The State of the Union Address by Adelaide Jackson, editor
for History Web. org
July 15, 2012
The U. S. Constitution and the Address
The State of the Union address is mandated by the U. S. Constitution, Article II,
Section 3, Clause 1. In the address, the president must provide Congress with a
status report on the conditions of America. The Constitution does not specify when
or how the president should deliver the address. However, in most years the
president has given the speech early in the year-just after Congress has
reconvened-either in written form or in person.
The Evolving Address
2 In 1790, President George Washington delivered the first State of the Union address
in person to Congress. Washington's immediate successor, John Adams, also
dellvered the address in person. However, when Thomas Jefferson took office, he
chose to forgo the practice. He claimed it was too much like the approach used by
the government from which the United States had fought to gain its independence.
Instead, Jefferson chose to put remarks to Congress in a written report.
3 In the twentieth century, this approach changed-as did several key elements of the
address. Woodrow Wilson resumed personal delivery of the speech in 1913. In 1923,
Calvin Coolidge expanded the audience of the address to the nation by delivering the
Based on the details in paragraph 3, what generalization
can be made about twentieth-century presidents and the
State of the Union address?
OA. Most presidents treated the address as a chance
to comfort the public
OB. Most presidents used the address to quy the
criticism of opponents.
oc. Most presidents saw the address as a way to
maintain tradition
OD. Most presidents made the address as accessible
as possible.
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