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State of the Union Address
Originally referred to as the annual message, President Franklin Roosevelt rephrased it to the "State of the Union" in 1935. The address is held in the House of Representatives Chamber at the U.S. Capitol. The State of the Union not only looks at the current condition of the nation, but also reflects on the past and outlines the future. The president uses the speech to express his or her legislative ideas and national priorities to Congress. Some examples of topics that have been covered by the State of the Union address include the economy and homeland security. The first State of the Union address was given on January 8, 1790 by George Washington. Washington presented his address to Congress in the form of a speech. Our third president, Thomas Jefferson thought that a verbal presentation was inappropriate and so he started the tradition of submitting his annual message to Congress only in writing in 1801. For the next 112 years, the State of the Union was written, not spoken. Woodrow Wilson revived the tradition of verbally presenting the State of the Union address in 1913.
You can read the full-text of the State of the Union addresses for Presidents Bush and Clinton on GPO Access. You can learn more about the President's State of the Union address from the White House. Photos provided coutesy of the White House.
Last updated:
February 1, 2008
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The
State of the Union is an annual address presented before a joint session
of Congress. It is required by Article II, Section 3, U.S. Constitution,
which says:
As
technology has progressed, new methods have been used to present the
State of the Union. For example, President Calvin Coolidge broadcast
his State of the Union address for the first time on radio in 1923.
Meanwhile, the first television broadcast took place in 1947 under President
Harry Truman. The first Webcast of the State of the Union took place
on January 28, 2003 under President Bush.
