January 8, 1790: George Washington delivered the first State of the Union. It wasn't a royal decree. It was a job report. No applause. No guests. Just the shortest annual message in history. He could have acted like a king. Instead, he called for an armed, educated people ready to defend their own liberty. He established the standard for a free republic - defense, war powers, education, debt and more - and showed us exactly how it’s done.

Path to Liberty: January 7, 2026