American Speeches: Political Oratory from the Revolution to the Civil War
American Speeches: Political Oratory from the Revolution to the Civil War (Library of America) Ted Widmer (Editor)
Publisher: Library of America
ISBN: 1931082979
DDC: 973
Edition: Hardcover; 2006-10-05
Summary:
Public speeches have profoundly shaped American history and culture,
transforming not only our politics but also our language and our
sense of national identity. This volume (the first of an
unprecedented two-volume collection) gathers the unabridged texts of
45 eloquent and dramatic speeches delivered by 32 American public
figures between 1761 and 1865, beginning with James Otis's
denunciation of unrestrained searches by British customs
officials-hailed by John Adams as the beginning of the American
Revolution-and ending with Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural
Address. Rich in literary allusions, vivid imagery, and emotional
appeals, political oratory flourished during this period in Congress
and at campaign rallies, public meetings, and reform conventions, and
reached a wider audience through newspapers and pamphlets. Included
are Patrick Henry's "liberty or death" speech, George Washington's
appeal to mutinous army officers, and Henry Lee's eulogy of
Washington. Speeches by John Randolph and Henry Clay capture the
political passions of the early republic, while three addresses by
Daniel Webster-his first Bunker Hill oration, his second reply to
Hayne, and his controversial endorsement of the Compromise of
1850-demonstrate the eloquence that made him the most renowned orator
of his time. Speeches by figures who did not hold office are included
as well: union leader Ely Moore attacking economic aristocracy;
woman's rights speeches by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Sojourner
Truth; Henry Highland Garnet's incendiary call for slave rebellion;
Frederick Douglass's scathing "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of
July?" John C. Calhoun's defense of slavery, Charles Sumner's "The
Crime Against Kansas," Alexander Stephens' "Corner-Stone" speech, and
several speeches by Abraham Lincoln reflect the sectional conflicts
that culminated in the Civil War. Each volume contains biographical
and explanatory notes, and an index
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