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.

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

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

Texas joined the Union as the 28th state, after its war of
independence against Mexico and 10 years as a Lone
Star republic, on this day in history, Dec. 29, 1845.

The vast state, larger in area than the nation of France,
joined the union but never lost its sense of independence.

"For all its enormous range of space, climate, and physical
appearance, and for all the internal squabbles, contentions,
and strivings, Texas has a tight cohesiveness perhaps
stronger than any other section of America," famed author
John Steinbeck wrote in his 1962 travelogue, "Travels with
Charley: In Search of America." (Fox News)

On July 3, 1890, the Idaho Territory became the 43rd state
in the Union..

Exploration of the North American continent mostly proceeded
inward from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and northward from
Spanish Mexico. Therefore, the rugged territory that would
become Idaho long remained untouched by Spanish, French,
British and American trappers and explorers. Even as late as
1805, Idaho Native Americans like the Shoshone had never
encountered Europeans.

On January 4, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered the
first televised evening State of the Union Address.

Johnson laid out for Congress a laundry list of legislation needed
to achieve his plan for a Great Society.

As a result Congress enacted sweeping legislation in the areas of
civil rights, health care, education and the environment. 

The 1965 State of the Union address heralded the creation of Medicare/Medicaid, Head Start, the Voting Rights Act, the Civil
Rights Act, the Department of Housing and Urban Development
and the White House Conference on Natural Beauty.

President Lyndon Baines Johnson signs the Voting Rights
Act of 1965.