Since George Washington's appearance on the balcony of New York City's Federal Hall in 1789, the term of each American president has started with a single sentence:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of the President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
The affirmation of the oath is like the first line of a play, a national drama that's slated to run for four years – barring events which require an understudy to fill in. How that drama unfolds depends upon the person entering the executive office and the era in which he (or she) lives...but the oath remains the same.
Although many promises are made as presidential candidates vie for votes, the oath is the first one that really counts. It transforms a citizen into a president and, according to the second article of the Constitution, signals the beginning of a new administration.
Although the Constitution includes the inaugural oath, it does not dictate where that oath should take place. On April 27, 1789, the Senate's Inaugural Committee on Ceremony decided to hold the first oath in an "outer gallery adjoining the Senate Chamber." This gallery, part of a balcony in New York City's Federal Hall, overlooked Wall and Broad streets and provided the public with a chance to witness George Washington's inauguration.
For more information about inauguration history, etc. check out http://www.inauguraltickets.com/.
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