History of State of the Union Addresses

Stonehill College professor Peter Ubertaccio taught a class on the history of State of the Union addresses. He described George Washington’s first address -- delivered in person -- but explained that many presidents who followed simply elected to send Congress a written statement until Woodrow Wilson in 1913. He explored how, since then, State of the Union speeches have evolved along with new technology and, in modern times, have been used to bolster political platforms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices