Every four years, the United States elects a President. And every four years, that President makes a speech, outlining his goals and plans for the coming term. Presidential inaugurations are Constitutionally mandated. Inaugural speeches, however, are just a tradition, but an enduring tradition.

The tradition of inaugural speeches began with George Washington speaking to a joint session of Congress in the Senate Chamber of Federal Hall in New York City. It has continued all the way up to Barack Obama's speech on the West Front of the Capitol to a crowd that overflowed the National...

During the spring and summer of 1794, Washington and his cabinet faced concerns that arose from the ongoing war in Europe. Embargo evasions, activities of French and British privateers, and the formation of a league of armed neutrality by Denmark and Sweden required appropriate administrative responses. Fears persisted about a potential war with Great Britain, even as John Jay began negotiations as envoy extraordinary to that nation.

Issues on the frontier included an attempt by Elijah Clarke of Georgia to establish an independent government on Creek Indian lands, unrest in Kentucky...

During the busy and challenging months of June and July 1779 (the period covered in this volume), George Washington remained the fulcrum for Continental army activities. Through his exertions and leadership, the troops under his direct supervision quickly broke their winter encampment at Middlebrook, New Jersey, for positions in the New York Highlands to check a British thrust up the Hudson River that threatened West Point. He then promptly began planning an operation to reduce the British garrison at Stony Point, New York. Those efforts came to fruition with the successful surprise night...

Volume 22 of the Revolutionary War Series covers 1 Aug. through 21 Oct. 1779. As it begins, Washington is focused on expanding and strengthening the fortifications at West Point, N.Y., in the wake of the British attack in June that had captured King's Ferry, New York. Although he had to concentrate his army on the defense of West Point, Washington sought to launch whatever strikes he could against the British forts on the Hudson River and bring his operations on the western frontier to a successful conclusion. To follow up the successful assault on Stony Point, N.Y., Washington planned a...

Every four years, the United States elects a President. And every four years, that President makes a speech, outlining his goals and plans for the coming term. Presidential inaugurations are Constitutionally mandated. Inaugural speeches, however, are just a tradition, but an enduring tradition.

The tradition of inaugural speeches began with George Washington speaking to a joint session of Congress in the Senate Chamber of Federal Hall in New York City. It has continued all the way up to Barack Obama's speeches on the West Front of the Capitol to crowds that overflowed the National...

The highlight events of the months from October 1794 through March 1795, the period documented by volume 17 of the Presidential Series, were the suppression of the Whiskey Insurrection in western Pennsylvania and the negotiation of the Jay Treaty with Great Britain.

The volume opens with Washington, believing that his constitutional duty as commander in chief required his presence, en route to rendezvous with the troops called out to suppress the insurrection. After meeting with representatives from the insurgent counties and reviewing the troops, he concluded that serious...