State of the Union Addresses by United States Presidents (1970 - 1974)

These are the actual words Richard Nixon delivered to Congress during one of America's most turbulent decades. The 1970-1974 State of the Union addresses document a presidency that oversaw the Vietnam War's gradual withdrawal, the historic opening to China, the pursuit of detente with the Soviet Union, and the slow unraveling of the Watergate scandal. Reading these speeches offers something no history book can: the president's own vision of his legacy, delivered in real-time as events unfolded. The 1974 address, delivered just weeks before Nixon's resignation, stands as a remarkable document of a leader facing the end of his political life while insisting on his achievements. For historians, political scientists, and anyone seeking to understand how power speaks to itself and to the nation, these addresses are essential primary sources.