The first three speeches analyzed were State of the Union addresses by former presidents that dealt with war and difficult economic times. Important information such as the date, word count, and memorable quotes has been added to this blog along with a short paragraph summarizing the overarching topics of the speech.
I have also included research on three of President Obama’s important speeches to lay the groundwork for a future column in which I will speculate on the topics of his first State of the Union Address.
State of the Union Address #1
Abraham Lincoln’s Second Annual Message - December 1, 1862
8385 written words - Estimated Time Length: n/a
Were there memorable lines? Yes
Memorable Quote - “The civil war, which has so radically changed for the moment the occupations and habits of the American people, has necessarily disturbed the social condition and affected very deeply the prosperity of the nations with which we have carried on a commerce that has been steadily increasing throughout a period of half a century.
Theme: Downtrodden
President Lincoln’s address was one of hope, yet full of concern about the future of our nation. Lincoln spoke about the civil war and the affect it had on the country. Internal affairs were a major issue in this address. Not only had war ravaged the country, but also Indian attacks were still a major problem. On top of that he still held hope that he would be able to free the slaves and hold our foreign affairs together.
State of the Union Address #2
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Message to Congress on the State of the Union - January 6, 1941
3312 oral words - Estimated Time Length: n/a
Were there memorable lines? Yes
Memorable Quote - “In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.”
Theme: Freedom and Unity
In President Roosevelt’s Address, also known as “The Four Freedoms Speech”, he faced a world at war and let the public know that he wasn’t completely sure how things would turn out. Roosevelt said that it would be “immature—and incidentally, untrue – for anybody to brag that an unprepared America, single-handed, and with one hand tied behind its back, can hold off the whole world.” Just as in Lincoln’s speech there was a tone of unrest and a feeling of helplessness, but somewhere deep inside of that there was hope to be found. Roosevelt did this by presenting four freedoms that he believed the world should hold itself to. These were the freedom of speech and expression, the freedom of religion, the freedom from want and the freedom from fear. Roosevelt believed that this was attainable within his generation.
State of the Union Address #3
Harry S. Truman’s Message to Congress on the State of the Union - January 7, 1953
9683 written words - Estimated Time Length: n/a
Were there memorable lines? Yes
Memorable Quote - “Now, the President not only has to carry on these tasks in such a way that our democracy may grow and flourish and our people prosper, but he also has to lead the whole free world in overcoming the communist menace--and all this under the shadow of the atomic bomb.”
Theme: Reflection
President Truman’s State of Union in 1953 was all about reflection and looking forward. He was no longer pressured by future legislation because he was leaving office. He took the time to remember World War II and the passing of President Roosevelt. Truman hoped for everything to return to normal. He also commended the United States for helping with war recovery in foreign countries and spoke about the fear of living in the atomic age.
Major Speeches by President Obama
Speech #1
Barack Obama’s Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress – February 24, 2009
5902 words – Estimated Time Length: 51 minutes and 44 seconds
Were there memorable lines? Yes
Memorable Quote: “Now is the time to act boldly and wisely to not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity.”
Theme: Hope
President Obama’s major concerns in this address were the recession and health care reform. He offered some of his plans for reviving the economy, such as renewed flow of credit. Obama explained his intentions with his budget. He explained that he understood that he could not solve every problem in the economy with his budget, but rejected the idea that the countries problems would take care of themselves.
Speech #2
Barack Obama’s 100th Day Press Conference – April 29, 2009
1353 words – Estimated Time Length: 58 minutes and 27 seconds (both include Q&A)
Were there memorable lines? Yes
Memorable Quote: “We have to lay a new foundation for growth, a foundation that will strengthen our economy and help us compete in the 21st century. And that's exactly what this budget begins to do.”
Theme: Growth
President Obama began this speech with the issue of the H1N1 flu virus that spread throughout the United States. He spoke about what measures were being taken by public health officials to stop the spread of the swine flu, as well as telling the American citizens what they could do on their own to prevent the spread of the virus. On the day of this address, Congress had also passed the budget resolution. Obama was pleased with its passing and once again gave some insight as to what he planned to do to dig our country out of the recession. President Obama said in relation to his first 100 days; “I think we're off to a good start. But it's just a start. I'm proud of what we've achieved, but I'm not content.”
Speech #3
Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address – January 20, 2009
2420 words – Estimated Time Length: 18 minutes and 41 seconds
Were there memorable lines? Yes
Memorable Quote: “On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.”
Theme: Expectation
President Obama’s Inaugural Address was one of hope, but peaked in the reality of the recession and taking over the responsibility of leading the United States during wartime. He gave thanks to those who had supported him and reflected on how far our country had come in regards to civil rights. President Obama also gave his appreciation for what our country was built on and the people that make this country great.
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