Ulysses S. Grant's First State of the Union Address

What it is

This is the text of the address Ulysses S. Grant delivered to the 41st Congress on 6 December 1869, his first annual message as president.

Why it matters

In the speech Grant praised the nation's prosperity and the progress of Reconstruction, while urging Congress to address the removal of African American legislators in Georgia. He discussed returning the currency to the gold standard, remained neutral on Cuba's independence struggle while expressing sympathy for Cubans, backed a canal through Central America, and described his new policy of peace and reservations toward Native Americans. He also called for equal protection of citizens regardless of race or origin, and asked Congress to repeal the Tenure of Office Act. The speech reveals the scope of issues Grant's administration had to manage so soon after the Civil War.

Look closer

• Which groups of people does Grant promise to protect, and how specific are his promises?
• Why might Grant link economic policy with Reconstruction and foreign affairs in a single speech?
• What does his language about Native Americans as 'wards of the nation' suggest about attitudes of his time?