Text, audio, and video versions of speeches, sermons, lectures, and other public addresses.
American Rhetoric
Collection of full text, audio and video versions of public speeches, sermons, legal proceedings, lectures, debates, interviews, and other recorded media events. The site also includes sections devoted to rhetorical devices, Chrisitan rhetoric, 9/11 rhetoric, movie speeches, and political speeches.
Historic Documents
Annual collection of primary sources covering significant events of the year. Includes materials such as speeches, international agreements, and reports from governments, NGOs, and other organizations. Each document is preceded by an introduction providing context and background.
“I Do Solemnly Swear . . .”
Collection of digital files from every inauguration from George Washington’s in 1789 to Barack Obama’s in 2009. Includes diaries and letters of presidents and of those who witnessed inaugurations, handwritten drafts of inaugural addresses, broadsides, inaugural tickets and programs, prints, photographs, and sheet music.
Presidential Rhetoric.com
An archive of selected presidential speeches dating back to George Washington.
Speech Index
Location: Skillman Ref PN4021 .S64x
Index to collections of world famous orations and speeches
Vital Speeches of the Day
Location: Skillman Lower Level 050 V84 (1978-2016) or online (1934-present)
Annual collection of speech texts from around the world on education, government, current events, history, economics, business and commerce, social progress, and politics.
Use the table below to develop search strings for locating primary source bibliographies and collections in library catalogs.
| Searching for . . . | Enter this phrase | + | modifier(s) [examples] |
| general topics | (speeches or addresses) | and | [nationality] [speaker’s name] [topic] |
| presidential addresses (collected) | presidents united states messages | ||
| sermons | sermons | and | [nationality] [speaker’s name] |
Sample searches:
| Keyword type | Examples |
|---|---|
| [ethnic group] | african american* arab* hispanic american* |
| [event] | holocaust jewish 1939 1945 tiananmen square incident world’s columbian exposition |
| [gender] | women* |
| [location] | easton north america pacific northwest pennsylvania united states |
| [nationality] | american french |
| [topic] | race relations radicalism |
| [war] | napoleonic wars united states history revolution 1775 1783 vietnamese conflict |