c-span.org/c-spannow. c-span now, your front row seat to washington, anytime, anywhere. new york congresswlet aunny gives president -- president trump's pick, and on tuesday, she will appear the senate foreign relations committee to answer questions o her nomination. she wat elected to the u.s. hn and served as republican conference chair 21 until the end of last year. yowatcher confirmation hearing live starting at 10:00 a.m. easn cpan three, c-span now, or online at c-span.org. announcer: we continue now with our american history tv series, historic inaugural speeches. the year is 1949, and president harry truman had defeated republican thomas dewey to win his own full four-year term in office. it was mostly sunny and windy that day, temperatures were in

the high 30's, and more than one million people turned out for the ceremony and festivities. it was the first presidential inauguration to be televised, and the first to feature an air parade. here is some of the newsreel coverage. ♪ >> inauguration day, washington, 1949. the biggest inaugural in united states history is waiting to begin. crowds line pennsylvania avenue, seem to be the main artery of president truman's triumphant parade. railroad yards are jammed is more than half a million visitors from every state in the union flocked to washington on this inauguration day. ♪ since early morning, spectators

have been in their places along the parade route. flock or's hide their wares, honoring harry s truman, elected president of the united states. mrs. truman, daughter margaret, the vice president elect, and the chief executive depart for the inaugural ceremony. mr. truman escorted by congressional representatives, leads the procession to the capitol. the man from missouri goes to take his oath of office, formally recording the debate -- the greatest political upside in united states history. in capital plaza, more than one or 2000 people are on hand to witness the induction. millions more see the event on television and here it over worldwide radio. among the distinguished guests are admiral nimitz, and admiral hosey, united nations secretary lee and dignitaries from other countries. the supreme court justices to

the steps of the inaugural platform, followed by the official presidential party, and by the chief executive's wife and daughter. a battery of motion fixed -- motion picture and television cameras record the arrival. ♪ alvin barclay of kentucky, a member of congress for 36 years, has taken his vice presidential oath of office. >> so help me god. >> then harry s truman is sworn in as the nation's 32nd president by the chief justice. >> raise your right hand. you, harry s truman, do solemnly swear -- >> i, harry s truman, do solemnly swear --

>> to faithfully execute the office of president of the united states. >> that i will faithfully execute the office of the president of the united states. >> and to the best of your ability -- >> as well to the best of my ability -- >> to serve, protect and defend the constitution of the united states. >> preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the united states. >> so help you god. >> so help me god. [applause] >> to the nation and the world, a solemn resolute president declared -- >> this your vice president -- mr. vice president, mr. chief justice, fellow citizens, i accept with humility the honor which the american people have conferred upon me. i accept it with a resolve to do

all that i can for the welfare of this nation and for the peace of the world. the american people stand firm in the faith of which has inspired this nation from the beginning. we believe that all men have a right to equal justice under law and equal opportunity to share in the common good. we believe that all men have a right to freedom of thought and expression. we believe that all men are created equal because they are created in the image of god. from this faith we will not be moved. [applause] the american people desire, and

are determined to work for a world in which all nations and all peoples are free to govern themselves as they see fit, and to achieve a decent and satisfying life. above all else, our people desire, and are determined to work for peace on earth, a just and lasting peace, based on genuine agreement freely arrived at by equals. in the pursuit of these aims, the united states and other like-minded nations find themselves directly opposed by a regime with contrary aims and a totally different concept of life. that regime adheres to a false philosophy which purports to offer freedom, security, and greater opportunity to mankind. misled by that philosophy, many peoples have sacrificed their

liberties only to learn to their sorrow that deceit and mockery, poverty and tyranny, are their reward. that false philosophy is communism. communism subjects the individual to a rift without lawful cause. punishment without trial and forced labor as the chattel of the state. it decrees what information he shall receive, what art he shall produce, what leaders he shall follow, and what thoughts he shall think. democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity as well as the inalienable rights to govern himself with reason and justice. [applause]

democracy maintains that government is established for the benefit of the individual, and is charged with the responsibility of protecting the rights of the individual and his freedom in the exercise of those abilities of his. [applause] the differences between common human -- between communism and democracy do not concern the united states alone. people everywhere are coming to realize that what is involved is material well-being, human dignity, and the right to believe in and worship god. it is the end of -- since the end of hostilities, the united states has invested its substance and its energy in a great constructive effort to restore peace, stability, and freedom to the world.

we have sought no territory. we have imposed our will on none. we have asked for no privileges we would not extend to others. we have made every effort to secure agreement on effective international control of our most powerful weapon, and we have worked steadily for the limitation and control of all armaments. we are moving on with other nations to build an even stronger justice. we shall have as our partners of which no longer countries which, no longer solely concerned with the problem of national survival, are now working to improve the standards of living of all their people. we are ready to undertake new projects to strengthen a free world. in the coming years, our program for peace and freedom will emphasize four major courses of action.

first, we will continue to give unfaltering support to the united nations and related agencies, and we will continue to search for ways to strengthen their authority and increase their effectiveness. second, we will continue our programs for world economic recovery. this means, first of all, that we must keep our full weight behind the european recovery program. third, we will strengthen freedom-loving nations against the dangers of aggression. fourth, we will embark on a bold new program promoting the benefits of our defenses and industrial progress available for the improvement and growth of underdeveloped areas. i believe that we should make available for peaceloving people

the benefits of our store of technical knowledge in order to help them realize their aspirations for a better life. our aim should be to help the free peoples of the world, through their own efforts, to produce more food, more clothing, more materials for housing, and more mechanical power to lighten their burdens. democracy alone can supply the revitalizing force to serve the people of the world into triumphant action. not only against their human oppressors, but also against their ancient enemies, hunger, misery, and despair. in due time, as our liberty becomes manifest, as more and more nations come to know the benefits of democracy and to participate in growing abundance, i believe that those countries which now oppose us will abandon their delusions and join with the free nations of the world in a just settlement

of international differences. [applause] we will advance where man's freedom is secure. to that end, we will devote our strength, our resources, and our firmness of resolve. with god's help, the future of mankind will be assured in a world of justice, harmony, and peace. [applause] ♪ announcer: on the sparkling chill winter day, president truman leaves capitol hill to take his place in the parade to the white house reviewing staff. with more than one million people lining the road, 17,000 marchers join in a seven mile long procession down pennsylvania avenue.

♪ heading the marches the army chief of staff, general omar bradley. the greatest parade in the long history of the national capital. then, the president and vice president. flaking the chief executive is his guard of honor, 120 ninth field artillery with whom he served as captain in the first world war. cabinet members include the secretary of state, and the attorney general of the united states tom clark.

general and dwight d. eisenhower arrived in the car of army secretary kenneth royal. behind him marched the future general, the great italian of west point. -- great battalion of west point. ♪ the brigade of the naval academy is in review. next come the cadets of the united states coast guard academy. ♪ then is the marine corps that marched down the broad avenue, which today is the parade route for every branch of the armed services. see 82 is the flying boxcars leave one of the greatest to

ever fly over the capitol. more than 700 planes in all. giant be 36 bombers pass overhead -- b-36 bombers pass overhead. the parade includes not only military but the panorama of american life. misery has split -- has several displays. one of them, a flight drawn by missouri mules. other flutes depict the scenery of the various states. this is kentucky, the vice president's home state. the texas flute moves down the avenue. -- float moves down the avenue. the district of columbia display features reproductions of the capitol and the washington monument. the massachusetts float honoring

the early american settlers that landed on the shores of that state. the figure of uncle sam strives down the avenue. -- strides down the avenue. ♪ labor and fraternal organizations representing millions of their members from all over the country participate in the inaugural festivity. more than 30 bands and corps. ♪ near the white house, the

excitement mounts as the chief executive approaches. the president gets a rousing ovation as he prepares to leave his car and take his place on the reviewing staff. ♪ for nearly three hours, the president and vice president stand together, acknowledging their countrymen. a group of california cowboys salute president truman and sit down to pet their dalmatians, much to the president's amusement. a brand-new cowboy hat. the president is cheered by the

citizens of missouri, a town in which he was born. state-by-state, grouped by group, people from each of the 48 states of the union honor harry s truman in this 40th inauguration since george washington took the oath of office is the nation's first president nearly 160 years ago. colorful pageant moves on. inauguration day in 1949 expresses the mood of the nation, and the country striving for a peaceful world. yet mindful of the military needs to make and keep that piece. in harry truman's own words, it marks the beginning not only of a new administration, but of a period that will be eventful, perhaps decisive, for the united states and for the world. ♪ announcer: democracy. it isn't just an idea. it's a process.

a process shaped by leaders elected to the highest offices, and entrusted to a select few with guarding his basic principles. it's where debates unfold, decisions are made, and the nation's is charted. democracy in real-time. this is your government at work. this is c-span. giving you your democracy unfiltered. >> now, a look at the 1953 inauguration of republican dwight eisenhower, the retired world war ii general had defeated governor adlai stevenson of illinois on january 20, an estimate of his 750,000 was greeted by temperatures in the high 40's for the celebration. president eisenhower began his remarks by reciting a prayer that he wrote himself. pres. eisenhower: my friends, before i