1909 State of the Union Address

The 1909 State of the Union Address was written on December 7, 1909, by William Taft, the 27th president of the United States. It was the first address by Taft

1909 State of the Union Address

Date	December 7, 1909 (1909-12-07)
Venue	House Chamber, United States Capitol
Location	Washington, D.C.
Coordinates	38°53′23″N 77°00′32″W
Type	State of the Union Address
Participants	William Taft
Previous	1908 State of the Union Address
Next	1910 State of the Union Address

Themes

In the speech, Taft discussed the success of the recent Hague Conference. It also touched on various foreign policy topics of the time, including the peaceful transfer of power in the Ottoman Empire. The President also noted that the fourth Pan-American Conference would soon be held.

The President also notably mentioned the 50th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation in this address, by saying:

The year 1913 will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation granting freedom to the negroes. It seems fitting that this event should be properly celebrated. Already a movement has been started by prominent Negroes, encouraged by prominent white people and the press. The South especially is manifesting its interest in this movement. It is suggested that a proper form of celebration would be an exposition to show the progress the Negroes have made, not only during their period of freedom, but also from the time of their coming to this country. I heartily indorse this proposal, and request that the Executive be authorized to appoint a preliminary commission of not more than seven persons to consider carefully whether or not it is wise to hold such an exposition, and if so, to outline a plan for the enterprise. I further recommend that such preliminary commission serve without salary, except as to their actual expenses, and that an appropriation be made to meet such expenses.