Subject Guides: Speeches and Addresses: home

Databases

Academic Search Ultimate
Try searching the speech-giver or topic of the speech as a subject and limiting by Document Type to Speech. Also includes content from Vital Speeches of the Day from 1934-present, which reprints 8-12 speeches in each issue. Use the Search Within This Publication feature to search this publication.

Peer-reviewed, full-text journals, magazines, periodicals, reports, books and videos meets the needs of scholars in every discipline ranging from astronomy, anthropology, biomedicine, engineering, health, mathematics, pharmacology, women’s studies, zoology and more.
Nexis Uni
Use to find speeches reprinted in newspapers and magazines. (Most publications are indexed from 1980s to present.) Use the Power Search screen and try limiting news searches by Section, using sections such as Byline, Name, or Person.

Includes full-text access to thousands of news sources in the U.S. and abroad back to the 1970s; articles and data on businesses, corporations, industries and markets in the U.S. and abroad; magazines and trade journals; biographical information and special directories; legal documents, including U.S. Federal and State court cases, and law reviews from the late 18th century to present.
Archives of Sexuality & Gender: LGBTQ History and Culture
Presents important aspects of LGBTQ life in the second half of the twentieth century and beyond. Use the "Advanced Search" and under "Document Type" select Sermon or Speech.

We have access to parts I, II, and III

Miscellaneous

American Memory Project
This rich resource holds over 5000 historic American speeches on a wide variety of topics.

American Rhetoric: Online Speech Bank
Over 500 speeches in full text, audio and streaming video by historical figures, from movies, and politics. Also includes scholarly writing on rhetoric, including works by Plato and Aristotle.

Avalon Project
Documents range from 400BC to current times.

History.com's Famous Speeches in History
Includes audio and video files of presidential speeches, war speeches, civil rights speeches, sports speeches, and space exploration speeches.
Famous Speeches in History
This searchable speech archive contains transcripts of famous speeches in history. Some speeches have an additional audio track or a video clip.
National Press Club Events
The National Press Club is known as “The Place Where News Happens." Global leaders in government, politics, business, music, film and sport visit the club every day. They speak here at public and private events because the press is here
Oral History Online
Comprehensive online index of oral history collections in English, this database provides access to full text, audio, video, or bibliographic citations for thousands of interviews from all over the world.

African-American History

NAACP Papers
Covers major speeches delivered by people from the NAACP from 1909 to 1977.

African American History: Major Speeches
From BlackPast.org's online reference center, these speeches date from 1789 to the present.
Martin Luther King Jr Speeches
Collection of some of the most famous and thought provoking of Dr. Martin Luther King's speeches. All are full length textual versions.
Say It Plain, Say It Loud: A Century of Great African American Speeches
Public speech making has played a powerful role in the long struggle by African Americans for equal rights. This collection, for the ear and the eye, highlights speeches by an eclectic mix of black leaders. Their impassioned, eloquent words continue to affect the ideas of a nation and the direction of history.

Women

Feminist.com - Articles & Speeches
Search by topic, author or keyword.
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.

Print Indexes and Sources

Speech index : an index to collections of world famous orations and speeches for various occasion - Bartle Library Reference AI3 .S85 1966

Documents of American History - Bartle Library Reference E173 .C66 1988 (earlier editions in Bartle Library stacks)

Extensive compilation of documents, including speeches, spanning five centuries of American history. Covers a diverse range of speeches, from pre-Revolutionary War resolutions to President Nixon's statement following the 1970 invasion of Cambodia

Tip: Browse FindIt! by Speeches or Oratory as a Subject to find more books.

Individuals

Fidel Castro
Full-text translations of speeches, interviews, and press conferences by Fidel Castro, based upon the records of the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS).
Winston Churchill
From the Churchill Centre and Museum at the Churchill War Rooms, London. You must register to use the site (registration is easy and free).
Lyndon Baines Johnson
Selected speeches and messages of LBJ from the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum.
John F. Kennedy
From the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
The Kennedys
From the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Also includes some speeches by Robert and Edward Kennedy but most are JFK.
Abraham Lincoln
The source of this small sample of speeches is The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, edited by Roy P. Basler. Introductions to individual documents are by Abraham Lincoln Online. Documents housed on other Web sites are noted as such.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Speeches from FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt, in audio or transcripts. Includes the Fireside Chats.
Malcolm X
His words written and spoken from 1941-1965.
History Place - Great Speeches Collection
Includes the text of famous speeches from history. Listed alphabetically by speaker.

Politics

U.S. Declassified Documents Online
This collection is made up of U.S. government documents obtained from presidential libraries. These libraries receive declassified documents from various government agencies, including the White House, the CIA, the FBI, the State Department, and others. Search by keyword or topic and then limit by Document Type to "Speech."
Chatham House Online Archive
Speeches and transcripts covering from 1920-2008. Particularly useful for foreign policy, trade and politics.

For researchers of international affairs, economics, law, and business, diplomacy, security and terrorism, environment, development, war and peace studies.

History & Politics Out Loud
A searchable archive of politically significant audio materials for scholars, teachers and students.
Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States
Inaugural Addresses of Presidents from George Washington to Barack Obama.
Index of Speeches to the United Nations
Citations to speeches made in the General Assembly beginning with its 38th session (1983-), the Security Council beginning with its 38th year (1983-), the Economic and Social Council beginning in 1983 and the Trusteeship Council beginning with its 15th special session (1982). Links to the full text of speeches are provided.
NATO Speeches and Statements
Key speeches and transcripts of news conferences given by the North Atlantic Trade Organization (NATO) Secretary General and other NATO officials.
Presidential Speech Archive
A collection of some the more important presidential speeches of the past 60 years. These speeches are available in their entirety in full audio, with transcripts when possible. Includes some 18th and 19th century speeches.
Speeches and Testimonies of Federal Reserve Officials
Provides testimonies and speeches of Federal Reserve Officials from 1996-2011.
Televised Debate History, 1960-2000
Televised debates from John F. Kennedy to George Bush on a wide variety of topics.
The White House
Provides the full text of proclamations, press briefings, radio addresses press conferences and remarks given by past and current President, VP and First Lady. Given in audio, video and print transcripts, often with supporting documents and fact sheets. Use the Issues and/or Photos & Videos tabs, or you can use the Search feature.
American Presidency Project
Includes messages from the presidents through Taft, candidates remarks, election debates, and other spoken remarks.
American Leaders Speak: Recordings from World War I and the 1920 Election
Sound recordings of speeches by American leaders from 1918-1920. The speeches focus on issues and events surrounding the First World War and the subsequent presidential election of 1920.

Speeches and Addresses

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