Sixth Grade
Worksheets
The Presidential Inauguration
Caption: A large crowd of people witness the second swearing-in ceremony of President George W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 20, 2005.
The U.S.A. elects a president once every four years. The election is always held in November. The president-elect is usually sworn in as the president on January 20. This is called an inauguration (in-aw-gyuh-RAY-shun). It has several important parts.
First comes the oath of office. The president-elect stands on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court tells him to place his left hand on the Bible and raise his right hand. Then comes the oath. It is like a pledge. "I, (name), do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." It has become tradition for each president-elect to end the oath with the words "so help me God."
