Resources that Celebrate our Countries Traditions

In the history of the world, the United States is still a pretty young country. Yet, we still have many traditions that we uphold as important and necessary to the success of our democracy. One of those is the transfer of power from one President to the next. Every four years on January 20th the United States celebrates Inauguration Day.

Inauguration Day

Today is Inauguration Day. On this day Americans come together to watch the President-elect pledge to uphold and defend the United States Constitution. It is a celebration of what makes our country truly amazing through the words, “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the Untied States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States”.

History of why the United States transfers Presidential power

For all you Hamilton fans out there, this is our “One Last Time” moment. It is one of our best examples of the precedent set by our first President George Washington when he decided not to run for a 3rd term, setting a standard for the Presidency and made official through the 22nd Amendment 150 years later. If you’d like to learn more about Washington’s Farewell Address the website for Mount Vernon, George Washington’s estate, has a fantastic explanation of why Washington chose not to run for reelection, why he chose to only serve two terms in the Presidency. It also has a scan of the primary document of his speech. Go take a look and then take a listen to Lin Manuel Miranda’s version in Hamilton, “One Last Time”.

The United States Constitution

If you’d like to learn more about the United States Constitution and play some games on the topic then BrainPop is the way to go! Watch the videos and learn about the laws of our country and how they came to be. They have a great section on the Constitution, the Branches of Government, and Democracy. Don’t forget to sign into the SPAS account for full access.

The Inauguration of Joseph R. Biden Jr.

I’m sure many of you watched the Inauguration today but if you didn’t get a chance to I’ll post some of the highlights below as they become available. Watch President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, the amazing poem by National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman (an LA native), and the musical performances by Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks.