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| Date | March 4, 1905; 120 years ago (1905-03-04) |
|---|---|
| Location | United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. |
| Organized by | Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies |
| Participants | Theodore Roosevelt 26th president of the United States — Assuming office Melville Fuller Chief Justice of the United States — Administering oath Charles W. Fairbanks 26th vice president of the United States — Assuming office William P. Frye President pro tempore of the United States Senate — Administering oath |
Thesecond inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt aspresident of the United States, took place on Saturday, March 4, 1905, at the East Portico of theUnited States Capitol inWashington, D.C. This was the 30thinauguration and marked the beginning of the second and only full term ofTheodore Roosevelt as president and the only term ofCharles W. Fairbanks asvice president.Chief JusticeMelville Fuller administered thepresidential oath of office.[1]
During Roosevelt's second inaugural address, he spoke of past successes and asserted that any success in the future will only come with hard work. He commented on how any weak nation shall have nothing to fear from the US, but stated that America will not be the subject for insolent aggression. The president cited good relations with the world as being important, but relations among Americans as most important. He said that theFounding Fathers could not have foreseen certain problems that plagued the nation, but assures that these are problems that all great nations face. Roosevelt recognized that the industrial age made it difficult for Americans to adapt to the complexities of modern life, but assured Americans that the technological innovations brought tremendous change in everyday life. He spoke about the difficulty of self-government and warned that should America fail, it would shake all free nations to their foundations. Roosevelt called this a heavy responsibility, to Americans, to the world, and to the unborn generations. In his closing, Theodore Roosevelt clarified that the problems facing Americans differs from those of the Founding Fathers, but insisted that these problems be met with the same spirit.[2]
