INAUGURALADDRESSOFPRESIDENTWILLIAMJ
CLINTONJanuary20,1997Myfellowcitizens:Atthislastpresidentialinaugurationofthe20thcentury,letusliftoureyestowardthechallengesthatawaitusinthenextcentury
Itisourgreatgoodfortunethattimeandchancehaveputusnotonlyattheedgeofanewcentury,inanewmillennium,butontheedgeofabrightnewprospectinhumanaffairs--amomentthatwilldefineourcourse,andourcharacter,fordecadestocome
Wemustkeepourolddemocracyforeveryoung
Guidedbytheancientvisionofapromisedland,letussetoursightsuponalandofnewpromise
ThepromiseofAmericawasborninthe18thcenturyoutoftheboldconvictionthatweareallcreatedequal
Itwasextendedandpreservedinthe19thcentury,whenournationspreadacrossthecontinent,savedtheunion,andabolishedtheawfulscourgeofslavery
Then,inturmoilandtriumph,thatpromiseexplodedontotheworldstagetomake