United States presidential inauguration

===Locations===
Most presidential inaugurations since 1801 have been held in Washington D.C. at the [[United States Capitol|Capitol Building]]. Prior inaugurations were held, first at [[Federal Hall]] in [[New York City]] (1789),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/american_originals/inaugura.html|title=Exhibit: President George Washington's inaugural address|access-date=January 22, 2009|date=August 17, 1998|publisher=National Archives and Records Administration|quote=George Washington's first inauguration took place at Federal Hall in New York City [...] George Washington's first inaugural address, April 30, 1789}}</ref> and then at [[Congress Hall]] in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] (1793 and 1797). Each city was, at the time, the nation's [[Seat of government|capital]]. The location for [[James Monroe]]'s 1817 swearing in was moved to the [[Old Brick Capitol]] in Washington due to ongoing restoration work at the Capitol building following the War of 1812.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inaugural.senate.gov/about/past-inaugural-ceremonies/8th-inaugural-ceremonies/|title=The 8th Presidential Inauguration: James Monroe, March 4, 1817|publisher=Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies|access-date=July 18, 2013|archive-date=August 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809221007/https://www.inaugural.senate.gov/about/past-inaugural-ceremonies/8th-inaugural-ceremonies/|url-status=dead}}</ref>  Three other inaugurations—[[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s fourth (1945), [[Harry S. Truman]]'s first (1945), and [[Gerald Ford]]'s (1974)—were held at the [[White House]].

Presidential inaugurations (aside from intra-term ceremonies following the death or resignation of a president) have traditionally been outdoor public ceremonies.<ref name=2005program>{{cite web|date=January 20, 2005|title=Inauguration of the President and Vice President of the United States of America|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/administration/inauguration05/inaugProgram/2005inauguralprogram.pdf|website=washingtonpost.com|access-date=November 21, 2020}}</ref> In 1909, [[William Howard Taft|William H. Taft]]'s inauguration was moved to the [[United States Senate|Senate]] Chamber due to a blizzard.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/inaugurations/taft/index.html|title=U.S. Presidential Inaugurations: William Howard Taft (Virtual Programs & Services, Library of Congress)|website=www.loc.gov|language=en|access-date=April 8, 2017}}</ref> Then, in 1985, the public second inauguration of [[Ronald Reagan]] was held indoors in the Capitol Rotunda because of harsh weather conditions.

The first inauguration of [[Andrew Jackson]], in 1829, was the first of 35 held on the east front of the Capitol. Since the 1981 first inauguration of Ronald Reagan, they have been held on the Capitol's west front; a move designed to both cut costs and to provide more space for spectators.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inaugural.senate.gov/days-events/presidents-swearing-in-ceremony/|title=The President's Swearing-in Ceremony|publisher=Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies|access-date=January 18, 2017}}</ref> Above the west front inaugural platform are five large [[flag of the United States|United States flags]]. The current 50-star flag is displayed in the center.<ref name=2005program/> On either side are earlier variations of the national flag: two are the official flag adopted by Congress after the [[admission to the Union]] of the new president's home state and two are the 13-star flag popularly known as the [[Betsy Ross flag]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://antonpihl.wordpress.com/2017/01/20/whats-up-with-the-flags-behind-the-president/ |first=Anton |last=Pihl |title=What's With The Flags Behind The President? |date=January 20, 2017 |access-date=November 21, 2020}}</ref>