On April 30, 1789, George Washington, standing on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York, took his oath of office as the first President of the United States. As the "silent member" of the Continental Congress, Jefferson, at 33, drafted the Declaration of Independence. Lincoln made extraordinary efforts to attain knowledge while working on a farm, splitting rails for fences, and keeping store at New Salem, Illinois. When he left office, Eisenhower stated, "America is today the strongest, most influential, and most productive nation in the world." | |||
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