The 100 most significant American political speeches of the 20th century

　　

1. Martin Luther King, Jr. - "I Have A Dream"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm 

2. John Fitzgerald Kennedy - Inaugural Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkinaugural.htm 

3. Franklin Delano Roosevelt - First Inaugural Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fdrfirstinaugural.html 

4. Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fdrpearlharbor.htm 

5. Barbara Charline Jordan - 1976 DNC Keynote Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barbarajordan1976dnc.html

6. Richard Milhous Nixon - "Checkers"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/richardnixoncheckers.html 

7. Malcolm X - "The Ballot or the Bullet"

www.edchange.org/multicultural/speeches/malcolm_x_ballot.html

8. Ronald Wilson Reagan - Shuttle "Challenger" Disaster Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ronaldreaganchallenger.htm 

9. John Fitzgerald Kennedy - Houston Ministerial Association Speech

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkhoustonministers.html 

10. Lyndon Baines Johnson - "We Shall Overcome"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/lbjweshallovercome.htm 

11. Mario Matthew Cuomo - 1984 DNC Keynote Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mariocuomo1984dnc.htm 

12. Jesse Louis Jackson - 1984 DNC Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jessejackson1984dnc.htm 

13. Barbara Charline Jordan - Statement on the Articles of Impeachment

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barbarajordanjudiciarystatement.htm 

14. (General) Douglas MacArthur - Farewell Address to Congress

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/douglasmacarthurfarewelladdress.htm 

15. Martin Luther King, Jr. - "I've Been to the Mountaintop"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkivebeentothemountaintop.htm 

16. Theodore Roosevelt - "The Man with the Muck-rake"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/teddyrooseveltmuckrake.htm 

17. Robert Francis Kennedy - Remarks on the Assassination of MLK

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/rfkonmlkdeath.html 

18. Dwight David Eisenhower - Farewell Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/dwightdeisenhowerfarewell.html 

19. Thomas Woodrow Wilson - War Message

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/wilsonwarmessage.htm 

20. (General) Douglas MacArthur - "Duty, Honor, Country"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/douglasmacarthurthayeraward.html 

21. Richard Milhous Nixon - "The Great Silent Majority"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/richardnixongreatsilentmajority.html 

22. John Fitzgerald Kennedy - "Ich bin ein Berliner"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkberliner.html 

23. Clarence Seward Darrow - "Mercy for Leopold and Loeb"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/cdarrowpleaformercy.htm 

24. Russell H. Conwell - "Acres of Diamonds"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/rconwellacresofdiamonds.htm 

25. Ronald Wilson Reagan - "A Time for Choosing"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ronaldreaganatimeforchoosing.htm 

26. Huey Pierce Long - "Every Man a King"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/hueyplongking.htm 

27. Anna Howard Shaw - "The Fundamental Principle of a Republic"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/annahowardshawprinciplerepublic.htm 

28. Franklin Delano Roosevelt - "The Arsenal of Democracy"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fdrarsenalofdemocracy.html 

29. Ronald Wilson Reagan - "The Evil Empire"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ronaldreaganevilempire.htm

30. Ronald Wilson Reagan - First Inaugural Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ronaldreagandfirstinaugural.html 

31. Franklin Delano Roosevelt - First Fireside Chat

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fdrfirstfiresidechat.html 

32. Harry S. Truman - "The Truman Doctrine"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/harrystrumantrumandoctrine.html 

33. William Cuthbert Faulkner - Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/williamfaulknernobelprizeaddress.htm 

34. Eugene Victor Debs - 1918 Statement to the Court

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/eugenedebspleatocourt1918.htm 

35. Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton - "Women's Rights are Human Rights"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/hillaryclintonbeijingspeech.htm 

36. Dwight David Eisenhower - "Atoms for Peace"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/dwightdeisenhoweratomsforpeace.html 

37. John Fitzgerald Kennedy - American University Commencement Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkamericanuniversityaddress.html 

38. Dorothy Ann Willis Richards - 1988 DNC Keynote Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/annrichards1988dnc.htm 

39. Richard Milhous Nixon - Resignation Speech

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/richardnixonresignationspeech.html 

40. Thomas Woodrow Wilson - "The Fourteen Points"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/wilsonfourteenpoints.htm 

41. Margaret Chase Smith - "Declaration of Conscience"

www.mcslibrary.org/program/library/declaration.htm 

42. Franklin Delano Roosevelt - "The Four Freedoms"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fdrthefourfreedoms.htm 

43. Martin Luther King, Jr. - "A Time to Break Silence"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkatimetobreaksilence.htm 

44. Mary Church Terrell - "What it Means to be Colored in the...U.S."

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/marychurchterellcolored.htm 

45. William Jennings Bryan - "Against Imperialism"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/wjbryanimperialism.htm 

46. Margaret Higgins Sanger - "The Morality of Birth Control" 

http://gos.sbc.edu/s/sanger1.html 

47. Barbara Pierce Bush - 1990 Wellesley College Commencement Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barbarabushwellesleycommencement.htm 

48. John Fitzgerald Kennedy - Civil Rights Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkcivilrights.htm 

49. John Fitzgerald Kennedy - Cuban Missile Crisis Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkcubanmissilecrisis.html 

50. Spiro Theodore Agnew - "Television News Coverage"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/spiroagnewtvnewscoverage.htm 

51. Jesse Louis Jackson - 1988 DNC Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jessejackson1988dnc.htm 

52. Mary Fisher - "A Whisper of AIDS"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/maryfisher1992rnc.html 

53. Lyndon Baines Johnson - "The Great Society"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/lbjthegreatsociety.htm 

54. George Catlett Marshall - "The Marshall Plan"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/georgecmarshall.html 

55. Edward Moore Kennedy - "Truth and Tolerance in America"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/tedkennedytruth&tolerance.htm 

56. Adlai Ewing Stevenson - Presidential Nomination Acceptance Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/adlaistevenson1952dnc.html 

57. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt - "The Struggle for Human Rights"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/eleanorroosevelt.htm 

58. Geraldine Anne Ferraro - Vice-Presidential Nomination Acceptance Speech

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/gferraroacceptanceaddress.html 

59. Robert Marion La Follette - "Free Speech in Wartime"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/robertlafollettefreespeecninwartime.htm 

60. Ronald Wilson Reagan - 40th Anniversary of D-Day Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ronaldreaganddayaddress.html 

61. Mario Matthew Cuomo - "Religious Belief and Public Morality" 

http://archives.nd.edu/research/texts/cuomo.htm?DocID=14 

62. Edward Moore Kennedy - "Chappaquiddick"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/tedkennedychappaquiddick.htm 

63. John Llewellyn Lewis - "The Rights of Labor"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/johnlewisrightsoflabor.htm 

64. Barry Morris Goldwater - Presidential Nomination Acceptance Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barrygoldwater1964rnc.htm

65. Stokely Carmichael - "Black Power"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/stokelycarmichaelblackpower.html 

66. Hubert Horatio Humphrey - 1948 DNC Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/huberthumphey1948dnc.html 

67. Emma Goldman - Address to the Jury

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/emmagoldmanjuryaddress.htm 

68. Carrie Chapman Catt - "The Crisis"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/carriechapmancattthecrisis.htm 

69. Newton Norman Minow - "Television and the Public Interest"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/carriechapmancattthecrisis.htm 

70. Edward Moore Kennedy - Eulogy for Robert Francis Kennedy

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ekennedytributetorfk.html 

71. Anita Faye Hill - Statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/anitahillsenatejudiciarystatement.htm 

72. Thomas Woodrow Wilson - League of Nations Final Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/wilsonleagueofnations.htm

73. Henry Louis ("Lou") Gehrig - Farewell to Baseball Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/lougehrigfarewelltobaseball.htm 

74. Richard Milhous Nixon - Cambodian Incursion Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/richardnixoncambodia.html

75. Carrie Chapman Catt - Address to the U.S. Congress

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/carriechapmancattsuffragespeech.htm 

76. Edward Moore Kennedy - 1980 DNC Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/tedkennedy1980dnc.htm 

77. Lyndon Baines Johnson - On Vietnam and Not Seeking Re-Election

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/lbjvietman.htm 

78. Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Commonwealth Club Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fdrcommonwealth.htm 

79. Thomas Woodrow Wilson - First Inaugural Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/wilsonfirstinaugural.htm 

80. Mario Savio - "Sproul Hall Sit-in Speech/An End to History"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mariosaviosproulhallsitin.htm 

81. Elizabeth Glaser - 1992 DNC Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/elizabethglaser1992dnc.htm 

82. Eugene Victor Debs - "The Issue"

www.marxists.org/archive/debs/works/1908/issue.htm 

83. Margaret Higgins Sanger - "Children's Era"

www.womenspeecharchive.org/women/profile/speech/index.cfm?ProfileID=113&SpeechID=478

84. Ursula Kroeber Le Guin - "A Left-Handed Commencement Address"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ursulakleguinlefthandedcommencementspeech.htm 

85. Crystal Eastman - "Now We Can Begin" 

http://womenshistory.about.com/library/etext/bl_eastman_crystal_1920.htm 

86. Huey Pierce Long - "Share Our Wealth"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/hueyplongshare.htm 

87. Gerald Rudolph Ford - Address on Taking the Oath of Office

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/geraldfordpresidentialoath.html 

88. Cesar Estrada Chavez - Speech on Ending His 25 Day Fast

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/cesarchavezspeechmexicanamerican&church.htm 

89. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn - Statement at the Smith Act Trial

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/elizabethgurleyflynn.htm 

90. Jimmy Earl Carter - "A Crisis of Confidence"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jimmycartercrisisofconfidence.htm 

91. Malcolm X - "Message to the Grassroots" 

http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=1145 

92. William Jefferson Clinton - Oklahoma Bombing Memorial Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/wjcoklahomabombingspeech.htm 

93. Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm - "For the Equal Rights Amendment"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/shirleychisholmequalrights.htm 

94. Ronald Wilson Reagan - Brandenburg Gate Address

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ronaldreaganbrandenburggate.htm 

95. Eliezer ("Elie") Wiesel - "The Perils of Indifference"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ewieselperilsofindifference.html 

96. Gerald Rudolph Ford - National Address Pardoning Richard M. Nixon

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/geraldfordpardonofnixon.htm 

97. Thomas Woodrow Wilson - "For the League of Nations"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/wilsontheleagueofnations.htm 

98. Lyndon Baines Johnson - "Let Us Continue"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/lbjletuscontinue.html 

99. Joseph N. Welch - "Have You No Sense of Decency"

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/welch-mccarthy.html 

100. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt - Adopting the Declaration of Human Rights

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/eleanorrooseveltdeclarationhumanrights.htm