On January 8, 1790, President George Washington delivered
the first State of the Union address to the assembled Congress
in New York City.

Washington began by congratulating North Carolina’s recent
decision to join the federal republic.

North Carolina had rejected the Constitution in July 1788
because it lacked a bill of rights. Under the terms of the
Constitution, the new government acceded to power after
only 11 of the 13 states accepted the document.

By the time North Carolina ratified in November 1789, the
first Congress had met, written the Bill of Rights and
dispatched them for review by the states.