Inaugural Parade-How It Started

During the Inaugural Parade on Monday, a newscaster made reference to the history of the Marine Band playing in the parade.  I decided to check online for more info, and I came across some interesting facts. From the website www.inaugural.senate.gov, I found "The tradition of an Inaugural parade dates back to the very first Inauguration, when George Washington took the oath of office on April 30, 1789, in New York City. As he began his journey from Mount Vernon to New York City, local militias joined his procession as it passed through towns along the way. Once he arrived in New York City, members of the Continental Army, government officials, members of Congress and prominent citizens escorted Washington to Federal Hall for his swearing-in ceremony. The early Inaugural parades primarily consisted of escorts for the President-elect to the Capitol. Thomas Jefferson's first Inauguration, in 1801, was the first to take place in the new capital city of Washington. Only the north wing of the Capitol was completed at that time, and as Jefferson walked from his nearby boardinghouse to the Capitol, he was accompanied by an Alexandria, Virginia company of riflemen, friends, and "fellow citizens." After his second Inauguration in 1805, a procession formed at the navy yard made up of members of Congress and citizens—including navy yard mechanics—which then escorted President Jefferson from the Capitol to the White House after the Inauguration, accompanied by military music performed by the Marine Band. The Marine Band has played at every Presidential Inauguration since." As history has progressed, the army escort has been replaced by the Secret Service, who were very visible in the parade on Monday. The president got out of his limo twice during the route. At those times he was surrounded by 4 more limos, and an "army" of secret service men. At some point during the parade, I noticed that guards lined the sides of the street on the route, with an guard about every two feet on both sides of the street. I'm sure that the memory of the Kennedy assassination in Dallas was behind the high security. It is rare than anyone is going to know in advance exactly when and where the president is going to be standing on a street, but the Inaugural Parade is one occasion where that does happen.