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The Papers of
the Presidents
The American Presidency Project is the only online resource that has consolidated, coded, and organized into a single searchable database:
 • The Messages and Papers of the Presidents: Washington - Taft (1789-1913)
 • The Public Papers of the Presidents:
Hoover to G.W. Bush (1929-2007)
& Obama (2009)
 • The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents:
Carter - G.W. Bush (1977-2009)
 • The Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents:
Obama (2009-2012)
• Our archives also contain thousands of other documents such as party platforms, candidates' remarks, Statements of Administration Policy, documents released by the Office of the Press Secretary, and election debates:

search our archives


State of the Union Addresses
Noteworthy State of the Union Addresses from the APP's complete archive:
"The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." 
George W. Bush - January 28, 2003
"The era of big Government is over. But we cannot go back to the time when our citizens were left to fend for themselves." 
William J. Clinton - January 23, 1996
"President Washington began this tradition in 1790 after reminding the Nation that the destiny of self-government and the "preservation of the sacred fire of liberty" is "finally staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people." For our friends in the press, who place a high premium on accuracy, let me say: I did not actually hear George Washington say that. [Laughter]" 
Ronald Reagan - January 26, 1982
"Today, that freshman Member from Michigan stands where Mr. Truman stood, and I must say to you that the state of the Union is not good: Millions of Americans are out of work..." 
Gerald Ford - January 15, 1975
"I believe the time has come to bring that investigation and the other investigations of this matter to an end. One year of Watergate is enough." 
Richard Nixon - January 30, 1974
"We must spare no effort to raise the general level of health in this country. In a nation as rich as ours, it is a shocking fact that tens of millions lack adequate medical care." 
Harry S. Truman - January 5, 1949
"In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms." 
Franklin D. Roosevelt - January 6, 1941


The Ten Most Viewed Documents
(since 12/22/12)
#1 John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address
#2 Republican Party Platforms
Republican Party Platform of 1956
#3 Ronald Reagan
Message on the Observance of Afghanistan Day
#4 Ronald Reagan
Inaugural Address
#5 Democratic Party Platforms
2012 Democratic Party Platform
#6 John F. Kennedy
Executive Order 10990
#7 Republican Party Platforms
2012 Republican Party Platform
#8 George Bush
Executive Order 12803 - Infrastructure Privatization
#9 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Fireside Chat on Banking
#10 Barack Obama
Executive Order 13603 - National Defense Resources Preparedness


The American Presidency Project (americanpresidency.org), was established in 1999 as a collaboration between John T. Woolley and Gerhard Peters at the University of California,
Santa Barbara.
Our archives contain 103,615 documents related to the study of the Presidency.
American Presidency Project State of the Union Data
Length of State of the Union Addresses
State of the Union: Presidential Rhetoric from
Woodrow Wilson to George W. Bush
with an introduction by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley is the first comprehensive reference volume published in over four decades devoted to the president's Annual Message to Congress.

published by CQ Press		 State of the Union
Jimmy Carter Today in History
34  years  ago
Jimmy Carter
Address Delivered Before a Joint Session of the Congress on the Vienna Summit Meeting
June 18, 1979
Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Congress of the United States of America, and my fellow citizens:

The truth of the nuclear age is that the United States and the Soviet Union must live in peace, or we may not live at all.

From the beginning of history, the fortunes of men and nations were made and unmade in unending cycles of war and peace. Combat was often the measure of human courage. Willingness to risk war was the mark of statecraft. My fellow Americans, that pattern of war must now be broken forever.

Between nations armed with thousands of thermonuclear weapons—each one capable of causing unimaginable destruction-there can be no more cycles of both war and peace. There can only be peace.

About 2 hours ago, I returned from 3 days of intensive talks with President Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union. I come here tonight to meet with you in a spirit of patience, of hope, and of reason and responsibility.

Patience—because the way is long and ...read full document
Election Resources
The Document Archive Contains 103,615 Records
• Executive Orders 4889 • State of the Union Addresses 93
• Proclamations 6223 • State of the Union Messages 138
• Press Conferences 1997 • Inaugural Addresses 57
• Saturday Radio Addresses 1399 • Addresses to Congress (non-SOU) 50
• Fireside Chats (FDR) 27 • Addresses to Nation 247
• Veto Messages 1141 • Addresses to the United Nations 44
• Radio & TV Correspondents Dinners 37 • Addresses to Foreign Legislatures 70
• Party Convention Addresses 33 • College Commencement Addresses 153

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