Colonial Williamsburg interpreter Richard Schumann describes Patrick Henry's "Give me liberty or give me death" speech of 1775, including its impact, the religious and legal influences it reveals, and the debate over how much of the speech as it has been recorded is historically accurate. The interview is accompanied by an image slideshow.
To listen to this podcast, select "All 2008 podcasts," and scroll to the March 24th program.
According to the Gilder Lehrman website, "Henry L. Luce Professor of the Civil War Era and Professor of History at Gettysburg College Allen Guelzo examines Abraham Lincoln's motivations for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation in January of 1863. Guelzo contends that the proclamation is among the most misunderstood of the Civil War era, a necessary and even desperate attempt by Lincoln to enact a form of emancipation that would pass legal muster. Guelzo traces the evolution of Lincoln's views on emancipation with particular emphasis on the strategic and moral calculus that factored into the momentous proclamation of 1863."
Actor Danny Glover reads Frederick Douglass's 1852 speech "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro."
Paul Aron, author of We Hold These Truths, discusses examples of famous American rhetoric, particularly dating from the American Revolution.
Charting changes in women's rhetoric in the public realm from 1848 to the present is possible through this archive of more than 400 speeches by influential, contemporary women. These include prominent female politicians and scientists, as well as popular culture figures. There is an emphasis on the United States (particularly after 1900), including speeches from women as diverse as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Mary Church Terrell, Marie Curie, Helen Keller, Emma Goldman, Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Friedan, and Ayn Rand. A nearly complete list of Nobel lectures by women laureates provides access to acceptance speeches.
The search function is particularly useful for pulling speeches from a diverse collection into common subject groups. It also allows for the study of the language of women's public debate by following changes in the use of particular metaphors or idioms, such as the concept "motherhood."
This website features approximately 20,000 documents relating to President Abraham Lincoln's life and career. All of the materials are available as page images and about half have been transcribed. Resources include correspondence, reports, pamphlets, and newspaper clippings. While the documents date from 1833 to 1897, most material was written between 1850 and 1865, including drafts of the Emancipation Proclamation and Lincoln's second inaugural address. A chronological index offers names of correspondents and document titles.
Special presentations on the Emancipation Proclamation and the Lincoln assassination provide introductions, timelines, and 24 images of related documents and engravings. Additional resources include 16 photographs of the Lincolns and key political and military figures of Lincoln's presidency. This is an excellent resource for researching Lincoln's presidency and American politics prior to and during the Civil War.
Professor Danielle Allen discusses the concept of U.S. citizenship and the ideal behavior of a U.S. citizen as suggested by major documents in U.S. history, including the Federalist papers, the Declaration of Independence, and presidential inaugural addresses.
This lecture continues from the lecture What is Citizenship?: Part One.
Professor Danielle Allen discusses the concept of U.S. citizenship and the ideal behavior of a U.S. citizen as suggested by major documents in U.S. history, including the Federalist papers, the Declaration of Independence, and presidential inaugural addresses.
This lecture continues in What is Citizenship?: Part Two.
Professor Peter Myers investigates Martin Luther King, Jr.'s concepts of civil disobedience and political action, as well King's thought, as found in his writings and speeches, more generally. Myers examines particularly the objectives King wished to achieve with his work.
This lecture continues from the lecture Martin Luther King, Jr., Part One.
Professor Peter Myers investigates Martin Luther King, Jr.'s concepts of civil disobedience and political action, as well King's thought, as found in his writings and speeches, more generally. This lecture continues in Martin Luther King, Jr., Part Two.