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Great American Speeches:
Martin Luther King I Have a Dream (1963)
Lou Gehrig Farewell Speech (1939)
Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg Address (1863)
Sojourner Truth Ain't I A Woman? (1851)
Patrick Henry Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death (1775)
All men are created equal and have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but in America these proclaimed rights have entailed struggles.
Martin Luther King I Have a Dream
(1963)
Martin Luther King's powerful speech in 1963 led to the
Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Lou Gehrig Farewell
Speech (1939)
Lou Gehrig exemplifies the opportunity to pursue
a career in sports. He was honored on the Fourth of July in 1939, shortly
after he discovered that illness set limits to his pursuit.
Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg
Address (1863)
Abraham Lincoln's speech at Gettysburg occurred
around the time when the Mississippi River was controlled by the Union and
the pincers strategy led to the end of the Civil War. The Civil War ended
the control of the national government by Southern politicians committed
to maintaining slavery.
Sojourner Truth Ain't I A
Woman? (1851)
Sojourner Truth exemplifies the significance of
subordinate social status of both Blacks and women.
Patrick Henry Give
Me Liberty Or Give Me Death (1775)
Patrick Henry exemplifies
the revolutionary fervor after the British blockade of Boston.
Graduate Readings
Last Revised: October 19, 2004