WASHINGTON • With history on his mind, Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt will be watching up close the shift of power from Barack Obama to Donald Trump, and the awesome burdens and democratic significance that converge on that moment.

Blunt, who like Trump won a tough election in November, chairs the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, the first Missourian to hold the post since Congress assumed responsibility for the inauguration in 1901.

A former history teacher, Blunt has been reading up on previous inaugurations — particularly Abraham Lincoln’s second in 1865 at the end of a long Civil War. During the ceremonies, Blunt will handle introductions and escort dignitaries, never more than a few feet away from the outgoing and incoming presidents.

The world will see something rare and remarkable and uniquely American: the peaceful transition of government from one political party to another, even after a bitter election that consumed almost two years.

Blunt was near center stage on the inaugural platform when the presidency changed parties in both 2001 and 2009, and one impression of the outgoing and incoming presidents stuck the deepest.