my fellow citizens:
at this last presidential inauguration of the 20th century, let us lift our eyes toward the challenges that await us in the next century. it is our great good fortune that time and chance have put us not only at the edge of a new century, in a new millennium, but on the edge of a bright new prospect in human affairs -- a moment that will define our course, and our character, for decades to come. we must keep our old democracy forever young. guided by the ancient vision of a promised land, let us set our sights upon a land of new promise.
the promise of america was born in the 18th century out of the bold conviction that we are all created equal. it was extended and preserved in the 19th century, when our nation spread across the continent, saved the union, and abolished the awful scourge of slavery.
then, in turmoil and triumph, that promise exploded onto the world stage to make this the american century. and what a century it has been. america became the world s mightiest industrial power; saved the world from tyranny in two world wars and a long cold war; and time and again, reached out across the globe to millions who, like us, longed for the blessings of liberty.
along the way, americans produced a great middle class and security in old age; built unrivaled centers of learning and opened public schools to all; split the atom and exp
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