By Congressman Markwayne Mullin
The peaceful transfer of power is a pillar of our democracy. While every transition has been peaceful and our nation has always endured, some transitions have tested our strength and resilience.
When Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860, tensions between the North and South were at an all-time high. Ahead of his inauguration in March of 1861, seven states broke away from the Union. In the days following the inauguration, four more states seceded and ignited the Civil War.
In 1936, President Herbert Hoover and President-elect Franklin Delano Roosevelt despised each other and had many heated meetings on the effects of the Great Depression before Roosevelt took office. After a contentious election in 2000, the country went weeks without knowing the winner. Even after President George W. Bush was eventually declared the winner, the country felt deeply divided.
This year’s transition has not been smooth sailing and there are many people who still have concerns about the outcome of the election. We’ve weathered rocky transitions in the past and ultimately come together and grown as a nation, but it didn’t happen overnight. It took time, hard work, and a dedication to our country. This transition is no exception. There is no challenge too great for Americans to overcome and I am confident we will band together.
Today, we transferred power to a new president. Now, we must work together to move our country forward, just as we have throughout our history.
