History of Inaugurations The first presidential inauguration took place in 1789, in New York City, where George Washington was proclaimed first President of the United States. The 20th amendment to the Constitution states that the President will be inaugurated on the 20th of January. Before that amendment took effect, inaugurations occurred on March 4. Traditionally, the Chief Justice of... read more

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Election to Presidency Before being elected 32nd president of the United States in 1932, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was serving his second term as governor of the state of New York. Because America found itself in the middle of the Great Depression, Roosevelt's primary goal was to restore a respectful sense of spirit in the people. He tried to encourage them... read more

Claiming Freedom: The Declaration of Independence Why the Declaration of Independence was written The beginnings of the Declaration date back much further than 1776. In May of 1775, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia. The list of grievances sent to King George III by the First Continental Congress had not yet been answered. Throughout the summer of 1775, the Second Continental... read more

Famous Speeches Welcome to Wyzant's Audio History section! Here, you can listen to famous speeches made by influential leaders of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. We're offering original audio tapes of how JFK dealt with the Cuban Missile Crisis. You can also hear Dr. Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Use these resources to bring history... read more