“Lincoln's Bible”

Above is a photo of Abraham Lincoln's Inaugaral Bible that President Obama used to make his oath of the Office of the President. Photo taken 23 Dec 2008 by REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (UNITED STATES).

"President-elect Obama is deeply honored that the Library of Congress has made the Lincoln Bible available for use during his swearing-in," Presidential Inaugural Committee Executive Director Emmett Beliveau said in a statement Tuesday. When Barack Obama takes the presidential oath of office Tuesday, he will place his hand on the same Bible that Abraham Lincoln used at his inauguration in 1861. Obama, as the 44th. President, will be the first incoming president to use the 156-year-old Lincoln Bible, which is bound in burgundy velvet and has heavily gilded edges. There's a story behind the Lincoln Bible. With the threat of civil war looming, Lincoln came to Washington in secret because many feared there would be threats on his life, said Jennifer Gavin, a spokeswoman for the Library of Congress. Because of his quiet arrival in 1861, many of Lincoln's belongings -- including his family Bible -- were still en route from Springfield, Ill., she said. The 1,280-page Bible used by Lincoln was purchased by Supreme Court clerk William Thomas Carroll. The cover bears a shield of gold wash over white metal with the words "Holy Bible." The high court's clerks often provided a Bible for the ceremony. William Howard Taft, who after his presidency would, as chief justice, administer the oath for Calvin Coolidge in 1925, swore upon a Bible that had belonged to the court for a century. Compiled by JGWest (Sources: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28366102/ and http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16813.html )


Don Counts sent me this link to Inauguration video clips of 11 Presidents that are all very interesting:
http://www.parade.com/news/2009/01/inauguration-videos.html?index=2

President Barack Obama, the 44th. President of the United States. May God be with you and the USA. All this week, the History Channel is featuring stories about the Presidents of the United States. Last night there were stories about Air Force One and the Whitehouse. Some great USA history!