State of the Union History
Senate Historian Emeritus Don Ritchie talked about the history of the State of the Union address.
Description
Senate Historian Emeritus Don Ritchie talked about the history of the State of the Union address.
Bell Ringer Assignment
- Explain the origin of the State of the Union address.
- Which president returned to the tradition of addressing a joint session of Congress in person?
- According to Don Ritchie, why did Thomas Jefferson prefer to deliver the address in this manner? How did this impact presidents through the 19th and early 20th centuries?
- Explain what Don Ritchie means when he says the messages are "long laundry lists."
- Explain how recent speeches are delivered to Congress.
Additional Resource
Participants
Vocabulary
- Disdain
- House Of Commons
- House Of Lords
- Imperial
- Inaugural
- Parliament
- Predecessor