Reading Willow Historic Speeches Library

"First Inaugural Address" is a speech by Thomas Jefferson, delivered on 1801-03-04 during First peaceful transfer of power between rival U.S. political parties. After this short context paragraph, the...

"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" is a speech by Patrick Henry, delivered on 1775-03-23 during Second Virginia Convention debate over resistance to British rule. After this short context paragraph, t...

"Inaugural Address" is a speech by Theodore Roosevelt, delivered on 1905-03-04 during Presidential inauguration during the Progressive Era. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the sp...

This lesson studies Kevin Rudd's "Apology to Australia's Indigenous Peoples", delivered on 2008-02-13. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech itself so students can examine r...

This lesson studies Mohandas K. Gandhi's "Benaras Hindu University Speech", delivered on 1916-02-04. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech itself so students can examine con...

This lesson studies Rishi Sunak's "Speech at COP28 Climate Summit", delivered on 2023-12-01 during COP28 climate summit in Dubai. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech itsel...

This lesson studies Christopher Van Hollen's "Speech on Anniversary of January 6th Insurrection", delivered in its historical setting. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech...

This lesson studies Richard Blumenthal's "Opening Remarks on First Day of Supreme Court Nomination Hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson", delivered in its historical setting. After this short conte...

This lesson studies Raphael Warnock's "Senator Warnock Fights for the Sacred Right to Vote on the Floor of the U.S. Senate", delivered in its historical setting. After this short context paragraph, th...

This lesson studies George W. Bush's "George W. Bush's remarks at the Islamic Center of Washington on September 17, 2001", delivered in 2001. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the...

This lesson studies Haile Selassie's "Organisation of African Unity: Opening of the Seventh Session", delivered in its historical setting. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the spe...

This lesson studies Pierre Victurnien Vergniaud's "On the Situation in France by Pierre Victurnien Vergniaud", delivered in its historical setting. After this short context paragraph, the reading giv...

This lesson studies Lucie Simplice Camille Benoit Desmoulins's "Better to Die than not Live Free by Lucie Simplice Camille Benoit Desmoulins", delivered in its historical setting. After this short co...

This lesson studies Honore Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau's "On Being Accused of Treasonable Relations to the Court by Honore Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau", delivered in its historical sett...

This lesson studies Bertrand Barere's "On the Heroism of the "Vengeur's" Sailors by Bertrand Barere", delivered in its historical setting. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the sp...

This lesson studies Maximilien Robespierre's "Against Granting the King a Trial by Maximilien Robespierre", delivered in its historical setting. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives...

This lesson studies Lazare Nicolas Marguerite Carnot's "Against Setting Up an Emperor by Lazare Nicolas Marguerite Carnot", delivered in its historical setting. After this short context paragraph, th...

This lesson studies Otto von Bismarck's "The Canossa Speech by Otto von Bismarck", delivered in its historical setting. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech itself so stud...

This lesson studies Mahinda Rajapaksa's "Address to the United Nations General Assembly", delivered on 2006-09-20. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech itself so students c...

This lesson studies Lenin's "Against the Plague of Nations; An Address to Thinking People on the Polish Question", delivered in 1920. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech i...

This lesson studies Margaret Hassan's "Changing Senate Rules to Allow Simple Majority Vote on Protecting Democracy", delivered in its historical setting. After this short context paragraph, the readin...

This lesson studies Alejandro Padilla's "Encouraging Vaccination Efforts Ahead of Holiday Season", delivered in its historical setting. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech...

This lesson studies Timothy James Walz's "Honoring Master Sergeant Brent P. Schol", delivered in its historical setting. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech itself so stud...

This lesson studies Henry Scott Holland's "The King of Terrors", delivered in 1910. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech itself so students can examine rhetorical technique...

This lesson studies Valdez Venita Demings's "Honoring the Life and Legacy of Ronald Rogers", delivered in its historical setting. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech itsel...

This lesson studies Frank Vanderlip's "One Hundred Million Soldiers", delivered in its historical setting. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech itself so students can exami...

This lesson studies U.S. Ambassador the United Nations Mike Waltz's "Remarks by US Ambassador at an Emergency UN Security Council Briefing on Iran", delivered in 2026. After this short context paragra...

This lesson studies Nicholas Murray Butler's "Save America", delivered in its historical setting. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech itself so students can examine rhetor...

This lesson studies Kofi Annan's "Secretary-General, addressing university students in Beijing urges commitment to UN Millennium Development goals", delivered in its historical setting. After this sho...

"Slavery, Blacks, and the Priesthood" is a speech by Brigham Young, delivered in 1234. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech itself so students can examine occasion, audienc...

"Speech at the 1964 O.A.U. Summit" is a speech by Haile Selassie, delivered in 1964. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech itself so students can examine structure, contrast...

"Speech to Mark One Year of Jeff Sessions as Attorney General" is a speech by Elizabeth Ann Warren, delivered in 1986. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech itself so studen...

"To the American Committee on Africa" is a speech by Haile Selassie, delivered in its historical setting. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech itself so students can examin...

"Third Anniversary of Crash of Flight 3407" is a speech by Kathleen Courtney Hochul, delivered in its historical setting. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech itself so stu...

"Third Speech Against Unconditional Repeal" is a speech by William Jennings Bryan, delivered in 1893. After this short context paragraph, the reading gives the speech itself so students can examine pe...