President Johnson's 1965 State of the Union Address, 1 4 - 1965

President Lyndon B. Johnson opened the 1965 State of the Union by declaring the start of a new era of national progress. He called for building the Great Society, a wide-ranging agenda focused on ending poverty, expanding education, improving healthcare, protecting civil rights, and strengthening American communities. Johnson pushed for Medicare, federal aid to education, voting rights protections, urban renewal, conservation, and immigration reform. He emphasized moral responsibility as well as national unity, urging Congress to act boldly to secure opportunity and justice for every American.