL FORM. OUR CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM CHANGES ITSELF -- >>

ROOSEVELT'S ACTUALLY SAYING HERE IS THAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, THE GREAT NATION. HE'S TALKING ABOUT A CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM, A MECHANISM...

THAT'S PRETTY GOOD, TOO. SAVING AND STRUGGLING WITH THE GREAT DEPRESSION, BUT I KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE OUT THERE SAY, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S 80 YEARS...

IN PRIVATE TIMES OF PROSPERITY AND STILL LOOK FOR PEACE. YET EVERY SO OFTEN THERE WILL BE RANGING STORMS. >> CRISIS. >> AMERICA-- BECAUSE WE THE...

AS PEOPLE GO IN LIGHT OF IT NOW BY REDISCUSSION, WHAT SHOULD THEY BE LISTENING TO IN BARACK OBAMA'S SECOND INAUGURATION? >> WELL, THE FIRST

TO DO THAT BY RELYING UPON OUR CONSTITUTION. WE ARE A NATION THAT HAS SEEN ONE CRISIS AFTER ANOTHER, ALMOST CREATED EVERY FOUR YEARS SO THERE'S ONE TO...

A CONTINUING TENSION, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE HEARD THROUGH THE CENTURIES, BETWEEN THE POWER, THE GENIUS OF LIBERTY WITHIN THIS PEOPLE IN THE GREAT DEMOCRACY...

EVERY DAY BUT YOU CAN LISTEN TO US EVERY DAY. >> HERE'S THE THING, WE

YOU'RE THE PEOPLE! THINK WHAT QUESTIONS YOU WANT TO ASK BECAUSE WE TAKE CALLS EVERY WEEK ON "BACKSTORY." ALSO, THOSE OF YOU ON C-SPAN 3 SHOULD DROP US...

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. >> ABSOLUTELY. >> WE HAVE IN OUR

DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE AMERICAN INAUGURATION. ONE OF THE THINGS TO REMEMBER ALONG WITH THE INAUGURATIONS AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL IMPORTANCE AND THE...

BEEN INCREDIBLY LOOM NIGHTING AND I EXPLORE YOU TO REVEAL THE THOUSANDS OF ITEMS PRESENTED FOR THE PRESIDENCY ITSELF. DO I NEED A TO SHAKE HANDS?...

JUST ASK NATE THE HARD QUESTIONS FOR THE 19th CENTURY -- NO. >> WHO HAS THE

WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD COMMENT ON ANDREW JACKSON AND THE BIG CHEESE. >> CAN I COMMENT ON ANDREW JACKSON AND HIS INAUGURATION? >> YES. >> ANDREW JACKSON

DID. THEY SAID WE ARE GOING TO FOLLOW, 20,000 OF US, THE NEW PRESIDENT JACKSON BACK TO THE WHITE HOUSE. I HEAR THERE'S GOING TO BE A BIG PARTY...

AND SAY, THIS DEMOCRACY, WHAT ARE PEOPLE RELEASED. >> PEOPLE

YOU ASK THIS BECAUSE THERE'S ANOTHER QUESTION THAT HAS COME TO 19th CENTURY. WHEN BRIAN SAID THIS -- >> HEY. >> HE WAS

BE VERY IMPORTANT. IF THIS IS SHOWING YOU THE FUTURE, JOHNSON WILL BE PRESIDENTMENT AND THAT'S THE SPIRIT OF THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL INAUGS RATIONS IS WE...

ARE. YAY! ALL RIGHT. >>

IT. BUT, IN FACT, THOSE WORDS WERE VERY REASSURING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. IN THE MID 1970s WHEN THEY REALLY DIDN'T KNOW IF THE FORMS OF LAW, IF THE...

1853. THIS IS THE PIERCE ELECTION, WILLIAM RUFUS KING OF ALABAMA HAS CONTRACTED TUBERCULOSIS AND GOES TO CUBA FOR A CURE. AND IN A VOTE OF SOLIDARITY,...

TAKE UP THE OATH OF OFFICE ON A BIBLE? >>

AFFIRM THAT FRANKLIN PIERCE, I'M FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE, MERELY AFFIRMED WHEN HE TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE. THAT'S WHAT QUAKERS DO AS YOU MAY KNOW, AND THERE'S...

GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN ON TUESDAY. THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA IS USING TWO BIBLES, ONE FROM PRESIDENT LINCOLN AND ONE FROM MARTIN LUTHER KING. >> BUT WE...

A GOOD QUESTION, SEVERAL QUESTIONS ARE POURING IN HERE FROM THE TV AUDIENCE. >> LET ME GUESS, THEY

NOT. HERE'S ONE, THE WIFE AND I WERE WONDERING WHY WOULD A PRESIDENT ALREADY SWORN INTO OFFICE AND HAS ONE RE-ELECTION NEED TO BE SWORN IN AGAIN AT...

WE DIDN'T MAKE EACH RE-ELECTED PRESIDENT GO THROUGH THE INAUGURATION, WHAT WOULD THE JOINT CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE FOR INAUGURATIONS DO? >> AND TO BE...

OF THAT IS NO. >> I THINK TO

MAN. IT'S BEEN A WHILE. >> OH, WE ARE SUPPOSED

CONTRAST TO THE INAUGURATION OF JEFFERSON, FOR INSTANCE, TO THE GUYS WHO CAME BEFORE HIM. >> YOU MEAN TO JOHN ADAMS? >> YEAH. >> JUST TO PUT

OKAY. WELL, THE JEFFERSON INAUGURATION AND NEXT TO LINCOLN'S SECOND WE'LL HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT SOON, I'M SURE, IS THE MOST FAMOUS AND ELOQUENT...

LADY, TWO ROWS BEHIND. >> FROM 1940 TO 1980 -- >> YOU GET AN A. >> DOES HE

QUESTION AFTER READING ABOUT THE ATOMIC BOMB. HOW A WEAPON OF THAT POWER WOULD EFFECT NOT ONLY THE PRESIDENCY BUT IN THIS CASE THE INAUGURATION. >>...

BE STAYING IN THE CLASS. >> QUESTION IN THE THIRD ROW. >> I JUST HAD A QUICK

AS INAUGURATION DAY AND WHAT CHANGED IT TO JANUARY? >> WELL, THEY TRIED MARCH

THE NEEDS OF CONGRESS TO GET THERE AND FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO GET STARTED. AND THAT AMENDMENT PETER REFERRED TO WAS PASSED AT THE HEART OF THE GREAT...

HERE'S ANOTHER QUESTION FROM MINNEAPOLIS. CLEARLY THERE'S A CORRELATION BETWEEN BIG EVENTS LIKE THE DEPRESSION, WATER GATE AND IMPORTANT INAUGURAL STATEMENTS....

SAY THE INAUGURATION OF JIMMY CARTNER 1977 WE HAD PEACE, MAYBE WE HAD TOO MUCH PROSPERITY BECAUSE INFLATION WAS BEGINNING TO TAKE OFF. WE DIDN'T HAVE...

HIS RE-ELECTION FOUR YEARS LATER. PETER, HOW ABOUT YOU? DO YOU HAVE A STORY? >>

CARTER'S ADMINISTRATION, AND LED TO THAT DEBACLE OF THE FAILURE. >> I ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE

NO, SHE'S NOT. HERE WE GO. DOES THE INAUGURATION HAVE A DIRECT EFFECT ON THE PRESIDENT AND HIS PARTY'S POLITICAL RATINGS? >> IS THERE A BUMP? >> TO QUOTE...

I CAN'T -- I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY DATA THAT SHOW THAT WILL WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAYS TRANSLATES DIRECTLY INTO POLITICAL GAIN AS MEASURED BY PUBLIC...

SOMEBODY SAYING BACK STORY I HAVE A QUESTION. YES. >> [ INAUDIBLE

WAS, AND A DISTANT QUESTION IS, HEY, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A WOMAN AS PRESIDENT, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS WOULD -- >> YOU KNOW,

ARE HISTORIANS. AND I THINK THAT HISTORY HAS ONE LESSON THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DISCOVER. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE EXPECTING TO HAPPEN DOESN'T. AND IF YOU...

IMPORTANTLY THAT WE'LL CONTINUE THE CONTINUED EXISTENCE OF BACK STORY WITH THE AMERICAN HISTORY. >> AND THE OTHER THING

HAVE A LISTEN TO THE STUDIO VERSION OF OUR SPECIAL AS WELL AS ANY OF OUR PAST SHOWS OR TAKE A MOMENT TO WEIGH IN ON ONE OF THE SHOWS WE HAVE IN THE...

THANKS TODAY TO THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY FOR HOSTING US. TO THE HISTORY CHANNEL FOR GENEROUSLY SUPPORTING THE EVENT AND TO C-SPAN'S "AMERICAN...

LEAST, THANKS SO MUCH TO OUR LIVE AUDIENCE HERE AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY. YOU'VE BEEN GREAT. IT'S BEEN A WONDERFUL PLEASURE AND...