George Washington was commander in Chief of the army that won American independence from England in the Revolutionary War. He was also president of the convention that wrote the United States Constitution and he was unanimously voted the first President of the United States. At first, people wanted to call him “Your Highness,” but he said, “Call me Mr. President,” and that’s what Presidents have been called ever since.

One week after Abraham Lincoln became our 16th President in 1861, the southern states formed the confederacy and the Civil War began. The Civil War ended four years later on April 9, 1865. Five days after that, on April 14, 1865, after Lincoln had freed millions of slaves, he was assassinated. Lincoln’s life was one of many challenges, but he showed great determination in keeping our country together.

The first verse of We Salute the Presidents honors two great men in American history, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. A February national holiday was established to honor these men whose birthdays were both in February: Lincoln – February 12th, and Washington – February 22nd.

The second verse of We Salute the Presidents honors all the Presidents who have served our country.
The Presidents have the role of not only
(1) Chief Executive and
(2) Commander in Chief of the nation’s armed services,
but also that of
(3) Popular Leader.

As the lyrics of this song explain, Presidents give words of hope and encouragement to all Americans at all times. We should always be grateful for their dedication in serving our country.

Listen to a sample of We Salute the Presidents from U.S.A. Hooray! in the audio player, below. (The instrumental sing-along version is also included.)