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1791 State of the Union Address
The state of union is an address, in the United States, given by the president to a joint session of Congress, the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate. The United States constitution requires the president "from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union." Today the state of the union address is given as a speech, though this is not a requirement of the constitution. George Washington chose to address the Congress in a speech annually; on October 25, 1791, he gave his third speech.
A major concern at the time was the raising of taxes, as Congress were arguing whether they had the constitutional power to do so. Revenues for the Federal Government were at that time mostly collected on import duties. Alexander Hamilton, the then Secretary of the Treasury, felt these had been raised to as high a level as was reasonable, and a new income stream was necessary.
It is important to note that, before the speech, Congress had been debating where to put the capital. Finally, through a deal made between Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, they came to a conclusion. This deal is known as the Compromise of 1790.
At the time the U.S. was in possession of the original thirteen colonies, along with the land gained in the Treaty of Paris. The Treaty of Paris ended the revolutionary war; in it, America was granted territory as far west as the Mississippi River. Known as the year of "Great Immigration" 1788 was the year many Americans moved west. On October 18, 1790, the Ohio tribe defeated an expedition of American troops near Fort Wayne, Indiana; this signified the beginning of the hostilities in the North West territory. On March 30, 1791, construction of the Knoxville Road began, linking to the Wilderness Road and to Knoxville. The road opened up more frontier area for settlements. In September 1791, there was much hostility in Ohio territory; this caused Americans to build forts at Hamilton, St.Clair, Jefferson, Greenville and Recovery.
At the time the Census Act had been in place for just over a year and a half. The act called for a routine census of the United States, and was passed by Congress on March 1, 1790.
Washington opened the speech with "I meet you upon the present occasion with the feelings which are naturally inspired by a strong impression of the prosperous situations of our common country, and by a persuasion equally strong that the labors of the session which has just commenced will, under the guidance of a spirit no less prudent than patriotic, issue in measures conducive to the stability and increase of national prosperity."
He acknowledged that there had been some "degree of discontent" about the Whiskey Tax, and that it was not perfect, but he was going to keep it anyway. He said "revision of the provision will be found advisable." The Whiskey tax was one Hamilton wanted enacted as part of a funding system for the new country.
He then goes on to talk about the creation of Washington D.C., that it "will comprehend lands on both sides of the river Potomac and the Towns Alexandria and Georgetown."
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1791 State of the Union Address
The state of union is an address, in the United States, given by the president to a joint session of Congress, the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate. The United States constitution requires the president "from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union." Today the state of the union address is given as a speech, though this is not a requirement of the constitution. George Washington chose to address the Congress in a speech annually; on October 25, 1791, he gave his third speech.
A major concern at the time was the raising of taxes, as Congress were arguing whether they had the constitutional power to do so. Revenues for the Federal Government were at that time mostly collected on import duties. Alexander Hamilton, the then Secretary of the Treasury, felt these had been raised to as high a level as was reasonable, and a new income stream was necessary.
It is important to note that, before the speech, Congress had been debating where to put the capital. Finally, through a deal made between Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, they came to a conclusion. This deal is known as the Compromise of 1790.
At the time the U.S. was in possession of the original thirteen colonies, along with the land gained in the Treaty of Paris. The Treaty of Paris ended the revolutionary war; in it, America was granted territory as far west as the Mississippi River. Known as the year of "Great Immigration" 1788 was the year many Americans moved west. On October 18, 1790, the Ohio tribe defeated an expedition of American troops near Fort Wayne, Indiana; this signified the beginning of the hostilities in the North West territory. On March 30, 1791, construction of the Knoxville Road began, linking to the Wilderness Road and to Knoxville. The road opened up more frontier area for settlements. In September 1791, there was much hostility in Ohio territory; this caused Americans to build forts at Hamilton, St.Clair, Jefferson, Greenville and Recovery.
At the time the Census Act had been in place for just over a year and a half. The act called for a routine census of the United States, and was passed by Congress on March 1, 1790.
Washington opened the speech with "I meet you upon the present occasion with the feelings which are naturally inspired by a strong impression of the prosperous situations of our common country, and by a persuasion equally strong that the labors of the session which has just commenced will, under the guidance of a spirit no less prudent than patriotic, issue in measures conducive to the stability and increase of national prosperity."
He acknowledged that there had been some "degree of discontent" about the Whiskey Tax, and that it was not perfect, but he was going to keep it anyway. He said "revision of the provision will be found advisable." The Whiskey tax was one Hamilton wanted enacted as part of a funding system for the new country.
He then goes on to talk about the creation of Washington D.C., that it "will comprehend lands on both sides of the river Potomac and the Towns Alexandria and Georgetown."