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Historical Speeches

Great Speeches that serve to define this Nation of Freedom.

Historical Speeches
BC - 18th Century - 19th Century - 20th Century - 21st Century - Links

Last updated August, 2005. Unless stating the date, events within the year may not be in order.

B.C.

1500 +-
B.C.

Prior

The Ten Commandments (circa 1600-1200 BC)
The ten laws of Moses - (God's Speech To Man)

18th Century - 1700s

1770

testimony

Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770)
"The horrid massacre in Boston," "by soldiers of the Twenty-ninth Regiment which with the Fourteenth Regiment were then quartered there;"

1775

Patrick Henry

Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death! (March 23, 1775)
"Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" - Patrick Henry, speech.

1776

Samuel Adams

Samuel Adams Speech (August 1, 1776)
Speech to the State House in Philadelphia advocating Independence.

1783

Washington

George Washington - Addresses concerns of his Officers (March 15, 1783)

1785

James
Madison

James Madison's Memorial and Remonstrance (June 20, 1785)
"... ' that religion or the duty which we owe to our Creator and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence.' ..."

1787

literature

The Federalist Papers (1787)
The Federalist Papers, written under the pseudonym "Publius," are the most definitive resource on the original intent of our Constitution.

1787

liturature

The Anti-Federalist Papers (1787)
"The PEOPLE are the grand inquest who have a RIGHT to judge of its merits. The hideous daemon of Aristocracy has hitherto had so much influence as to bar the channels of investigation, preclude the people from inquiry and extinguish every spark of liberal information of its qualities."

1789

Washington

First Thanksgiving Proclamation (October 3, 1789)
"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor ..."

1792

Literature

The Rights of Man - Thomas Paine (1792)
"I present you a small treatise in defence of those principles of freedom which your exemplary virtue hath so eminently contributed to establish. That the Rights of Man may become as universal as your benevolence can wish, and that you may enjoy the happiness of seeing the New World regenerate the Old, ..." - Thomas Paine, dedication to George Washington.

1796

Washington

Washington's Farewell Address (September 17, 1796)
"... the time actually arrived when your thoughts must be employed in designating the person who is to be clothed with that important trust, it appears to me proper, especially as it may conduce to a more distinct expression of the public voice, that I should now apprise you of the resolution I have formed to decline being considered among the number of those..."

1797

John Adams

John Adams - Inaugural (MARCH 4, 1797)
"And may that Being who is supreme over all, the Patron of Order, the Fountain of Justice, and the Protector in all ages of the world of virtuous liberty, continue His blessing upon this nation and its Government..." - John Adams

19th Century - 1800s

1801

Jefferson

Jefferson's Message to the Senate (December 11, 1801) - France diplomacy

1802

Jefferson

letter

Jefferson Letter to the Danbury Baptists (January 1, 1802)
Thomas Jefferson coins "wall of separation between Church & State" Jefferson's actions and other writings show that had he known today's public discourse, would probably have stated, "thus building a wall separating State from Church". It is obvious Jefferson did not intend to eradicate religion from government.

1814

Francis Scott
Key
Poetry

Star-Spangled Banner (September 14th, 1814)
Poem by Frances Scott Key, later set to the tune of "Anacreon in Heaven" and becomes America's National Anthem.

1823

Monroe

Monroe Doctrine (December 2, 1823)
"We owe it, therefore, to candor and to the amicable relations existing between the United States and those powers to declare that we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety."

1838

Lincoln

The Lyceum Address (January 27, 1838)
"The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions," Abraham Lincoln addressing the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois.

1849

Thoreau

Literature

On the Duty of Civil Disobedience Henry David Thoreau (1849)
- Original title "Resistance to Civil Government" "I heartily accept the motto, 'That government is best which governs least'; ..."

1852

Frederick
Douglass

Frederick Douglass - The Hypocrisy of American Slavery (1852)

1858

Lincoln

House Divided (June 16, 1858)
Abraham Lincoln's Speech before the Republican State Convention, Springfield Illinois.

1858

Lincoln

Debate

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates (1858)
Campaign debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, 1858 & Two Speeches of Lincoln in 1859.

1860

J.S. Mill
literature

On Liberty (1860)
Essay by John Stuart Mill

1860

Civil War

1861

J. Davis
Confederate
Speech

Jefferson Davis, Farewell to Congress (January 21, 1861)
"... State of Mississippi, by a solemn ordinance of her people, in convention assembled, has declared her separation from the United States. Under these circumstances, of course, my functions are terminated here ..."

1861

J. Davis
Confederate
Speech

Jefferson Davis, 1st Inaugural Address (February 18, 1861)
"Called to the difficult and responsible station of Chief Executive of the Provisional Government which you have instituted,"

1862

J.Davis
Confederate
Speech

Jefferson Davis, 2nd Inaugural Address (February 22, 1862)
"Deeply sensible of all that is implied by this manifestation of the people's confidence, I am yet more profoundly impressed by the vast responsibility of the office, and humbly feel my own unworthiness. "

1862

Lincoln

Speech

Emancipation Proclamation (September 22, 1862)
"And by virtue of the power and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States and parts of States are, and henceforward shall be, free; and that the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons. "

1863

Lincoln

Speech

Gettysburg Address (November 19, 1863)
"It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us --that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion-- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth. "

1864

Crockett

Colonel David Crockett -- Not Yours to Give (1884)
"Mr. Speaker --- I have as much respect for the memory of the deceased, and as much sympathy for the suffering of the living, if suffering there be, as any man in this house, but we must not permit our respect for the dead or our sympathy for a part of the living to lead us into an act of injustice to the balance of the living."

1865

Lincoln

Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address (March 4, 1865)

1865

Lincoln

Lincoln's Last Speech (April 11, 1865)

1873

Susan B.
Anthony

Susan B. Anthony - On Women's Right to Vote (1873)

1896

William
Jennings
Bryan

William Jennings Bryan -- Cross of Gold (July 9, 1896)
"William Jennings Bryan's speech at the 1896 Democratic National Convention, Chicago"

20th Century - 1900s

1933

(FDR)
Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1st Inaugural Address (March 4, 1933)

1946

Winston
Churchill

Winston Churchill -- "Iron Curtain" Speech (Mar. 5, 1946)
"The United States stands at this time at the pinnacle of world power. It is a solemn moment for the American Democracy. For with primacy in power is also joined an awe-inspiring accountability to the future. ..."

1961

Kennedy

John F. Kennedy - Inaugural Address (1961)

1963

M.L.King Jr.

Martin L. King -- I Have a Dream (Aug. 28, 1963)
"I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today."

1963

M.L.King Jr.

letters

Martin L. King -- Letters from Birmingham Jail (Apr. 16, 1963)
"You deplore the demonstrations taking place In Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city's white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative."

1964

Reagan

Ronald Reagan -- A Time for Choosing (Campaign Season, 1964)
"You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to man's age-old dream--the maximum of individual freedom consistent with order -- or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism."

1981

Reagan

Ronald Reagan's First Inaugural Address (January 20, 1981)

1982

Reagan

Ronald Reagan - "The Agenda is Victory" (February 26, 1982)

1982

Reagan

Ronald Reagan - "Evil Empire" Speech to the House of Commons (June 8, 1982)

1983

Reagan

Ronald Reagan - "We will not be turned back" (February 18, 1983)

1983

Reagan

Ronald Reagan - (SDI) "Stretigic Defense Initiative" (March 23, 1983)

1984

Reagan

Ronald Reagan - "Our Noble Vision: An Opportunity for All" (March 2, 1984)

1984

Reagan

Ronald Reagan - "D-day Address at Normandy" (June 6, 1984)

1985

Reagan

Ronald Reagan's Second Inaugural Address (January 21, 1985

1986

Reagan

Ronald Reagan - "Forward for Freedom" (1986)

1987

Speech

Ronald Reagan - "Tear Down this Wall" (1987)

1987

Reagan

Ronald Reagan - "A Future That Works" (1987)

1988

Reagan

Ronald Reagan - "Farewell Address" (1988)

1991

Speech

George Bush - Announcing War Against Iraq (1991)

1992

Reagan

Ronald Reagan - 1992 Republican National Convention (1992)

1993

Reagan

Ronald Reagan - Statement on 10th Anniversary of SDI (March 23, 1993)

1994

Reagan

Ronald Reagan - 83rd Birthday Speech (1994); VFW Convention Center, Chicago, IL; GOP 1994 GALA

1995

Stephen Moore
Commentary

The Unconstitutional Congress - Stephen Moore

1999

Joseph Sobran
Historical
Commentary

The "General Welfare" - Joseph Sobran (November 23, 1999)
"So Madison, Hamilton, and - more important - the people they were trying to persuade agreed: the Constitution conferred only a few specific powers on the federal government, all others being denied to it (as the Tenth Amendment would make plain)."

21st Century - 2000s

2001

Robert P.George
Commentary

28th Amendment Commentary, Robert P. George (July 2001)

2001

George W.
Bush

George W. Bush - Speech to Congress After September 11 (2001)

2003

Roger W. Hancock
Commentary

Constitution for a Moral People - Roger W Hancock (November 2003) - PoetPatriot.com

2004

George W.
Bush