The same emotions were expressed up and down the tracks on the 137-mile journey, a trip that started in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and retraced the train ride Abraham Lincoln took on his way to becoming president in 1861.
As he did so often during his campaign, Obama drew upon American history in his remarks to pose a parallel to the country's current challenges. He noted the struggles of the colonials, the "first patriots," against the British.
"They were willing to put all they were and all they had on the line," Obama told the crowd in Baltimore. "Their lives, their fortune, and sacred honor for a set of ideals that continue to light the world: that we are all equal. That our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness come not from our laws but from our Maker."
Later he said, "the American Revolution was, and remains, an ongoing struggle in the minds and hearts of the people."
And, as in Philadelphia, Obama alluded to, but did not name, the president who inspired his train journey. The soon-to-be president used a call-to-action uttered by Lincoln in his inaugural address in 1861, an appeal to Americans' "better angels."
Obama, who will take up what he called the country's "enormous" challenges in fewer than 72 hours, noted that they will probably not be solved quickly.
"There will be false starts; there will be setbacks," he said. "There will be frustrations and disappointments. I will make some mistakes. But we will be called to show patience even as we act with fierce urgency."
He added, "So, Baltimore, starting now, let's take up in our own lives the work of perfecting our union," an appeal that brought forth a loud rumble of approval.
Obama arrived later in Washington, where he will take the oath of office Tuesday. He did not have a speaking event there Saturday.
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