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Happy Election Day!
Part of the duties of the President of the United States is to communicate with the American people, world leaders and our troops. In honor of the elections, I thought it'd be fun to share the ways in which that communication has changed throughout history.
* When George Washington took office, he traveled 2000 miles on horseback and horse drawn carriage to speak directly to the people of our new nation.
* During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln walked across the lawn of the White House to the War Building where the telegraph was installed to communicate with the war generals.
* Rutherford B. Hayes was the first president to speak on the telephone with the inventor, Alexander Graham Bell. Two years later he had his own telephone installed in the White House. The technology was so new that there were precious few he could talk to. In fact, his telephone number was "1".
* Howard Taft and William Jennings Bryan had recordings made of their speeches that could be purchased and played at churches in areas they couldn't reach by train. The records would come with a picture of the candidates so voters would know what they looked like.
* Calvin Coolidge made the first presidential radio broadcast from the White House.
* Franklin Roosevelt held regular "Fireside Chats" on the radio where he spoke directly to the American people in their homes.
* Harry S. Truman was the first president to appear on television from the White House.
* John F. Kennedy was the first president to use the power of television. The White House was frequently featured as was Mrs. Kennedy and the children.
* Ronald Reagan (The Great Communicator) was the first president to fully understand the power of communication technology. He said, "How can a president not be an actor?"
From JoJo's Purple Crayon
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