Title: President John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address
Author: CBS

Transcript:
[Music]
you John Fitzgerald Kennedy do solemnly
swear I John Fitzgerald Kennedy do
solemnly swear that you will Faithfully
execute the office of President of the
United States that I will Faithfully
execute the office of President of the
United States and will to the best of
your ability and will to the best of my
ability preserve 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]
Vice President
Johnson Mr
Speaker Mr chief
justice President
Eisenhower Vice President
Nixon President
Truman Reverend clergy fellow
citizens we observe today
not a victory of
potty but a celebration of
Freedom symbolizing an
end as well as a
beginning signifying
renewal as well as
change for I have sworn before you and
almighty God the same solemn oath are
four Bears
prescribed nearly a century and 3/4 ago
the world is very different
now for man holds in his mortal
hands the power to
abolish all forms of human
poverty and all forms of human
life and yet the same revolutionary
beliefs for which our forbears fought
are still an issue around the
globe the belief that the Rights of Man
come not from the generosity of the
state but from the hand of
God we dare not forget
today that we are the HS of that first
Revolution let the word go forth from
this time and place to friend and foe
alike that the torch has been passed to
a new generation of
Americans born in this century
tempered by
War disciplined by a hard and bit of
pieace proud of our ancient Heritage and
unwilling to witness or
permit the slow
undoing of those human rights to which
this nation has always been
committed and to which we are committed
today at home and around the
[Applause]
world let every nation
know whether it wishes us well or
ill that we shall pay any
price bear any
burden meet any
hardship support any
friend oppose any foe to a enure the
survival and the success of
[Applause]
Liberty this much we pledge and
more to those old
allies whose cultural and spiritual
Origins we
share we pledge the Loyalty of Faithful
Friends United there is little we cannot
do in a host of Cooperative Ventures
divided there is little we can do for we
dare not meet a powerful challenge at
ODS and split us
under to those new States whom we
welcome to the ranks of The
Free We pledge our
word that one form of colonial control
shall not have passed away merely to be
replaced by a far more iron tyranny
we shall not always expect to find them
supporting our
view but we shall always hope to find
them strongly supporting their own
freedom and to remember that in the
past those who foolishly sought Power by
riding the back of the tiger ended up
inside
[Music]
to those people in the huts and Villages
of half the
globe struggling to break the bonds of
mass
Misery we pledge our best efforts to
help them help
themselves for whatever period is
required not because the Communists may
be doing it not because we seek their
votes but because it is
right if a free
Society cannot help the many who are
poor it cannot save the few who are
[Applause]
rich to our sister
republics south of our border we offer a
special pledge to convert our good words
into good
deeds in a new alliance for
Progress to assist free men and and free
governments in casting off the chains of
poverty but this peaceful revolution of
Hope cannot become the prey of hostile
Powers let all our neighbors
know that we shall join with them to
oppose aggression or subversion anywhere
in the Americas and let every other
power know that this hemisphere intends
to Remain the master of its own
house to that world Assembly of
sovereign states the United
Nations our last best hope in an age
where the instruments of war have far
outpaced the instruments of
Peace we renew our pledge of
support to prevent it from becoming
merely a forum for
invective to strengthen its Shield of
the new and the weak and to enlarge the
area in which its writ may
run finally to those
Nations who would make themselves our
adversary we offer not a pledge but a
request that both sides begin a new the
Quest for Peace
before the dark powers of
Destruction Unleashed by science engulf
all
Humanity in planned or accidental
self-destruction we dare not tempt them
with
weakness for only when our arms are
sufficient Beyond doubt can we be
certain Beyond doubt that they will
never be
employed but neither can two two great
and powerful groups of Nations take
comfort from our present
course both sides
overburdened by the cost of modern
weapons both rightly
alarmed by the steady spread of the
deadly atom yet both racing to
W that uncertain balance of Terror that
stays the hand of Mankind's Final War so
let us be begin a new remembering on
both sides that civility is not a sign
of
weakness and sincerity is always subject
to proof let us never negotiate out of
fear but let us never fear to
[Applause]
negotiate let both sides explore what
problems unite us instead of belaboring
those problems which divide
us let both sides for the first time
formulate serious and precise proposals
for the inspection and control of arms
and bring the absolute power to destroy
Other Nations under the absolute control
of all
Nations let both sides seek to invoke
the wonders of science instead of its
Terrors together let us explore the
Stars conquer the deserts eradicate
disease tap the ocean depth and
encourage the Arts and
Commerce let both sides unite to heed in
all corners of the Earth the command of
Isaiah to undo the heavy burdens
and let the oppressed Go
free and if a beach head of
cooperation may push back the jungle of
Suspicion let both sides join in
creating a new
Endeavor not a new balance of power but
a new world of
law where the strong are just and the
weak
secure and the peace preserved
all this will not be finished in the
first 100
days nor will it be finished in the
first 1,000 days nor in the life of this
Administration nor even perhaps In Our
Lifetime on this planet but let us
[Applause]
begin in your hands my fellow citizens
more than mine will rest the final
success or failure of our
course since this country was
founded each generation of
Americans has been summoned to give
testimony to its National
loyalty the graves of Young Americans
who answered the call to service
surround the
globe now the trumpet
summons us
again not as a call to bear arms though
arms we
need not as a call to battle though in
battle we are but a call to Bear the
burden of a long Twilight
Struggle year in and year out rejoicing
in
Hope patient in
Tribulation a struggle against the
common enemy of man tyranny poverty
disease and War
itself can we Forge against these
enemies a grand and Global
Alliance north and south east and west
that can assure a more fruitful Life For
All
Mankind will you join in that historic
effort
[Music]
in the long history of the world only a
few
Generations have been granted the role
of Defending freedom in its hour of
Maximum
danger I do not shrink from this
responsibility I welcome
it I do not believe that any of us
would exchange places with any other
people or any other
generation the energy the faith the
devotion which we bring to this
endeavor will light our country and all
who serve it and the glow from that fire
can truly light the
world and so my fellow
Americans ask not what your country can
do for you ask what you can do for your
[Applause]
country my fellow citizens of the
world ask not what America will do for
you but what together we can do for the
freedom of
man finally whether you are
citizens of America or citizens of the
world ask of us here the same high
standards of strength and
sacrifice which we ask of
you with a good
conscience our only sure
reward with history the final judge of
our
Deeds let us go forth to lead the land
we love
asking his Blessing and his help but
knowing that here on Earth God's work
must truly be our own
[Music]