First Annual Message of George Washington...

Item # 559112

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January 14, 1790

THE NEW YORK JOURNAL, AND WEEKLY REGISTER, from New York, dated January 14, 1790

* President George Washington original
* 1st State of the Union Address
* Historic - rare

On page 2 issue under "Congress of the United States" is the business of the House of Representatives from "January 7" which includes word that a resolution was received from the Senate stating that a committee was appointed "...to wait on and inform the President...that the two houses of Congress are now formed, and request to know of him, what time he will...meet them in the senate chamber, to lay before the business he has to communicate..."

     The proceedings from the next day, January 8, describe the protocol to receive the President: "The house being assembled, adjourned to the senate chamber. At 11 o'clock, the PRESIDENT of the United States, attended by his aids and secretary, was received by the two houses of Congress, in the senate chamber, when he was pleased to make the following SPEECH."

     Hereafter is the text of George Washington's first Annual Message to Congress on the State of the Union (see). The message, which is relatively short, is signed in type: G. Washington. There is additional text concerning the final business of the day that says: "The President then retired--and the house returned to their own room: when the President's speech being read by the clerk..." & a bit more. And from "January 9" is the business of the following day.

     In the next column is a message from the President stating that he directed his private secretary, Mr. Lear, to lay before the House a copy of the adoption and ratification of the Constitution by the state of North Carolina, along with a letter from Samuel Johnson, the Secretary of the State Convention, signed in type: G. Washington.

     Great to have this historic document (Washington's first Annual Message) in a title from the nation's capital at the time.

     Complete in 4 pages, has a few worm holes, one which affects one word in the January 8 content, plus one in the text of the message slightly affecting two words, & one in the blank background of the masthead, and one in the lower margin, and two small ones in unrelated content, some foxing. Untrimmed.

Category: The 1600's and 1700's