Past State of the State addresses

I have an assignment coming up regarding President Obama’s State of the Union address, and in preparation for it, I have researched the State of the Union addresses of previous presidents. Here is what I found.

President John F. Kennedy came into office at a time when the country was in an economic crisis and a time of war. In his 1961 State of the Union, Kennedy was very candid about the gravity of the financial situation, but his words were not without hope. He spoke specifically about business bankruptcies being at an all-time high, and unemployment being the second highest in history. Businesses were in trouble and the finances of individuals were down.
Kennedy offered a glimpse into his plans to start repairing the damage. For example, he wanted to give more food to those who are unemployed, increase minimum wage, stimulate housing construction and encourage price stabilization.
In response to the war going on, Kennedy focused on strengthening America’s military, improving the economy and sharpening diplomacy.
Kennedy was clear that the country’s situation was not the best, he was careful to remain positive. He referred to the time as “an hour of national peril and national opportunity.”


President Franklin D. Roosevelt also had a presidency during a time of war, and his 1945 State of the Union referred to that time as “the most critical phase of the war.” Roosevelt said a lot about the war and updated the people on what had already taken place, the good and the bad.
For the present, he said America needed more nurses and needed people to continue working, keeping the country running. He said, “The Lord hates a quitter.”

President Richard Nixon’s 1974 State of the Union was right after a time of war. He spent a lot of time talking about the difficulties America overcame during the previous five years, and was pleased to say, “Tonight, for the first itme in 12 years, a President of the United States can report to the Congress on the state of a Union at peace with every nation of the world.”
Nixon was able to focus on homeland issues, like the economy and education.