Business magnate Donald Trump is set to officially be re-elected, becoming the 47th president of the United States on January 20, with a symbolic walking journey to his new home in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.
After the ceremony and luncheon, Trump will take his first steps as president from the Capitol Building (the seat of Congress) to the White House along Pennsylvania Avenue.
Following the new president will be a parade featuring military and civilian forces. The president, vice president, their spouses, and special guests will stop at the Presidential Viewing Stand (located on the north lawn of the White House) to watch the parade pass by.
This is a tradition that many past U.S. presidents have upheld following their oath of office.
After the inauguration at the Capitol, Trump is expected to walk to the White House along Pennsylvania Avenue. (Graphic: Hiền Đức).
History of the Inaugural Parade
The tradition of the inaugural parade dates back to George Washington, the first president of the United States, whose inauguration ceremony took place on April 30, 1789, in New York. As he traveled from his estate at Mount Vernon (the president’s residence) in Virginia to New York, military forces from each locality joined his procession.
Upon Washington’s arrival in New York, members of the Continental Army (the combined military force of the 13 colonies before the establishment of the United States), government officials, members of Congress, and celebrities continued to escort him to Federal Hall for the inauguration ceremony.
Early inaugural parades mostly consisted of only those escorting the newly elected president to the Capitol. Thomas Jefferson’s first inauguration in 1801 was the first ceremony held in Washington, D.C.
At that time, only the northern wing of the Capitol was completed. Jefferson walked from a nearby residence to the congressional headquarters with a procession from Alexandria, Virginia, which included infantry, friends, and “fellow citizens.”
The inaugural parade on the day of President Harrison’s inauguration in 1841. (Painting: Wikimedia Commons).
During Jefferson’s second inauguration in 1805, members of Congress and citizens formed a parade at the Washington Navy Yard, including equipment from the yard. They escorted the president from the Capitol to the White House after the ceremony, along with the Naval Band. Since then, this band has participated in every presidential inauguration.
The first organized parade took place in 1809 during President James Madison’s inauguration. A cavalry unit from Georgetown escorted him to the congressional headquarters. After taking his oath, Madison watched nine military and civilian processions.
In subsequent inauguration ceremonies, military processions grew increasingly elaborate. President Henry Harrison’s inauguration in 1841 featured both floats and the first-ever troops from outside Washington, D.C. Clubs, political groups, military bands, and student organizations also marched in the parade.
Notable Firsts
In 1865, during President Abraham Lincoln’s second inauguration, African Americans participated in the parade for the first time. Four regiments of African American soldiers escorted the president to the Capitol and then back to the White House after the ceremony.
In 1873, President Ulysses S. Grant initiated the tradition of reviewing the parade at the White House after the inauguration, shifting the focus of excitement to after the ceremony instead of the escort to the Capitol as before.
In 1881, President James Garfield reviewed the parade from a special viewing stand erected in front of the White House. Other stands for visitors were also constructed on both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue. In 1897, President William McKinley reviewed the parade from a glass-enclosed stand to shield against the harsh winter weather.
Although a snowstorm forced President William H. Taft’s inauguration to occur indoors in 1909, the parade still took place as planned after workers cleared the snow from the route. For the first time, the First Lady accompanied her husband leading the parade from the congressional headquarters to the White House.
President Eisenhower waves to the crowd during the inaugural parade on January 20, 1953. (Photo: National Archive/Newsmakers).
The only parade ever canceled due to bad weather was during President Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985, when low temperatures made conditions hazardous. The largest parade was during President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s first inauguration in 1953, featuring 73 bands, 59 floats, horses, elephants, and various civilian and military vehicles, lasting 4 hours and 32 minutes.
Today, parades limit the number of participants to 15,000 individuals. Women first participated in the parade in 1917 at President Woodrow Wilson’s second inauguration. The first televised parade occurred in 1949 during President Harry S. Truman’s inauguration.
In 1921, Warren G. Harding became the first president to ride in a car during the parade. Meanwhile, President Jimmy Carter broke tradition in 1977 by walking from the Capitol to the White House with his wife, Rosalynn, and daughter, Amy.
Today, the parade is organized by the United States Secret Service. Participants are selected by the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
