Presidential Communication Timeline

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    George Washington

    1. Washington communicated with the people via his inaugural address and his State of the Union address, which were published in newspapers.
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    Abraham Lincoln

    1. Lincoln communicated with the people via his speeches, which were published in newspapers, and through telegraph messages that he would send to his commanders.
    2. This is a change from the previous president because the new technology of the telegraph allowed messages to be sent quickly and without a prior spoken component.
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    William McKinley

    1. McKinley communicated with the people via speeches at his home and by films created of him, including his inaugural address.
    2. This is a change from the previous president because the new technology of film allowed McKinley to project his appearance across the country and allow people to hear from him despite never seeing him in person.
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    Teddy Roosevelt

    1. Roosevelt communicated with the people through catchy slogans and quips that would then be included in newspapers and political cartoons.
    2. This is a change from the previous president because the evolving nature of the press allowed Roosevelt to display his personality to the people, causing people to relate to him and support him simply for his personality.
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    Franklin Roosevelt

    1. FDR communicated with the people via the radio, with "Fireside Chats" that updated people on the state of the nation.
    2. This is a change from the previous president because while Teddy charmed people through quips that were repeated by newspapers, FDR was able to charm people in the moment all across the nation through the technology of radio.
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    John F. Kennedy

    1. Kennedy communicated with the people via television, as televised debates and press conferences allowed him to communicate with the people visually.
    2. This is a change from the previous president as with television, Kennedy was able to charm the people not just with his personality and his voice, but with his physical charisma.
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    Bill Clinton

    1. Clinton communicated with the people online, through an email account.
    2. This is a change from the previous president because the emerging technology of the internet allowed the president to communicate with the people digitally.
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    Barack Obama

    1. Obama communicated with the people via Twitter, a then new social media platform.
    2. This is a change from the previous president because Twitter allowed Obama to update the people on his actions and thoughts instantaneously.
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    Donald Trump

    1. Trump communicated with the people via Twitter, tweeting multiple times a day about his thoughts and actions.
    2. This is a change from the previous president because while Obama used Twitter sparingly, Trump's frequent tweeting allowed the people and the media to always be up to date on his thoughts and actions.