2013 President Barack Obama Inaugural Address, the 2009 Obama Inaugural Address, and Campaign Speeches from the Presidential Campaign of 2012 Against Republican Mitt Romney

Barack Obama

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The official transcript of the Inaugural Address delivered by President Barack Obama on January 21, 2013 is presented, along with several other inaugural-activity event transcripts, and the 2009 address.

In his 2013 address, Obama stated:

My fellow Americans, the oath I have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this Capitol, was an oath to God and country, not party or faction. And we must faithfully execute that pledge during the duration of our service. But the words I spoke today are not so different from the oath that is taken each time a soldier signs up for duty or an immigrant realizes her dream. My oath is not so different from the pledge we all make to the flag that waves above and that fills our hearts with pride.

They are the words of citizens and they represent our greatest hope. You and I, as citizens, have the power to set this country’s course. You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time -- not only with the votes we cast, but with the voices we lift in defense of our most ancient values and enduring ideals.

Let us, each of us, now embrace with solemn duty and awesome joy what is our lasting birthright. With common effort and common purpose, with passion and dedication, let us answer the call of history and carry into an uncertain future that precious light of freedom.

In addition, there is an authoritative compilation of almost 100 presidential campaign speeches given by President Barack Obama from June through October 2012, including the full text of Obama's remarks accepting the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina on September 6, 2012, and a transcript of the first 2012 Presidential Debate in Denver, Colorado on October 3, 2012 moderated by Jim Lehrer. Each speech is an official document with complete information on location, names of rally participants, and subjects covered.

At a fundraiser, Obama stated: "One last thought I want to leave you with is a sense of optimism about how solvable our problems are. It's become fashionable to talk about how America can't recover from these kinds of challenges. You know what, that's what they've said throughout our history. They've always underestimated the resilience and the strength of the American people. And we've been through tougher times before. And I, as you might imagine, spend a lot of time traveling all around the world. There's not a country that wouldn't trade places with us. If you look at, as tough as things have been, the pace at which we've grown, the accessibility of solutions to our fiscal problems relative to what's happening in Europe, for example, what's required is not out of reach. It will require some tough choices. Most of all, it requires those on Capitol Hill to work across party lines to achieve some basic solutions. But we are poised to make sure that the 21st century is the American century, just like the 20th century was. It's going to require some work though, and this election is going to help determine it."