Week Seven: “The State of the Union Address,” Professor Peter Ubertaccio, Stonehill College
Professor Peter Ubertaccio
This week, we travel south and west from Boston to Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts.
At Stonehill, we’ll drop-in on Professor Peter Ubertaccio’s course on the American Presidency to hear his lecture on the State of the Union Address. With little more than a week until March 1 and the 2022 edition of the State of the Union, now seems a particularly good time to learn more about this annual message to Congress.
The origin story of the State of the Union is a simple one. Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution instructs the President to “…from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient…”
In his lecture, Professor Ubertaccio tells the story of how all American Presidents aside for two have fulfilled that Constitutional requirement through speeches or written messages and, more importantly, how the role of the State of the Union has evolved since President George Washington delivered the first one on January 8, 1790. Professor Ubertaccio’s lecture runs a little over 70 minutes and is available at the link below.
At 1,085 words, Washington’s speech was not only the first State of the Union it continues to be the shortest on record with the speeches of modern Presidents averaging 6,000+ words. To learn more about the first State of the Union Address and read Washington’s speech, go to www.mountvernon.org/education/primary-sources/state-of-the-union-address/.
“QUESTION: Can you name the two Presidents who never did a State of the Union address or message?”