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Primary sourceSpeech5 December 1826

Second State of the Union address by John Quincy Adams, 1826

John Quincy Adams · 5 December 1826

John Quincy Adams's address to Congress as president on 5 December 1826, describing the country's peace, prosperity and policy aims.

Adams's own address to Congress as president, showing the policy goals he set out in 1826.

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Full text (Wikisource)

About this source

What it is

This is the second State of the Union address that John Quincy Adams gave to Congress as president, delivered on 5 December 1826. The text is listed on Wikisource under State of the Union addresses. It opens by thanking the Giver of All Good and describing peace without and tranquility within the country, along with growth in population, wealth and national resources.

Why it matters

A State of the Union address is the president's report to the nation's lawmakers on the country's condition and plans. Adams's address shows his policy goals in his own words. It also shows how a president of the 1820s described the young republic: prosperous, growing, and divided only over the means of improving its condition.

Look closer

  • The speech says there are differences of opinion among Americans. Which groups does it name, and which does it leave unnamed?
  • How does Adams use religion and gratitude to support his policy goals?
  • Which problems does the address describe as solved, and which are left for Congress to handle?

This speech is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of John Quincy Adams on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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