Web Resources
Jump to a section:
Giving and Writing Speeches
- Guide to Giving Speeches: Introduction
- Tips for writers and speech-givers. Topics include: The Power of Key Messages, Sample Speech, Making the Most of Your Speech or Presentation, Practical Tips for Writing and Giving Speeches, Speech Feedback/Report Form, Using Slides Successfully. From Kenn State University. Also available in PDF format. Adobe Reader required.
- Speeches
- Creating an effective speech by "establishing the purpose of the speech and making it easily understandable." From the Writing Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- Tips & Techniques: Helpful Hints from Toastmasters
- Topics include Visual Aids & Power Point; When Things Go Wrong; Humor; Gestures: Get Moving!; 10 Tips for Public Speaking; 10 Biggest Public Speaking Mistakes. From Toastmaster International.
Speeches by Various Persons
- American Rhetoric
- Includes an Online Speech Bank containing text for over 5,000 speeches (many with audio/video), a "Top 100 Speeches" list, and a "Speech of the Week." Please be aware of the extensive advertising throughout the American Rhetoric website.
- Gifts of Speech: Women's Speeches from Around the World
- "Gifts of Speech is a non-profit project, sponsored by Sweet Briar College, dedicated to preserving and creating access to speeches by inspirational, influential and contemporary women from around the world." Text only. Includes Nobel Laureate lectures.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Speeches & Sermons
- Scroll down the page, and click on 'King's speeches and sermons'. Each includes an audio. From the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute.
- The New York Times: Speeches, Addresses, Comments, and Statements in the News
- Nobel Peace Prize Speeches and Lectures
- Transcripts of the Nobel Peace Prize Introductions and the Winners' acceptance lectures from 1997 to the present. Select a person then click the "Presentation Speech" link on the right side of that person's page.
- Notable Speeches and Letters by African Americans, From Benjamin Banneker to Barack Obama
- From Factmonster.com.
- Notable Speeches and Addresses by U.S. Women, 1849 - present
- From Factmonster.com.
- Say It Plain: A Century of Great African American Speeches
- From American RadioWorks this website has audio and transcripts of speeches given by Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, Barbara Jordan, Shirley Chisholm, Jesse Jackson, Barack Obama and others.
- Selected Speeches of Winston Churchill
- Speeches from 1901 through 1963. From the Churchill Centre and Museum.
- The Vatican: Pope Benedict XVI - Speeches (2005 to Present)
- Multiple translations available. Browse by year.
- The Vatican: Pope John Paul II (1978 - 2005)
- Multiple translations available. Browse by year.
- Vital Speeches of the Day
- Middletown Thrall Library subscribes to the monthly journal, in print, and also online through Masterfile Premier. The library has annual volumes of Representative American Speeches as well.
Speeches by U.S. Presidents and Their Administrations
- Abraham Lincoln: Words and Speeches
- See also their Additional Speeches page for even more. Adobe Reader is required to view speeches. From the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission at the Library of Congress.
- Almanac of Theodore Roosevelt
- Primary Speeches, Addresses, and Essays by Theodore Roosevelt.
- Famous Presidential Speeches
- Includes: George Washington's First Inaugural Address and Farewell Address, James Monroe's State of the Nation Address and Proclaiming the Monroe Doctrine, Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural Address, Theodore Roosevelt's "The Man with the Muck Rake" Speech, Woodrow Wilson's War Message and Advising Congress to Declare War on Germany, Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Fireside Chat / Third Inaugural Address / War Message / Asking Congress to Declare War on Japan, Harry Truman's Farewell Address, John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address, Lyndon Johnson's State of the Union Address and Proposing the "Great Society" Program, Richard Nixon's Resignation Speech, Ronald Reagan's Inaugural Address, George H. W. Bush's State of the Union Address and "Envisioning One Thousand Points of Light," William Clinton's Inaugural Address, George W. Bush's Address to Congress and the American People. From Infoplease.com.
- The History Channel: Speeches - Audio and Video Gallery
- Historical speeches from U.S. Presidents, world leaders, and military persons. Navigation can be tricky: Select from thematic playlists using the navigation bar located above and to the right of the video/audio panel. From there, select from a vertical list of persons. Audio/video requires Adobe Flash.
- Presidential Nomination Acceptance Speeches
- From the American Presidency Project.
- Presidential Speech Archive
- "The Scripps Library, through cooperation with various presidential libraries, has been collecting some of the more important presidential speeches of the past 60 years. These speeches are available in their entirety in full audio. When possible, we have also provided transcripts of the speeches. Recently we have expanded our collection to include the full text of some of the more important presidential speeches from the 18th and 19th centuries." Website provided by the Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia.
- Selected Speeches and Writings by Abraham Lincoln
- Speeches of John F. Kennedy (JFK)
- From the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
- State of the Union Speeches
- Video and transcripts of America Presidents back to Truman (videos back to Nixon). From C-SPAN.
- The White House Briefing Room
- Speeches, statements, press briefings, televised appearances, and videos from the U.S. President and members of his administration.
