President-elect Barack Obama called on American citizens to reiterate the principles set by the nation’s founders with "a new declaration of independence."

United States’ 44th and first black president emphasized that the times when a generation has been confronted with challenges so “vast” have been very rare. The 46-year-old President-elect said in his speech - delivered on Saturday on a pre-inaugural train journey from Philadelphia to Washington – that although the problems the United States are facing, the solution to these problems is not new at all.

"What is required is the same perseverance and idealism that our founders displayed," said Obama as he kicked off the three days of celebrations to mark his inauguration as the first black U.S. President.

During other train stops, Obama warned Americans that the problems their country and implicitly they are facing will not be solved quickly and that there will be “false starts and setbacks, frustrations and disappointments." Long story short, it will take sacrifice to turn the country’s crumbling economy around.

"America faces its own crossroads,” said President-elect Obama referring to the fact that America is engaged in two wars, its economy is in turmoil and the American Dream “feels like it’s slipping away."

United States’ first African-American President underlined that this is not a time for "ideology, small thinking, prejudice and bigotry." It is a time when Americans must stand together, united in order to cope with the tough challenge they are facing.

Americans need to make a new declaration of independence, said Obama. The President-elect did not refer to the same independence won by our founding fathers from the British Empire. Obama said Americans need a new declaration of independence from the aforementioned issues - small thinking, prejudice and bigotry - in order to take on the vast challenge they are now facing.

"What is required is a new declaration of independence, not just in our nation, but in our own lives…an appeal not to our easy instincts but to our better angels," said Obama in a speech held outside Baltimore's City Hall.