Renewing America

Renewing America

ExcerptfromPresidentBillClintonsFirstInauguralAddress(1993)
WhenGeorgeWashingtonfirsttooktheoathIhavejustsworntouphold,newstraveled
slowlyacrossthelandbyhorsebackandacrosstheoceanbyboat.Now,thesightsandsounds
ofthisceremonyarebroadcastinstantaneouslytobillionsaroundtheworld.
Communicationsandcommerceareglobal;investmentismobile;technologyisalmost
magical;andambitionforabetterlifeisnowuniversal.WeearnourlivelihoodinAmerica
todayinpeacefulcompetitionwithpeopleallacrosstheEarth.
Profoundandpowerfulforcesareshakingandremakingourworld,andtheurgentquestionof
ourtimeiswhetherwecanmakechangeourfriendandnotourenemy.
ThisnewworldhasalreadyenrichedthelivesofmillionsofAmericanswhoareableto
competeandwininit.Butwhenmostpeopleareworkingharderforless;whenotherscannot
workatall;whenthecostofhealthcaredevastatesfamiliesandthreatenstobankruptour
enterprises,greatandsmall;whenthefearofcrimerobslawabidingcitizensoftheirfreedom;
andwhenmillionsofpoorchildrencannotevenimaginetheliveswearecallingthemto
leadwehavenotmadechangeourfriend.
Weknowwehavetofacehardtruthsandtakestrongsteps.Butwehavenotdoneso.Instead,
wehavedrifted,andthatdriftinghaserodedourresources,fracturedoureconomy,and
shakenourconfidence.

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Renewing America

Thoughourchallengesarefearsome,soareourstrengths.Americanshaveeverbeena
restless,questing,hopefulpeople.Andwemustbringtoourtasktodaythevisionandwillof
thosewhocamebeforeus.
FromourRevolutiontotheCivilWar,totheGreatDepression,tothecivilrightsmovement,
ourpeoplehavealwaysmusteredthedeterminationtoconstructfromthesecrisesthepillars
ofourhistory.
ThomasJeffersonbelievedthattopreservetheveryfoundationsofourNation,wewould
needdramaticchangefromtimetotime.Well,myfellowAmericans,thisisourtime.Letus
embraceit.
[...]
TorenewAmerica,wemustmeetchallengesabroadaswellasathome.Thereisnolongera
cleardivisionbetweenwhatisforeignandwhatisdomestictheworldeconomy,theworld
environment,theworldAIDScrisis,theworldarmsrace,theyaffectusall.
Today,asanoldorderpasses,thenewworldismorefreebutlessstable.Communisms
collapsehascalledfortholdanimositiesandnewdangers.ClearlyAmericamustcontinueto
leadtheworldwedidsomuchtomake.
WhileAmericarebuildsathome,wewillnotshrinkfromthechallenges,norfailtoseizethe
opportunities,ofthisnewworld.Togetherwithourfriendsandallies,wewillworktoshape
change,lestitengulfus.
[...]
Butourgreateststrengthisthepowerofourideas,whicharestillnewinmanylands.Acrossthe
world,weseethemembracedandwerejoice.Ourhopes,ourhearts,andourhands,arewith
thoseoneverycontinentwhoarebuildingdemocracyandfreedom.TheircauseisAmericascause.
TheAmericanpeoplehavesummonedthechangewecelebratetoday.Youhaveraisedyour
voicesinanunmistakablechorus.Youhavecastyourvotesinhistoricnumbers.Andyouhave
changedthefaceoftheCongress,thePresidency,andthepoliticalprocessitself.
Yes,you,myfellowAmericans,haveforcedthespring.
Now,wemustdotheworktheseasondemands.
TothatworkInowturn,withalltheauthorityofmyoffice.IasktheCongresstojoinwithme.
ButnoPresident,noCongress,nogovernment,canundertakethismissionalone.
MyfellowAmericans,you,too,mustplayyourpartinourrenewal.

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Renewing America

IchallengeanewgenerationofyoungAmericanstoaseasonofservicetoactonyour
idealismbyhelpingtroubledchildren,keepingcompanywiththoseinneed,reconnectingour
torncommunities.Thereissomuchtobedoneenoughindeedformillionsofotherswhoare
stillyounginspirittogiveofthemselvesinservice,too.
Inserving,werecognizeasimplebutpowerfultruth:Weneedeachother.Andwemustcare
foroneanother.
Today,wedomorethancelebrateAmerica;werededicateourselvestotheveryideaof
America:
Anideaborninrevolutionandrenewedthroughtwocenturiesofchallenge;
Anideatemperedbytheknowledgethat,butforfate,wethefortunateandthe
unfortunatemighthavebeeneachother;
AnideaennobledbythefaiththatourNationcansummonfromitsmyriaddiversitythe
deepestmeasureofunity;
AnideainfusedwiththeconvictionthatAmericaslongheroicjourneymustgoforeverupward.
Andso,myfellowAmericans,aswestandattheedgeofthe21stcentury,letusbeginanew
withenergyandhope,withfaithanddiscipline,andletusworkuntilourworkisdone.

Source: AddressbyBillClinton,1993|InaugurationofthePresident.JointCongressionalCommitteeonInauguralCeremonies,
accessedFebruary6,2014.http://www.inaugural.senate.gov/swearingin/address/addressbybillclinton1993

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Questions: Renewing America

Name:

Date:

1. What does Bill Clinton call the urgent question of our time?
A
B
C
D

how to enrich the lives of millions of Americans

whether we can make change our friend and not our enemy
how to minimize crime and poverty in American cities
whether the world can rise to the challenge of new changes

2. Bill Clinton explains the difficulties that America faces in order to convince the listener
of what?
A
B
C
D

America has problems just like the rest of the world.

Americans need to remember the Great Depression.
Americans need to work together to renew the country.
America has to fix itself before it can lead the world.

3. In this speech, Clinton maintains that Americans are a strong and determined people.
What evidence from the speech best supports this statement?
A Instead, we have drifted, and that drifting has eroded our resources, fractured
our economy, and shaken our confidence.
B Thomas Jefferson believed that to preserve the very foundations of our Nation,
we would need dramatic change from time to time.
C But our greatest strength is the power of our ideas, which are still new in
many lands. Across the world, we see them embracedand we rejoice.
D From our Revolutionto the civil rights movement, our people have always
mustered the determination to construct from these crises the pillars of our
history.

4. Why does Clinton say, Though our challenges are fearsome, so are our strengths.
Americans have ever been a restless, questing, hopeful people. And we must bring to
our task today the vision and will of those who came before us.
A
B
C
D

to
to
to
to

ensure that Americans understand the severity of the task

encourage Americans that they are up to the task
make sure Americans understand the task before them
encourage Americans to not make the mistakes of the past

1
2014 ReadWorks, Inc. All rights reserved.

Questions: Renewing America

5. What is the main message of this speech?

A
B
C
D

Americans need to work together to create change.

The United States of America is the best country in the world.
The American people will always rise to meet challenges.
Though Americas challenges are fearsome, so are its strengths.

6. Read the following sentence: From our Revolution to the Civil War, to the Great
Depression, to the civil rights movement, our people have always mustered the
determination to construct from these crises the pillars of our history.
As used in this sentence, what does the word mustered most nearly mean?
A
B
C
D

rejected
fought
gathered
failed

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

__________ America faces great challenges, it also possesses great strengths, Bill
Clinton asserts.
A
B
C
D

Therefore
While
Ultimately
Before

8. What four world problems does Clinton say affect us all?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2
2014 ReadWorks, Inc. All rights reserved.

Questions: Renewing America

9. What part does Clinton say the American people must play in the countrys renewal?
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

10. Explain how Bill Clinton tries to motivate and inspire the American people to take action
and encourage them to affect change. Support your answer with details from the speech.
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

3
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Teacher Guide & Answers: Renewing America

Teacher Guide & Answers

Passage Reading Level: Lexile 940

1. What does Bill Clinton call the urgent question of our time?
A
B
C
D

how to enrich the lives of millions of Americans

whether we can make change our friend and not our enemy
how to minimize crime and poverty in American cities
whether the world can rise to the challenge of new changes

2. Bill Clinton explains the difficulties that America faces in order to convince the listener of what?
A
B
C
D

America has problems just like the rest of the world.

Americans need to remember the Great Depression.
Americans need to work together to renew the country.
America has to fix itself before it can lead the world.

3. In this speech, Clinton maintains that Americans are a strong and determined people. What evidence
from the speech best supports this statement?
A

Instead, we have drifted, and that drifting has eroded our resources, fractured our economy,
and shaken our confidence.
B Thomas Jefferson believed that to preserve the very foundations of our Nation, we would need
dramatic change from time to time.
C But our greatest strength is the power of our ideas, which are still new in many lands. Across
the world, we see them embracedand we rejoice.
D From our Revolutionto the civil rights movement, our people have always
mustered the determination to construct from these crises the pillars of our history.

4. Why does Clinton say, Though our challenges are fearsome, so are our strengths. Americans have
ever been a restless, questing, hopeful people. And we must bring to our task today the vision and will of
those who came before us.
A
B
C
D

to ensure that Americans understand the severity of the task

to encourage Americans that they are up to the task
to make sure Americans understand the task before them
to encourage Americans to not make the mistakes of the past

5. What is the main message of this speech?

A
B
C
D

Americans need to work together to create change.

The United States of America is the best country in the world.
The American people will always rise to meet challenges.
Though Americas challenges are fearsome, so are its strengths.

1
2014 ReadWorks, Inc. All rights reserved.

Teacher Guide & Answers: Renewing America

6. Read the following sentence: From our Revolution to the Civil War, to the Great Depression, to the civil

rights movement, our people have always mustered the determination to construct from these crises the
pillars of our history.
As used in this sentence, what does the word mustered most nearly mean?
A
B
C
D

rejected
fought
gathered
failed

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

__________ America faces great challenges, it also possesses great strengths, Bill Clinton asserts.
A
B
C
D

Therefore
While
Ultimately
Before

8. What four world problems does Clinton say affect us all?

Suggested answer: Clinton says that the world economy, the world environment, the world AIDS crisis,
and the world arms race affect us all.

9. What part does Clinton say the American people must play in the countrys renewal?
Suggested answer: Clinton says that the American people must play their part in the countrys renewal
through service to others. Clinton challenges Americans to act on your idealism by helping troubled
children, keeping company with those in need, reconnecting our torn communities.

10. Explain how Bill Clinton tries to motivate and inspire the American people to take action and
encourage them to affect change. Support your answer with details from the speech.
Suggested answer: Answers may vary and should be supported by the passage. Students should
indicate that Clinton tries to galvanize the American people by explaining the problems America currently
faces; reminding the American people of their strengths and the way they overcame past difficulties;
praising America for its idealism; and calling the people to action with a specific focus on service.

2
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