Brief Summary
John F. Kennedy's inaugural address, delivered on January 20, 1961, is a call to action for both Americans and the global community. Kennedy emphasizes unity, freedom, and the need for cooperation in the face of challenges like poverty, tyranny, and war. He pledges support to allies, new nations, and those struggling for a better life, while also seeking peaceful solutions with adversaries. The speech culminates in a powerful call to service and sacrifice, urging citizens to contribute to the betterment of their country and the world.
- Emphasizes unity and cooperation among nations.
- Calls for action against tyranny, poverty, disease, and war.
- Urges citizens to contribute to their country and the world.
John F. Kennedy takes the oath of office, pledging to faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution to the best of his ability, concluding with "so help me God."
Kennedy declares the occasion as a celebration of freedom and a symbol of renewal, acknowledging the historical oath he has taken before God, similar to those taken by his predecessors. He notes the world's changed landscape, where humanity now possesses the power to eradicate both poverty and life itself. Kennedy reaffirms the revolutionary beliefs of the nation's forebears, emphasizing that human rights originate from God, not the state, and asserts that Americans are heirs to that revolution.
Kennedy announces that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans, tempered by war and dedicated to preserving human rights. He pledges that the nation will pay any price and bear any burden to ensure the survival and success of liberty, supporting friends and opposing foes. He commits loyalty to old allies, emphasizing the strength found in unity and the weakness in division when facing challenges.
Kennedy pledges to new states that the end of colonial control will not be replaced by another form of tyranny. He states that while the U.S. won't always expect them to agree, it will always support their freedom. To those in struggling nations, he promises assistance in breaking the bonds of misery, not for political gain, but because it is the right thing to do, asserting that a free society must help the poor to save the rich.
Kennedy offers a special pledge to republics south of the U.S. border, aiming to convert words into actions through a new alliance for progress. This alliance seeks to help free men and governments cast off poverty. He warns that this revolution of hope must not fall prey to hostile powers, and the U.S. will join its neighbors in opposing aggression or subversion in the Americas, ensuring the hemisphere remains independent.
Kennedy renews the pledge of support to the United Nations, calling it the last best hope for peace in an age where war instruments surpass peace instruments. He urges the UN to avoid becoming a mere forum for empty rhetoric, to strengthen its protection of the new and weak, and to expand its influence. To adversary nations, he offers a request to begin a new quest for peace, warning against the dangers of self-destruction unleashed by science.
Kennedy suggests both sides remember that stability isn't weakness and sincerity needs proof. He encourages negotiation without fear and urges both sides to explore uniting problems instead of divisive ones. He calls for serious proposals for arms inspection and control, aiming to bring the power to destroy under the control of all nations. Kennedy proposes invoking science's wonders, exploring the stars, conquering the desert, eradicating disease, and encouraging the arts and commerce together.
Kennedy urges both sides to unite in heeding the command to undo heavy burdens and free the oppressed. He hopes cooperation can push back suspicion, leading to a new endeavor, not a balance of power, but a world of law where the strong are just, the weak are secure, and peace is preserved. He acknowledges that achieving these goals will take time, possibly beyond his administration or even his lifetime, but emphasizes the importance of beginning the effort.
Kennedy states that the success of their course depends on the citizens. He notes that each generation has been called to demonstrate national loyalty, and now they are summoned again, not to bear arms, but to endure a long struggle against common enemies like tyranny, poverty, disease, and war. He asks if they will join in this historic effort to assure a more fruitful life for all mankind.
Kennedy acknowledges the responsibility of defending freedom in a time of maximum danger and welcomes it. He believes that the energy, faith, and devotion they bring will light their country and the world. Kennedy famously implores Americans to ask not what their country can do for them, but what they can do for their country. He extends this challenge to the world, asking what they can do together for the freedom of man.
Kennedy asks citizens of both America and the world to hold them to high standards of strength and sacrifice. He emphasizes that a good conscience is their only sure reward, with history as the final judge. He urges them to go forth and lead, seeking God's blessing and help, while recognizing that God's work on earth must be their own.
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Transcript
Full transcript of “President John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address | January 20, 1961”. Click a timestamp to open the video at that moment. Need another video? Use the YouTube transcript generator.
0:02 [Music] you john fitzgerald kennedy do solemnly swear hi john it's gerald kennedy do solemnly sway it that you will faithfully execute the office of president of the united states but 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]
1:06 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 party 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 forebears prescribed nearly a century and three quarters ago
1:55 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 forebears fought are still at 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 heirs of that first revolution let the word go forth from this time and place
2:41 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 bitter peace 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 world [Applause]
3:26 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 assure the survival and the success of liberty [Applause] this much we pledge and more to those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends
4:13 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 odds and split asunder 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
5:00 and to remember that in the past those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside 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
5:47 who are poor it cannot save the few who are 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 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
6:34 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 [Applause] 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
7:19 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 anew 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
8:07 neither can 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 adam yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand of mankind's final war so let us begin anew remembering on both sides that stability 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
8:53 negotiate [Applause] 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
9:38 terrors together let us explore the stars conquer the desert 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 beachhead 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
10:24 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 1000 days nor in the life of this administration nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet but let us begin [Applause] in your hands my fellow citizens more than mine will rest the final success of failure of our course since this country was founded each
11:10 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 no 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 and tribulation a struggle against the common enemies of man
11:57 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 [Applause] 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
12:44 i welcome it [Applause] 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 we'll 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 country [Applause]
13:32 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
14:19 asking his blessing and his help but knowing that here on earth god's work must truly be our own [Applause] you
