1973 State of the Union Address

Last updated
1973 State of the Union Address
DateFebruary 2 – March 14, 1973 (1973-02-02 1973-03-14)
Location Washington, D.C.
Type State of the Union Address
Participants Richard Nixon
Previous 1972 State of the Union Address
Next 1974 State of the Union Address

The 1973 State of the Union Address was delivered to the 93rd United States Congress as a series of six written messages from February 2 to March 14, 1973. The first message was an overview, which was then followed by five additional messages, each of which focused on a specific public policy theme. [1]

In the initial introductory message, Nixon wrote:

America continues to provide a better and more abundant life for more of its people than any other nation in the world. We have passed through one of the most difficult periods in our history without surrendering to despair and without dishonoring our ideals as a people.

Looking back, there is a lesson in all this for all of us. The lesson is one that we sometimes had to learn the hard way over the past few years. But we did learn it. That lesson is that even potentially destructive forces can be converted into positive forces when we know how to channel them, and when we use common sense and common decency to create a climate of mutual respect and goodwill.

By working together and harnessing the forces of nature, Americans have unlocked some of the great mysteries of the universe. [2]

Six messages

#DateTitleSource
1February 2, 1973Overview and Goals [3]
2February 15, 1973Natural Resources and the Environment [4]
3February 22, 1973The Economy [5]
4March 1, 1973Human Resources [6]
5March 8, 1973Community Development [7]
6March 14, 1973Law Enforcement and Drug Abuse Prevention [8]

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The 1955 State of the Union Address was given by the 34th president of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, on Thursday, January 6, 1955, to the 84th United States Congress. He said, "Every citizen wants to give full expression to his God-given talents and abilities and to have the recognition and respect accorded under our religious and political traditions." He also said, "To protect our nations and our peoples from the catastrophe of a "nuclear holocaust", free nations must maintain countervailing military power to persuade the Communists of the futility of seeking their ends through aggression." He is referring to what seemed to be the high likelihood of nuclear warfare of the time. He ended with, "And so, I know with all my heart--and I deeply believe that all Americans know--that, despite the anxieties of this divided world, our faith, and the cause in which we all believe, will surely prevail." This address was given in his first term (1953-1957), in Washington, D.C.

The 1956 State of the Union Address was delivered by Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States, on Friday, January 5, 1956, to both houses of the 84th United States Congress in written format. Eisenhower did not deliver a speech before a joint session of Congress because he had suffered a major heart attack four months prior and was recovering in Key West, Florida. Instead, Eisenhower opted to pre-record remarks from his office at the Naval Air Station in Key West summarizing his State of the Union Address which were broadcast to the nation in the evening on January 5.

The 1970 State of the Union Address was given by Richard Nixon, the 37th United States president, on January 22, 1970, to both houses of the 91st United States Congress. He said, "I say this not only because 1970 marks the beginning of a new decade in which America will celebrate its 200th birthday. The seventies will be a time of new beginnings, a time of exploring both on the earth and in the heavens, a time of discovery. But the time has also come for emphasis on developing better ways of managing what we have and of completing what man's genius has begun but left unfinished.

The following is a timeline of the presidency of Richard Nixon from January 1, 1974, to August 9, 1974, when, in the face of almost certain impeachment and removal from office, he resigned the presidency.

The 1981 State of the Union address was delivered by President Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, to the 97th United States Congress in written format on January 16, 1981. In this address, Carter discussed economic issues as well as the Iranian hostage crisis. Carter began his speech with:

The State of the Union is sound. Our economy is recovering from a recession. A national energy plan is in place and our dependence on foreign oil is decreasing. We have been at peace for four uninterrupted years. But, our Nation has serious problems. Inflation and unemployment are unacceptably high. The world oil market is increasingly tight. There are trouble spots throughout the world, and 53 American hostages are being held in Iran against international law and against every precept of human affairs.

The 1862 State of the Union Address was written by the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, and delivered to the 37th United States Congress, on Monday, December 1, 1862, amid the ongoing American Civil War.

The 1971 State of the Union Address was given by U.S. President Richard Nixon on January 22, 1971.

The 1969 State of the Union Address was given by Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, on Tuesday, January 14, 1969, to the 91st United States Congress in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives. It was Johnson's sixth and final State of the Union Address. Presiding over this joint session was House speaker John W. McCormack, accompanied by Vice President Hubert Humphrey, in his capacity as the president of the Senate.

The first 1961 State of the Union Address was delivered in written format by outgoing president Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States, on Thursday, January 12, 1961, to the 87th United States Congress. It was Eisenhower's ninth and final State of the Union Address.

The 1959 State of the Union Address was given by Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States, on Friday, January 9, 1959, to the 86th United States Congress in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives. It was Eisenhower's seventh State of the Union Address. Presiding over this joint session was House speaker Sam Rayburn, accompanied by Vice President Richard Nixon, in his capacity as the president of the Senate. The speech was broadcast by radio and television.

The 1957 State of the Union Address was given by Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States, on Thursday, January 10, 1957, to the 85th United States Congress in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives. It was Eisenhower's sixth State of the Union Address. Presiding over this joint session was House speaker Sam Rayburn, accompanied by Vice President Richard Nixon, in his capacity as the president of the Senate. The speech was broadcast live over both radio and television.

The 1954 State of the Union Address was given by Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States, on Thursday, January 7, 1954, to the 83rd United States Congress in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives. It was Eisenhower's second State of the Union Address. Presiding over this joint session was House speaker Joseph W. Martin Jr., accompanied by Vice President Richard Nixon, in his capacity as the president of the Senate. This address was broadcast live on both radio and television.

The February 1953 State of the Union Address was given by newly inaugurated president Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States, on Monday, February 2, 1953, to the 83rd United States Congress in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives. It was Eisenhower's first State of the Union Address. Presiding over this joint session was House speaker Joseph W. Martin Jr., accompanied by recently inaugurated Vice President Richard Nixon in his capacity as the president of the Senate. This address was broadcast live on both radio and television.

References

  1. Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T. (2024). "Annual Messages to Congress on the State of the Union (Washington 1790 - the present)" . Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  2. Infoplease.com. "State of the Union Address: Richard Nixon (February 2, 1973)" . Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  3. Nixon, Richard M. (February 2, 1973). "State of the Union Message to the Congress: Overview and Goals". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  4. Nixon, Richard M. (February 15, 1973). "State of the Union Message to the Congress on Natural Resources and the Environment". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  5. Nixon, Richard M. (February 22, 1973). "State of the Union Message to the Congress on the Economy". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  6. Nixon, Richard M. (March 1, 1973). "State of the Union Message to the Congress on Human Resources". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  7. Nixon, Richard M. (March 8, 1973). "State of the Union Message to the Congress on Community Development". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  8. Nixon, Richard M. (March 14, 1973). "State of the Union Message to the Congress on Law Enforcement and Drug Abuse Prevention". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
Preceded by State of the Union addresses
1973
Succeeded by