1939 State of the Union Address

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1939 State of the Union Address
DateJanuary 4, 1939 (1939-01-04)
VenueHouse Chamber, United States Capitol
Location Washington, D.C. [1]
Coordinates 38°53′23″N77°00′32″W / 38.88972°N 77.00889°W / 38.88972; -77.00889
Type State of the Union Address
Participants Franklin D. Roosevelt
John Nance Garner
Previous 1938 State of the Union Address
Next 1940 State of the Union Address

The 1939 State of the Union Address was given to the 76th United States Congress, on Wednesday, January 4, 1939, by Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd United States president. Foreseeing World War II, he said, "In Reporting on the state of the nation, I have felt it necessary on previous occasions to advise the Congress of disturbance abroad and of the need of putting our own house in order in the face of storm signals from across the seas. As this 76th Congress opens there is need for further warning. A war which threatened to envelop the world in flames has been averted; but it has become increasingly clear that world peace is not assured." [2] On September 1, 1939, the War in Europe began.

Roosevelt ended his speech by quoting the closing lines from Abraham Lincoln's 1862 State of the Union Address when he said the following:

Once I prophesied that this generation of Americans had a rendezvous with destiny. That prophecy comes true. To us much is given; more is expected. [a] This generation will "nobly save or meanly lose the last best hope of earth. . . . The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just—a way which if followed the world will forever applaud and God must forever bless." [3]

  1. This is an allusion to Luke 12:48.

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References

  1. "Joint Meetings, Joint Sessions, & Inaugurations | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  2. "State of the Union Address: Franklin D. Roosevelt (January 4, 1939)". InfoPlease. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  3. Roosevelt, Franklin D. (January 4, 1939). "Annual Message to Congress". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
Preceded by State of the Union addresses
1939
Succeeded by