A new Yahoo News/YouGov Poll conducted just before Independence Day reveals that while about half of Americans (52%) believe America was a shining city on a hill when Reagan gave his final speech as president, most Americans (62%) say the country is no longer a beacon and a model for the rest of the nations of the world. In 1988, President Reagan delivered his final State of the Union speech where he famously described America as a “shining city on a hill.”. On January 9, 1961, President-elect John F. Kennedy returned to his native Massachusetts to appear before the state legislature to make his final formal public address before assuming the office of President of the United States. The President said that he didn't understand that fear. Ronald Reagan Acceptance Speech Republican National Convention Dallas, Texas, August 23, 1984 I keep remembering all those magazine photo essays of past presidents. In 1988, President Reagan delivered his final State of the Union speech where he famously described America as a “shining city on a hill.”. A #NeverTrump Republican group is using the words of Ronald Reagan, the late conservative commander-in-chief in his famed “City on a Hill” speech to narrate a … He said, "Why, this country is a shining city on a hill." Ronald Reagan — ‘America is, and always will be, a shining city on a hill.’ ... “America is, and always will be, a shining city on a hill.” ― Ronald Reagan Read more quotes from Ronald Reagan. We proclaimed a dream of an America that would be a Shining City on a Hill. Ronald Reagan loved the phrase. And the President is right. Senator Hatfield, Mr. Chief Justice, Mr. President, Vice President Bush, Vice President Mondale, Senator Baker, Speaker O'Neill, Reverend Moomaw, and my fellow citizens: To a few of us here today this is a solemn and most momentous occasion, and yet in the history of our nation it is a commonplace occurrence. During his two terms in office, he presided over eight years of economic prosperity and started the process of dismantling communism around the world. Instead, the city on a hill had become radiant, “shining,” a hopeful vision for all of humankind. Recommend to friends. 1/25/74 - "City Upon a Hill", speech to the 1st Annual Conservative Political Action Convention, (location not specified) - text - We Will Be A City Upon A Hill; source: Reagan 2020 - Selected Speeches of Ronald Reagan. He used it over and over again, perhaps most notably in his 1989 presidential farewell address.. We raised a banner of bold colors--no pale pastels. https://www.ff.org/reagan-at-the-first-cpac-we-will-be-a-city-upon-a-hill A shining city on a hill. Ten days ago, President Reagan admitted that although some people in this country seemed to be doing well nowadays, others were unhappy, even worried, about themselves, their families, and their futures. Inaugural Address 1981. Friends Who Liked This Quote. post-gubernatorial speeches (as presidential candidate, January 5, 1975 to January 19, 1981): Share this quote: Like Quote.