Ronald Reagan's First Inaugural Address (1981)

Ronald Reagan's First Inaugural Address on January 20, 1981 outlines the objectives of the newly elected 40th President of the United States. The overall tone inspires heroic renewal. It starts by acknowledging the troubles of the domestic economy but ends with the belief that, with the help of the people and the support of a more efficient government, America can once again be a beacon of hope, freedom, and strength for the rest of the world.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. momentous
    of very great significance
    To a few of us here today this is a solemn and most momentous occasion, and yet in the history of our nation it is a commonplace occurrence.
  2. bulwark
    a protective structure of stone or concrete
    By your gracious cooperation in the transition process, you have shown a watching world that we are a united people pledged to maintaining a political system which guarantees individual liberty to a greater degree than any other, and I thank you and your people for all your help in
    maintaining the continuity which is the bulwark of our Republic.
  3. affliction
    a state of great suffering and distress due to adversity
    These United States are confronted with an economic affliction of great proportions.
  4. thrift
    extreme care in spending money
    It distorts our economic decisions, penalizes thrift, and crushes the struggling young and the fixed-income elderly alike.
  5. indignity
    an affront to one's self-esteem
    Idle industries have cast workers into unemployment, human misery, and personal indignity.
  6. deficit
    an excess of liabilities over assets
    For decades we have piled deficit upon deficit, mortgaging our future and our children's future for the temporary convenience of the present.
  7. upheaval
    a state of violent disturbance and disorder
    To continue this long trend is to guarantee tremendous social, cultural, political, and economic upheavals.
  8. bastion
    a stronghold for shelter during a battle
    They will go away because we as Americans have the capacity now, as we've had in the past, to do whatever needs to be done to preserve this last and greatest bastion of freedom.
  9. elite
    selected as the best
    From time to time we've been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people.
  10. equitable
    fair to all parties as dictated by reason and conscience
    The solutions we seek must be equitable, with no one group singled out to pay a higher price.
  11. vigorous
    characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
    Well, this administration's objective will be a healthy, vigorous, growing economy that provides equal opportunities for all Americans with no barriers born of bigotry or discrimination.
  12. bounty
    the property of being richly abundant or plentiful
    All must share in the productive work of this "new beginning,'' and all must share in the bounty of a revived economy.
  13. idealism
    belief that the best possible concepts should be pursued
    With the idealism and fair play which are the core of our system and our strength, we can have a strong and prosperous America, at peace with itself and the world.
  14. stifle
    smother or suppress
    Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it.
  15. prosper
    make steady progress
    If we look to the answer as to why for so many years we achieved so much, prospered as no other people on Earth, it was because here in this land we unleashed the energy and individual genius of man to a greater extent than has ever been done before.
  16. excessive
    beyond normal limits
    It is no coincidence that our present troubles parallel and are proportionate to the intervention and intrusion in our lives that result from unnecessary and excessive growth of government.
  17. inevitable
    incapable of being avoided or prevented
    We're not, as some would have us believe, doomed to an inevitable decline.
  18. entrepreneur
    someone who organizes a business venture
    There are entrepreneurs with faith in themselves and faith in an idea who create new jobs, new wealth and opportunity.
  19. unequivocal
    admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding
    Can we solve the problems confronting us? Well, the answer is an unequivocal and emphatic "yes.''
  20. dissolution
    separation into component parts
    To paraphrase Winston Churchill, I did not take the oath I've just taken with the intention of presiding over the dissolution of the world's strongest economy.
  21. punitive
    inflicting punishment
    It is time to reawaken this industrial giant, to get government back within its means, and to lighten our punitive tax burden.
  22. despair
    abandon hope; lose heart
    On the eve of our struggle for independence a man who might have been one of the greatest among the Founding Fathers, Dr. Joseph Warren, president of the Massachusetts Congress, said to his fellow Americans, "Our country is in danger, but not to be despaired of...On you depend the fortunes of America.
  23. exemplar
    a person or thing to be imitated; ideal model
    And as we renew ourselves here in our own land, we will be seen as having greater strength throughout the world. We will again be the exemplar of freedom and a beacon of hope for those who do not now have freedom.
  24. sovereignty
    government free from external control
    We will strive for mutually beneficial relations. We will not use our friendship to impose on their sovereignty, for our own sovereignty is not for sale.
  25. aspiration
    a cherished desire
    As for the enemies of freedom, those who are potential adversaries, they will be reminded that peace is the highest aspiration of the American people.
  26. forbearance
    a delay in enforcing rights or claims or privileges
    Our forbearance should never be misunderstood.
  27. prevail
    be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance
    We will maintain sufficient strength to prevail if need be, knowing that if we do so we have the best chance of never having to use that strength.
  28. formidable
    extremely impressive in strength or excellence
    Above all, we must realize that no arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.
  29. endure
    face and withstand with courage
    "America must win this war. Therefore I will work, I will save, I will sacrifice, I will endure, I will fight cheerfully and do my utmost, as if the issue of the whole struggle depended on me alone."
  30. capacity
    capability to perform or produce
    It does require, however, our best effort and our willingness to believe in ourselves and to believe in our capacity to perform great deeds, to believe that together with God's help we can and will resolve the problems which now confront us.
Created on Thu Mar 06 13:35:00 EST 2014 (updated Wed Mar 12 14:45:16 EDT 2014)

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