3 famous speeches that changed the world

• Accessories
• Facial Hair

Browse all Get Style

• Program Review

Browse all Get Strong

• Relationships
• Social Skills

Browse all Get Social

• Manly Know-How
• Outdoor/Survival

Browse all Get Skilled

in: Character , Featured , Knowledge of Men

Brett & Kate McKay • August 24, 2020 • Last updated: August 25, 2021

The 35 Greatest Speeches in History

These famous speeches lifted hearts in dark times, gave hope in despair, refined the characters of men, inspired brave feats, gave courage to the weary, honored the dead, and changed the course of history.

How did we compile this list?

Great oratory has three components: style, substance, and impact.

Style: A great speech must be masterfully constructed. The best orators are masters of both the written and spoken word, and use words to create texts that are beautiful to both hear and read.

Substance: A speech may be flowery and charismatically presented, and yet lack any true substance at all. Great oratory must center on a worthy theme; it must appeal to and inspire the audience’s finest values and ideals.

Impact: Great oratory always seeks to persuade the audience of some fact or idea. The very best speeches change hearts and minds and seem as revelatory several decades or centuries removed as when they were first given.

And now for the speeches.

Contents [ hide ]

• 1. Theodore Roosevelt, "Duties of American Citizenship"
• 2. Winston Churchill, "We Shall Fight on the Beaches"
• 3. Lou Gehrig, "Farewell to Baseball Address"
• 4. Demosthenes, "The Third Philippic"
• 5. Chief Joseph, "Surrender Speech"
• 6. John F. Kennedy, "Inauguration Address"

7. Ronald Reagan, "Address to the Nation on the Challenger"

8. "speech of alexander the great", 9. william wilberforce, "abolition speech", 10. theodore roosevelt, "the man with the muck-rake", 11. franklin delano roosevelt, "first inaugural address", 12. charles de gaulle, "the appeal of 18 june", 13. socrates, "apology", 14. george washington, "resignation speech", 15. mahatma gandhi, "quit india", 16. winston churchill, "their finest hour", 17. william faulkner, "nobel prize acceptance speech", 18. dwight d. eisenhower, "farewell address", 19. marcus tullius cicero, "the first oration against catiline", 20. ronald reagan, "remarks at the brandenburg gate", 21. pericles, "funeral oration", 22. general douglas macarthur, "farewell address to congress", 23. theodore roosevelt, "strength and decency", 24. abraham lincoln, "2nd inaugural address", 25. patrick henry, "give me liberty or give me death", 26. ronald reagan, "40th anniversary of d-day".

• 27. John F. Kennedy, "The Decision to Go to the Moon"

28. Frederick Douglass, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"

29. general douglas macarthur, "duty, honor, country", 30. theodore roosevelt, "citizenship in a republic", 31. winston churchill, "blood, sweat, and tears", 32. franklin delano roosevelt, "pearl harbor address to the nation", 33. jesus christ, "the sermon on the mount", 34. martin luther king jr., "i have a dream", 35. abraham lincoln, "the gettysburg address", 1. theodore roosevelt,  “duties of american citizenship”.

January 26, 1883; Buffalo , New York

Given while serving as a New York assemblyman, TR's address on the "Duties of American Citizenship" delved into both the theoretical reasons why every man should be involved in politics and the practical means of serving in that capacity. Roosevelt chided those who excused themselves from politics because they were too busy; it was every man's duty to devote some time to maintaining good government.

Worthy Excerpt:

Of course, in one sense, the first essential for a man's being a good citizen is his possession of the home virtues of which we think when we call a man by the emphatic adjective of manly. No man can be a good citizen who is not a good husband and a good father, who is not honest in his dealings with other men and women, faithful to his friends and fearless in the presence of his foes, who has not got a sound heart, a sound mind, and a sound body; exactly as no amount of attention to civil duties will save a nation if the domestic life is undermined, or there is lack of the rude military virtues which alone can assure a country's position in the world. In a free republic the ideal citizen must be one willing and able to take arms for the defense of the flag, exactly as the ideal citizen must be the father of many healthy children. A race must be strong and vigorous; it must be a race of good fighters and good breeders, else its wisdom will come to naught and its virtue be ineffective; and no sweetness and delicacy, no love for and appreciation of beauty in art or literature, no capacity for building up material prosperity can possibly atone for the lack of the great virile virtues. But this is aside from my subject, for what I wish to talk of is the attitude of the American citizen in civic life. It ought to be axiomatic in this country that every man must devote a reasonable share of his time to doing his duty in the Political life of the community. No man has a right to shirk his political duties under whatever plea of pleasure or business; and while such shirking may be pardoned in those of small cleans it is entirely unpardonable in those among whom it is most common--in the people whose circumstances give them freedom in the struggle for life. In so far as the community grows to think rightly, it will likewise grow to regard the young man of means who shirks his duty to the State in time of peace as being only one degree worse than the man who thus shirks it in time of war. A great many of our men in business, or of our young men who are bent on enjoying life (as they have a perfect right to do if only they do not sacrifice other things to enjoyment), rather plume themselves upon being good citizens if they even vote; yet voting is the very least of their duties, Nothing worth gaining is ever gained without effort. You can no more have freedom without striving and suffering for it than you can win success as a banker or a lawyer without labor and effort, without self-denial in youth and the display of a ready and alert intelligence in middle age. The people who say that they have not time to attend to politics are simply saying that they are unfit to live in a free community.

Read full text of speech here .

2. Winston Churchill,  “We Shall Fight on the Beaches”

June 4, 1940 ; House of Commons, London

Winston Churchill, one of the greatest orators of the 20th century, was interestingly enough, like Demosthenes and other great orators before him, born with a speech impediment which he worked on until it no longer hindered him. One would never guess this from hearing Churchill's strong and reassuring voice, a voice that would buoy up Britain during some of her darkest hours.

During the Battle of France, Allied Forces became cut off from troops south of the German penetration and perilously trapped at the Dunkirk bridgehead. On May 26, a wholesale evacuation of these troops, dubbed "Operation Dynamo," began. The evacuation was an amazing effort-the RAF kept the Luftwaffe at bay while thousands of ships, from military destroyers to small fishing boats, were used to ferry 338,000 French and British troops to safety, far more than anyone had thought possible. On June 4, Churchill spoke before the House of Commons, giving a report which celebrated the "miraculous deliverance" at Dunkirk, while also seeking to temper a too rosy of view of what was on the whole a "colossal military disaster."

I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our Island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is the resolve of His Majesty's Government-every man of them. That is the will of Parliament and the nation. The British Empire and the French Republic, linked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength. Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.

Check out my podcast with Churchill biographer Andrew Roberts .

3. Lou Gehrig, “Farewell to Baseball Address”

July 4, 1939; Yankee Stadium

It seemed as if the luminous career of Lou Gehrig would go on forever. The Yankee's first baseman and prodigious slugger was nicknamed the Iron Horse for his durability and commitment to the game. Sadly, his record for suiting up for 2,130 consecutive games came to an end when at age 36, Gehrig was stricken with the crippling disease that now bears his name. On July 4, 1939, the Yankees held a ceremony to honor their teammate and friend. They retired Gehrig's number, spoke of his greatness, and presented him with various gifts, plaques, and trophies. When Gehrig finally addressed the crowd, he did not use the opportunity to wallow in pity. Instead, he spoke of the things he was grateful for and what a lucky guy he was.

Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert - also the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow - to have spent the next nine years with that wonderful little fellow Miller Huggins - then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology - the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy! Sure, I'm lucky. When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift, that's something! When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies, that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles against her own daughter, that's something. When you have a father and mother who work all their lives so that you can have an education and build your body, it's a blessing! When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed, that's the finest I know. So I close in saying that I might have had a tough break - but I have an awful lot to live for!

4. Demosthenes,  “The Third Philippic”

342 B.C.; Athens, Greece

Demosthenes, master statesman and orator, loved his city-state of Athens. He cherished its way of life and abundant freedoms. And he believed in standing strong against anyone who might attempt to infringe on these privileges. This passion, unfortunately, was seldom shared by his fellow Athenians. While Philip the II of Macedon made bolder and bolder incursions into the Greek peninsula, the Athenian people seemed stuck in an apathetic stupor. For years, Demosthenes employed his powerful oratorical skills in attempts to awaken his fellow citizens from sleep to the realization of the imminent danger Philip posed. When Philip advanced on Thrace, the Athenians called an assembly to debate whether or not to finally heed the great orator's advice. Demosthenes was sick of his brethren taking liberty and the Athenian way of life for granted and he boldly called upon them to rise up and take action. After his rousing speech, the assembly all cried out, "To arms! To arms!"

It is this fate, I solemnly assure you, that I dread for you, when the time comes that you make your reckoning, and realize that there is no longer anything that can be done. May you never find yourselves, men of Athens, in such a position! Yet in any case, it were better to die ten thousand deaths, than to do anything out of servility towards Philip [or to sacrifice any of those who speak for your good]. A noble recompense did the people in Oreus receive, for entrusting themselves to Philip's friends, and thrusting Euphraeus aside! And a noble recompense the democracy of Eretria, for driving away your envoys, and surrendering to Cleitarchus! They are slaves, scourged and butchered! A noble clemency did he show to the Olynthians, who elected Lasthenes to command the cavalry, and banished Apollonides! It is folly, and it is cowardice, to cherish hopes like these, to give way to evil counsels, to refuse to do anything that you should do, to listen to the advocates of the enemy's cause, and to fancy that you dwell in so great a city that, whatever happens, you will not suffer any harm.

5. Chief Joseph, “Surrender Speech”

October 5, 1877; Montana Territory

In 1877, the military announced that the Chief Joseph and his tribe of Nez Perce had to move onto a reservation in Idaho or face retribution. Desiring to avoid violence, Chief Joseph advocated peace and cooperation. But fellow tribesmen dissented and killed four white men. Knowing a swift backlash was coming, Joseph and his people began to make their way to Canada, hoping to find amnesty there. The tribe traveled 1700 miles, fighting the pursuing US army along the way. In dire conditions, and after a five day battle, Chief Joseph surrendered to General Nelson A. Miles on Oct. 5, 1877 in the Bear Paw Mountains of Montana Territory, a mere 40 miles from the Canadian border. The Chief knew he was the last of a dying breed, and the moment of surrender was heartbreaking.

Tell General Howard I know his heart. What he told me before, I have it in my heart. I am tired of fighting. Our Chiefs are killed; Looking Glass is dead, Ta Hool Hool Shute is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led on the young men is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets; the little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are - perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my Chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.

6. John F. Kennedy,  “Inauguration Address”

January 20, 1961; Washington, D.C.

Young, handsome, with a glamorous family in tow, John F. Kennedy embodied the fresh optimism that had marked the post-war decade. On January 20, 1961, Kennedy took the oath of office as the 35th President of the United States. The youngest president in United States history, he was the first man born in the 20th century to hold that office. Listening to his inaugural address, the nation felt that a new era and a "new frontier" were being ushered in.

Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort? In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility -- I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it -- and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

Listen to the speech.

January 28, 1986; Washington, D.C.

On January 28, 1986, millions of Americans, many of them schoolchildren watching from their classroom desks, tuned in to see 7 Americans, including Christa McAuliffe, a 37 year old schoolteacher and the first ever "civilian astronaut," lift off in the space shuttle Challenger. Just 73 seconds later, the shuttle was consumed in a fireball. All seven aboard perished. These were the first deaths of American astronauts while in flight, and the nation was shocked and heartbroken by the tragedy. Just a few hours after the disaster, President Ronald Reagan took to the radio and airwaves, honoring these "pioneers" and offering comfort and assurance to a rattled people.

We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for 25 years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers. And I want to say something to the school children of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them...... The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honoured us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God.'

Check out our podcast with Ronald Regan biographer Bob Sptiz.

326 B.C.; Hydaspes River, India

In 335 B.C., Alexander the Great began his campaign to recapture former Greek cities and to expand his empire. After ten years of undefeated battles, Alexander controlled an empire that included Greece, Egypt, and what had been the massive Persian Empire.

That wasn't enough for Xander. He decided to continue his conquest into India. But after ten years of fighting and being away from home, his men lacked the will to take part in another battle, especially against an opponent like King Porus and his army. Alexander used the talent for oration he had developed while studying under Aristotle to infuse his men with the motivation they needed to continue on, to fight and to win.

I could not have blamed you for being the first to lose heart if I, your commander, had not shared in your exhausting marches and your perilous campaigns; it would have been natural enough if you had done all the work merely for others to reap the reward. But it is not so. You and I, gentlemen, have shared the labour and shared the danger, and the rewards are for us all. The conquered territory belongs to you; from your ranks the governors of it are chosen; already the greater part of its treasure passes into your hands, and when all Asia is overrun, then indeed I will go further than the mere satisfaction of our ambitions: the utmost hopes of riches or power which each one of you cherishes will be far surpassed, and whoever wishes to return home will be allowed to go, either with me or without me. I will make those who stay the envy of those who return.

Check out the AoM podcast about the life of Alexander the Great.

May 12, 1789; House of Commons, London

When William Wilberforce, a member of the British Parliament, converted to Christianity, he began to earnestly seek to reform the evils he found within himself and the world around him. One of the glaring moral issues of the day was slavery, and after reading up on the subject and meeting with anti-slavery activists, Wilberforce became convinced that God was calling him to be an abolitionist. Wilberforce decided to concentrate on ending the slave trade rather than slavery itself, reasoning that the abolition of one would logically lead to the demise of the other. On May 12, 1789, Wilberforce made his first speech on the abolition of the slave trade before the House of Commons. He passionately made his case for why the trade was reprehensible and needed to cease. Wilberforce introduced a bill to abolish the trade, but it failed, a result he would become quite familiar with in the ensuing years. Yet Wilberforce never gave up, reintroducing the bill year after year, and the Slave Trade Act was finally passed in 1807.

When I consider the magnitude of the subject which I am to bring before the House-a subject, in which the interests, not of this country, nor of Europe alone, but of the whole world, and of posterity, are involved: and when I think, at the same time, on the weakness of the advocate who has undertaken this great cause-when these reflections press upon my mind, it is impossible for me not to feel both terrified and concerned at my own inadequacy to such a task. But when I reflect, however, on the encouragement which I have had, through the whole course of a long and laborious examination of this question, and how much candour I have experienced, and how conviction has increased within my own mind, in proportion as I have advanced in my labours;-when I reflect, especially, that however averse any gentleman may now be, yet we shall all be of one opinion in the end;-when I turn myself to these thoughts, I take courage-I determine to forget all my other fears, and I march forward with a firmer step in the full assurance that my cause will bear me out, and that I shall be able to justify upon the clearest principles, every resolution in my hand, the avowed end of which is, the total abolition of the slave trade.

April 14, 1906; Washington, D.C.

Theodore Roosevelt was president during the Progressive Era, a time of great enthusiasm for reform in government, the economy, and society. TR himself held many progressive ideals, but he also called for moderation, not extremism. The "Man with a Muck-rake" in Pilgrim's Progress never looked heavenward but instead constantly raked the filth at his feet. TR thus dubbed the journalists and activists of the day who were intent on exposing the corruption in society as "muckrakers." He felt that they did a tremendous amount of good, but needed to mitigate their constant pessimism and alarmist tone. He worried that the sensationalism with which these exposes were often presented would make citizens overly cynical and too prone to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

To assail the great and admitted evils of our political and industrial life with such crude and sweeping generalizations as to include decent men in the general condemnation means the searing of the public conscience. There results a general attitude either of cynical belief in and indifference to public corruption or else of a distrustful inability to discriminate between the good and the bad. Either attitude is fraught with untold damage to the country as a whole. The fool who has not sense to discriminate between what is good and what is bad is well-nigh as dangerous as the man who does discriminate and yet chooses the bad. There is nothing more distressing to every good patriot, to every good American, than the hard, scoffing spirit which treats the allegation of dishonesty in a public man as a cause for laughter. Such laughter is worse than the crackling of thorns under a pot, for it denotes not merely the vacant mind, but the heart in which high emotions have been choked before they could grow to fruition.

March 4, 1933; Washington, D.C.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt handily beat incumbent Herbert Hoover in the 1932 presidential election. The country was deep into the Great Depression, and the public felt that Hoover did not fully sympathize with their plight and was not doing enough to alleviate it. No one was quite clear on what FDR's plan was, but as in today's election season, "change" was enough of an idea to power a campaign. In his First Inaugural Address, Roosevelt sought to buoy up the injured psyche of the American people and present his case for why he would need broad executive powers to tackle the Depression.

I am certain that my fellow Americans expect that on my induction into the Presidency I will address them with a candor and a decision which the present situation of our Nation impels. This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself-nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.

Read the full text here .

June 18, 1940; London

In June of 1940, it was clear that France was losing their country to the German invasion. Refusing to sign an armistice, Prime Minister Paul Reynaud was forced to resign. He was succeeded by Marshal Philippe Petain who made clear his intention to seek an accommodation with Germany. Disgusted with this decision, General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French Forces, escaped to England on June 15. De Gaulle asked for, and obtained permission from Winston Churchill to make a speech on BBC radio. De Gaulle exhorted the French to not give up hope and to continue the fight against the German occupation and the Vichy Regime.

But has the last word been said? Must hope disappear? Is defeat final? No! Believe me, I who am speaking to you with full knowledge of the facts, and who tell you that nothing is lost for France. The same means that overcame us can bring us victory one day. For France is not alone! She is not alone! She is not alone! She has a vast Empire behind her. She can align with the British Empire that holds the sea and continues the fight. She can, like England, use without limit the immense industry of the United States. This war is not limited to the unfortunate territory of our country. This war is not over as a result of the Battle of France. This war is a worldwide war. All the mistakes, all the delays, all the suffering, do not alter the fact that there are, in the world, all the means necessary to crush our enemies one day. Vanquished today by mechanical force, in the future we will be able to overcome by a superior mechanical force. The fate of the world depends on it.

399 B.C.; Athens

Socrates is perhaps the greatest teacher in the history of the Western world. He wandered around Athens engaging in dialogues with his fellow citizens that focused on discovering the truth of all things . He taught his pupils that the "unexamined life is not worth living."

The Athenians saw Socrates as a threat, especially to the Athenian youth. Socrates acquired quite a following among the young men of Athens. He taught these impressionable minds to question everything, even Athenian authority. Eventually, Socrates was arrested and put on trial for corrupting the youth, not believing the gods, and creating new deities.

The "Apology" is Socrates' defense to these charges. Instead of crying and pleading for mercy, Socrates accepts his charges and attempts to persuade the jury with reason. He argued that it was his calling from the gods to seek knowledge and that it was through his questions he uncovered truth. To not fulfill his calling would be blasphemy. In the end, Socrates lost and was sentenced to death by hemlock. Socrates accepted this fate willingly and without grudge against his condemners, thus dying as a martyr for free thinking.

Some one will say: Yes, Socrates, but cannot you hold your tongue, and then you may go into a foreign city, and no one will interfere with you? Now I have great difficulty in making you understand my answer to this. For if I tell you that to do as you say would be a disobedience to the God, and therefore that I cannot hold my tongue, you will not believe that I am serious; and if I say again that daily to discourse about virtue, and of those other things about which you hear me examining myself and others, is the greatest good of man, and that the unexamined life is not worth living, you are still less likely to believe me.

Check out our article on the philosophy of Plato . 

December 23, 1784; Annapolis, Maryland

As the Revolutionary War drew to a close, there was much speculation that George Washington, then Major General and Commander-in-Chief, would follow in the footsteps of former world leaders by making a grab for supreme power. Some even wished he would do so, hoping he would become the king of a new nation. Yet Washington knew that such a move would wither the fragile beginnings of the new republic. Looking to the Roman general Cincinnatus an exemplar, Washington rejected the temptations of power and resigned his position as Commander-in-Chief. Choosing the right is almost never easy, and as Washington read his speech in front of the Continental Congress, the great statesman trembled so much that he had to hold the parchment with two hands to keep it steady. "The spectators all wept, and there was hardly a member of Congress who did not drop tears. His voice faltered and sunk, and the whole house felt his agitations." When finished, Washington bolted from the door of the Annapolis State House, mounted his horse, and galloped away into the sunset.

While I repeat my obligations to the Army in general, I should do injustice to my own feelings not to acknowledge in this place the peculiar Services and distinguished merits of the Gentlemen who have been attached to my person during the War. It was impossible the choice of confidential Officers to compose my family should have been more fortunate. Permit me Sir, to recommend in particular those, who have continued in Service to the present moment, as worthy of the favorable notice and patronage of Congress. I consider it an indispensable duty to close this last solemn act of my Official life, by commending the Interests of our dearest Country to the protection of Almighty God, and those who have the superintendence of them, to his holy keeping. Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theater of Action; and bidding an Affectionate farewell to this August body under whose orders I have so long acted, I here offer my Commission, and take my leave of all the employments of public life.

Check out my podcast about the self-education of George Washington.

August 8, 1942; India

While the battle for freedom and democracy raged across the world, the people of India were engaged in their own fight for liberty. For almost a century, India had been under the direct rule of the British crown, and many Indians had had enough. Mahatma Gandhi and the National Indian Congress pushed for a completely non-violent movement aimed at forcing Britain to "Quit India." Gandhi, pioneer of the tactics of non-violent civil disobedience, called for their use on August 8, 1942 with the passing of the Quit India Resolution demanding complete independence from British rule.

I believe that in the history of the world, there has not been a more genuinely democratic struggle for freedom than ours. I read Carlyle's French Resolution while I was in prison, and Pandit Jawaharlal has told me something about the Russian revolution. But it is my conviction that inasmuch as these struggles were fought with the weapon of violence they failed to realize the democratic ideal. In the democracy which I have envisaged, a democracy established by non-violence, there will be equal freedom for all. Everybody will be his own master. It is to join a struggle for such democracy that I invite you today. Once you realize this you will forget the differences between the Hindus and Muslims, and think of yourselves as Indians only, engaged in the common struggle for independence.

June 18, 1940; House of Commons, London

On May 10, 1940, the Germans began their invasion of France. On June 14 Paris fell. In a matter of days, France would surrender and England would stand as Europe's lone bulwark against the twin evils of Fascism and Nazism. At this critical moment, Churchill gave his third and final speech during the Battle of France, once again imparting words meant to bring hope in this dark hour.

What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'

Check out my podcast about how Churchill led during the Blitz.

December 10, 1950; Stockholm, Sweden

A true master of the written word, William Faulkner did not often make public his gift for the spoken variety. So there was some interest as to what he would say when accepting the Nobel Peace Prize for his "powerful and artistically unique contribution to the modern American novel." The year was 1950, the Soviet Union had tapped the potential of the atomic bomb, and the atmosphere in the the United States crackled with the fear of them using it. Faulkner challenged poets, authors, and all mankind to think beyond the questions of "When will I be blown up?" and instead continue to "create out of the materials of the human spirit something which did not exist before."

I decline to accept the end of man. It is easy enough to say that man is immortal because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged and faded from the last worthless rock hanging tideless in the last red and dying evening, that even then there will still be one more sound: that of his puny inexhaustible voice, still talking. I refuse to accept this. I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance. The poet's, the writer's, duty is to write about these things. It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past. The poet's voice need not merely be the record of man, it can be one of the props, the pillars to help him endure and prevail.

January 17, 1961; Washington, D.C.

The 1950's were a time of ever increasing military spending, as the United States sought to fight communism abroad and prevent it at home. As President Dwight D. Eisenhower left office, more than half of the federal budget was allocated for defense purposes. Eisenhower, former General of the Army, was certainly not opposed to the use of military power to keep the peace. Still, he saw fit to use his "Farewell Address" to warn the nation of the dangers posed by the "military-industrial complex," referring to the relationship between the armed forces, the government, and the suppliers of war materials. Eisenhower was wary of the large role defense spending played in the economy, and understood the political and corporate corruption that could result if the public was not vigilant in checking it.

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex . The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

63 BC; Rome

Lucius Sergius Catilina (Catiline to his friends) was a very jealous man. Having once run against Cicero for the position of consul and lost, he became determined to win the next election by any devious method necessary. Plan A was to bribe people to vote for him, and when that didn't work, he decided to go for bust and simply knock Cicero off on election day. This plan was ferreted out by the ever vigilant Cicero, the election was postponed, and the Senate established marital law. When the election finally was held, the murderer-cum-candidate was surprisingly trounced at the polls. Now it was time for Catiline's Plan C: raise an army of co-conspirators, create insurrection throughout Italy, overthrow the government, and slice and dice as many Senators as they could get their coo -ky hands on. But Cicero was again one step ahead and discovered the plan. He called the Senate together for a meeting at the Temple of Jupiter in the Capitol, an orifice only used in times of great crisis. Catiline, who seriously didn't know when he was not welcome, decided to crash the party. With his archenemy in attendance, Cicero began his Catiline Orations, a series of speeches covering how he saved Rome from rebellion, the guilt of Catiline, and the need to whack he and his cronies.

I wish, O conscript fathers, to be merciful; I wish not to appear negligent amid such danger to the state; but I do now accuse myself of remissness and culpable inactivity. A camp is pitched in Italy, at the entrance of Etruria, in hostility to the republic; the number of the enemy increases every day; and yet the general of that camp, the leader of those enemies, we see within the walls-aye, and even in the senate-planning every day some internal injury to the republic. If, O Catiline, I should now order you to be arrested, to be put to death, I should, I suppose, have to fear lest all good men should say that I had acted tardily, rather than that any one should affirm that I acted cruelly. But yet this, which ought to have been done long since, I have good reason for not doing as yet; I will put you to death, then, when there shall be not one person possible to be found so wicked, so abandoned, so like yourself, as not to allow that it has been rightly done. As long as one person exists who can dare to defend you, you shall live; but you shall live as you do now, surrounded by my many and trusty guards, so that you shall not be able to stir one finger against the republic; many eyes and ears shall still observe and watch you, as they have hitherto done, tho you shall not perceive them.

June 12, 1987; Brandenburg Gate, Berlin

Since the end of World War II, Germany had been a divided country, the West free and democratic, the East under authoritarian communist control. When President Reagan took office, he was committed not only to uniting that country, but to bringing down the entire "Evil Empire." While the importance of Reagan's role in successfully doing so is endlessly debated, it beyond dispute that he exerted some influence in bringing the Cold War to an end. There is no more memorable and symbolic moment of this influence then when Reagan stood at the Berlin wall, the most visible symbol of the "Iron Curtain," and challenged Gorbachev to "tear down this wall!"

We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

Listen to speech.

431 BC; Athens

Pericles, master statesman, orator, and general, was truly, as Thuciydies dubbed him, "the first citizen of Athens." Pericles was a product of the Sophists and had been personally tutored by the great philosopher Anaxagoras. His study with the Sophists made Pericles a highly persuasive orator. Through his speeches, he galvanized Athenians to undertake an enormous public works project that created hundreds of temples, including the Pantheon.

Pericles' gift of oration was put to the test during the epic battles of the Peloponnesian War, a civil war between Athens and Sparta. His speeches inspired Athenians to fight to become the number one power in Greece. In February of 431 B.C., Athens had their annual public funeral to honor all those who died in war. Pericles was asked to give the traditional funeral oration. Rather than focus his speech on enumerating the conquests of Athens' fallen heroes, Pericles instead used his funeral oration to laud the glory of Athens itself and inspire the living to make sure the soldiers had not died in vain.

Over 2,000 years later, Pericles' funeral oration inspired Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address." Like Pericles, Lincoln was a leader during a time of civil war. Like Pericles, Lincoln focused on exhorting the living to live their lives in a way that would make the sacrifice of fallen warriors worthwhile.

So died these men as became Athenians. You, their survivors, must determine to have as unfaltering a resolution in the field, though you may pray that it may have a happier issue. And not contented with ideas derived only from words of the advantages which are bound up with the defense of your country, though these would furnish a valuable text to a speaker even before an audience so alive to them as the present, you must yourselves realize the power of Athens, and feed your eyes upon her from day to day, till love of her fills your hearts; and then, when all her greatness shall break upon you, you must reflect that it was by courage, sense of duty, and a keen feeling of honor in action that men were enabled to win all this, and that no personal failure in an enterprise could make them consent to deprive their country of their valor, but they laid it at her feet as the most glorious contribution that they could offer.

April 19, 1951, Washington; D.C.

During the Korean War, General MacArthur and President Truman clashed over the threat posed by the Chinese People's Liberation Army and their incursion into Korea. MacArthur continually pressed Truman for permission to bomb bases in Manchuria, believing the war needed to be extended in area and scope. Truman refused the General's requests, arguing that directly drawing China into the war would arouse the Soviet Union to action. MacArthur continued to press his case, and Truman, accusing the General of insubordination, made the decision to relieve MacArthur of his command. After serving for 52 years and in three wars, the General's military career was over. MacArthur returned to the United States and gave this farewell address to Congress.

I am closing my 52 years of military service. When I joined the Army, even before the turn of the century, it was the fulfillment of all of my boyish hopes and dreams. The world has turned over many times since I took the oath on theplain at West Point, and the hopes and dreams have long since vanished, but I still remember the refrain of one of the most popular barrack ballads of that day which proclaimed most proudly that "old soldiers never die; they just fade away." And like the old soldier of that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Good Bye.

Roosevelt was an advocate of having many children and making sure the next generation would continue to uphold the great virtues of civilization. He was always concerned that young men not be coddled or cowardly, and grow up to live rugged, strenuous, and thoroughly manly lives. But he also strongly believed that being ruggedly manly and being refined in mind and spirit were not incompatible and should in fact go hand and hand. In this speech, he exhorts young men to pursue virtuous manliness. Amen, brother, amen.

It is peculiarly incumbent upon you who have strength to set a right example to others. I ask you to remember that you cannot retain your self-respect if you are loose and foul of tongue, that a man who is to lead a clean and honorable life must inevitably suffer if his speech likewise is not clean and honorable. Every man here knows the temptations that beset all of us in this world. At times any man will slip. I do not expect perfection, but I do expect genuine and sincere effort toward being decent and cleanly in thought, in word, and in deed. As I said at the outset, I hail the work of this society as typifying one of those forces which tend to the betterment and uplifting of our social system. Our whole effort should be toward securing a combination of the strong qualities with those qualities which we term virtues. I expect you to be strong. I would not respect you if you were not. I do not want to see Christianity professed only by weaklings; I want to see it a moving spirit among men of strength. I do not expect you to lose one particle of your strength or courage by being decent. On the contrary, I should hope to see each man who is a member of this society, from his membership in it become all the fitter to do the rough work of the world; all the fitter to work in time of peace; and if, which may Heaven forfend, war should come, all the fitter to fight in time of war. I desire to see in this country the decent men strong and the strong men decent, and until we get that combination in pretty good shape we are not going to be by any means as successful as we should be. There is always a tendency among very young men and among boys who are not quite young men as yet to think that to be wicked is rather smart; to think it shows that they are men. Oh, how often you see some young fellow who boasts that he is going to "see life," meaning by that that he is going to see that part of life which it is a thousandfold better should remain unseen!

March 4, 1865; Washington, D.C.

The Union's victory was but a month away as Abraham Lincoln began his second term as president of a bitterly ruptured United States. Like the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln keeps this speech only as long as needful. While there are those who still debate whether the Civil War was truly fought over slavery or not, Lincoln certainly believed so. To him, slavery was a great national sin, and the blood shed during the war was the atoning sacrifice for that evil.

He does not relish the prospect of coming victory; instead, he appeals to his countrymen to remember that the war was truly fought between brothers. When the war was over and the Confederacy forced to return to the Union, Lincoln was prepared to treat the South with relative leniency. He did not believe secession was truly possible, and thus the South had never truly left the Union. Reconstruction would not mean vengeance, but the return home of a terribly errant son.

Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

March 23, 1775; Richmond , VA

For a decade, revolutionary sentiments had been brewing in Virginia and Patrick Henry had always been in the thick of it, stirring the pot. Henry became particularly enflamed by the Stamp Act of 1764, which prompted him to give his so-called "treason speech," spurring the Burgesses to pass the Virginia Resolves banning the act. Tensions between the colonies and the Crown continued to build, and in 1775, Massachusetts patriots began making preparations for war. Henry believed that Virginia should follow suit. At a meeting held in St. John's Church in Richmond, Henry presented resolutions to make ready Virginia's defenses. Seeking to persuade his fellow delegates of the urgency of his message, he gave a rousing and memorable speech, climaxing is that now famous line, "Give me liberty of give me death!"

The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable -- and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come! It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, "Peace! Peace!" -- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!

June 6, 1984; Pointe du Hoc, France

What the Army Rangers did on D-Day at Pointe Du Hoc is a tale every man worth his salt should be familiar with. Pointe du Hoc was a sheer 100 foot cliff located in-between Omaha and Utah beaches. Perched atop the cliff sat six casemates capable of being manned, armed, and taking out the men on the beaches. As the Germans fired upon them, the Rangers scaled the cliff using ropes and ladders, found the guns (which had been moved from the casemates) and destroyed them. Without reinforcements for two days, the Rangers alone held their position and fended off German counterattacks. These skirmishes proved deadly; only 90 of the original 225 Ranger landing force survived.

On the 40 th anniversary of D-Day, President Reagan gave a moving tribute to these men, many of whom were present at the occasion.

These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war. Gentlemen, I look at you and I think of the words of Stephen Spender's poem. You are men who in your 'lives fought for life...and left the vivid air signed with your honor'... Forty summers have passed since the battle that you fought here. You were young the day you took these cliffs; some of you were hardly more than boys, with the deepest joys of life before you. Yet you risked everything here. Why? Why did you do it? What impelled you to put aside the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to take these cliffs? What inspired all the men of the armies that met here? We look at you, and somehow we know the answer. It was faith, and belief; it was loyalty and love. The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next. It was the deep knowledge -- and pray God we have not lost it -- that there is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt.

27. John F. Kennedy, " The Decision to Go to the Moon"

May 25, 1961; Houston, TX

On April 12, 1961, the Soviets launched the first man into space. Khrushchev used this triumph as prime evidence of communism's superiority over decadent capitalism. Embarrassed, the United States feared it was falling behind the Soviet Union and losing the "space race." After consulting with political and NASA officials, Kennedy decided it was time for America to boldly go where no man had gone before by putting a man on the moon. The feat would not only catapult the nation over the Soviet Union, but also allow man to more fully explore the mysteries of space. And this mission would be accomplished by the end of the 1960's. When was the last time a president had the cajones to publicly issue a straightforward, ambitious goal and set a timeline for its success?

There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.

July 5, 1852; Rochester, NY

Frederick Douglass, former slave, abolitionist, and engineer on the underground railroad, was a popular speaker on the anti-slavery circuit. He traveled thousands of miles each year, giving hundreds of speeches. Yet the money he earned from lecturing was not enough to become financially comfortable, and he and his family struggled. Douglass was disillusioned by the repercussions of the Fugitive Slave Act, and his abolitionist leanings grew more strident and bold. If the citizens of Rochester, New York had expected to be flattered by Douglass when they asked him to speak on the Fourth, they were soon disavowed of that idea. Douglass took the opportunity to defiantly point out the ripe hypocrisy of a nation celebrating their ideals of freedom and equality while simultaneously mired in the evil of slavery. While the speech surely made even the most liberal audience members squirm; nonetheless, the crowed let loose in "universal applause" when Douglass finished.

I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you this day rejoice are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity, and independence bequeathed by your fathers is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. Youmay rejoice, I must mourn. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony. Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak today?

Read what books had the biggest influence on Frederick Douglass.

May 12, 1962; West Point, New York

General Douglas MacArthur, General of the Army and a man who fought in three wars, knew something of "Duty, Honor, Country." In 1962, MacArthur was in the twilight of his life and came to West Point to accept the Sylvanus Thayer Award and participate in his final cadet roll call. His address reflects upon and celebrates the brave and courageous men who came before, men he personally led, men who embodied "Duty, Honor, Country."

There are many great speeches in this list, but I hope you will pause to read the entirety of this one. Picking an excerpt was quite difficult, as so many of the passages are inspiring. A must read for all men.

You are the leaven which binds together the entire fabric of our national system of defense. From your ranks come the great captains who hold the nation's destiny in their hands the moment the war tocsin sounds. The Long Gray Line has never failed us. Were you to do so, a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray, would rise from their white crosses thundering those magic words: Duty, Honor, Country . This does not mean that you are war mongers. On the contrary, the soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war. But always in our ears ring the ominous words of Plato, that wisest of all philosophers: "Only the dead have seen the end of war." The shadows are lengthening for me. The twilight is here. My days of old have vanished, tone and tint. They have gone glimmering through the dreams of things that were. Their memory is one of wondrous beauty, watered by tears, and coaxed and caressed by the smiles of yesterday. I listen vainly, but with thirsty ears, for the witching melody of faint bugles blowing reveille, of far drums beating the long roll. In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield. But in the evening of my memory, always I come back to West Point. Always there echoes and re-echoes: Duty, Honor, Country .

April 23, 1910; Paris , France

At the end of Theodore Roosevelt's second term in office, he set out to tour Africa and Europe, hoping to allow his successor, President Taft, to step into the enormous shoes TR had left and become his own man. After a safari in Africa, he traveled throughout Europe. While in France, he was invited to speak at the historic University of Paris. Roosevelt used the opportunity to deliver a powerful address on the requirements of citizenship, the characteristics which would keep democracies like France and the United States robust and strong. This speech is famous for the "man in the arena" quote, but the entire speech is an absolute must read.

Let the man of learning, the man of lettered leisure, beware of that queer and cheap temptation to pose to himself and to others as a cynic, as the man who has outgrown emotions and beliefs, the man to whom good and evil are as one. The poorest way to face life is to face it with a sneer. There are many men who feel a kind of twister pride in cynicism; there are many who confine themselves to criticism of the way others do what they themselves dare not even attempt. There is no more unhealthy being, no man less worthy of respect, than he who either really holds, or feigns to hold, an attitude of sneering disbelief toward all that is great and lofty, whether in achievement or in that noble effort which, even if it fails, comes to second achievement. A cynical habit of thought and speech, a readiness to criticise work which the critic himself never tries to perform, an intellectual aloofness which will not accept contact with life's realities - all these are marks, not as the possessor would fain to think, of superiority but of weakness. They mark the men unfit to bear their part painfully in the stern strife of living, who seek, in the affection of contempt for the achievements of others, to hide from others and from themselves in their own weakness. The rôle is easy; there is none easier, save only the rôle of the man who sneers alike at both criticism and performance. It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

May 13, 1940; House of Commons, London

Winston Churchill's first speech to the House of Commons as Britain's new Prime Minister got off to an auspicious start. His welcome to that assembly was quite tepid, while outgoing PM Neville Chamberlain was enthusiastically applauded (the world did not yet know just how disastrous his appeasement policies would prove and did not trust Churchill). But Churchill's first speech, the first of three powerful oratories he gave during the Battle of France, would prove that England was in more than capable hands. A seemingly unstoppable Hitler was advancing rapidly across Europe, and Churchill wasted no time in calling his people to arms. While TR had actually been the first to utter the phrase, "blood, sweat and tears," it was Churchill's use of these words that would leave an inedible and inspiring impression upon the world's mind.

Worthy Excerpt

I say to the House as I said to ministers who have joined this government, I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many months of struggle and suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I say it is to wage war by land, sea, and air. War with all our might and with all the strength God has given us, and to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark and lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs - Victory in spite of all terrors - Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival.

December 8, 1941; Washington, D.C.

The attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, shocked the United States to its core, outraging a nation that had hoped to stay out of the mounting turmoil in Asia and Europe. Overnight, the country united in desire to enter the war. The day after the attacks, FDR addressed the nation in a brief, but electrifying speech, declaring war on Japan and giving assurance that the United States would attain victory.

Be sure to listen to the audio of the speech. Imagine every American family, rattled and worried, listening around the radio to what their president would say. They knew their whole world was about to change forever. Listen to the reaction of Congress as they applaud and cheer FDR's words. The emotion is so very real and palatable; it truly transports you back to that critical moment in time.

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives: yesterday, December 7, 1941- a date which will live in infamy -the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan..... But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us. Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger. With confidence in our armed forces-with the unbounding determination of our people-we will gain the inevitable triumph-so help us God.

33 A.D.; Jerusalem

Whether one believes that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God or simply a wise teacher, it is impossible to deny the impact of perhaps the world's most famous speech: The Sermon on the Mount. No speech has been more pondered, more influential, or more quoted. It introduced a prayer now familiar the world over and uttered in trenches, churches, and bedsides around the globe. It introduced a code of conduct billions of believers have adopted as their lofty, if not not always attainable, goal. While much of the sermon has roots in Jewish law, the advice given in the Beatitudes represented a dramatic and radical departure from the eye for an eye system of justice known in the ancient world. The standards of behavior outlined in the sermon have given believers and non-believers alike plenty to contemplate and discuss in the two thousand years since it was given.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

See Matthew Chapter 5-7 for full text.

August 28, 1963; Washington, D.C.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream Speech" is hands down one of the greatest, if not the greatest, pieces of oratory in American history. King's charisma, skills in rhetoric, and passion, place him in a league of his own. A century after slavery ended, a century after African-Americans were promised full equality, black children were being hosed down in the streets, spat upon, bused to separate schools, turned away from restaurants, and denied treatment as full human beings. In this midst of this egregious track record, Dr. King voiced a clear, compelling message of hope, a dream that things would not always be as they were, and that a new day was coming.

Many people have seen excerpts of the speech, but a surprisingly number of adults my age I have never sat down and watched the speech in its entirety. I challenge you to do just that. It is just as electrifying and moving today as it was in 1963.

I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification - one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning "My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father's died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!"

Listen to the speech here .

November 19, 1863; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

272 words. 3 minutes long. Yet, the Gettysburg Address is unarguably one of the greatest pieces of rhetoric in American history. Dr. J Rufus Fears (one of the great modern orators) argues that the Gettysburg Address, along with the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, form the three founding documents of American freedom. And I have to agree.

The Battle of Gettysburg left 8,000 men dead. The bodies were too numerous to bury properly and many were at first placed in shallow graves. Weeks after the battle, heads and arms were sticking up through the ground and the smell of rotting flesh was sickening.

Money was raised for a proper reburial, and it was decided that the new cemetery should be dedicated, to sweeten the air of Gettysburg, to solemnize this place of death. As was traditional, a great orator, in this case, Edward Everett, was asked to give a solemn and grand speech as a memorial to the fallen men. Lincoln was asked 2 months later, almost as a causal afterthought. He was to add a few remarks to Everett's, a function much like the man with the ceremonial scissors who cuts the ribbon. Legends has it that Lincoln's remarks were the product of pure inspiration, penned on the back of an envelope on the train chugging its way to the soon-to-be hallowed grounds of Gettysburg.

On the day of the dedication, Everett kept the crowd enthralled for a full two hours. Lincoln got up, gave his speech, and sat down even before the photographer had finished setting up for a picture. There was a long pause before anyone applauded, and then the applause was scattered and polite.

Not everyone immediately realized the magnificence of Lincoln's address. But some did. In a letter to Lincoln, Everett praised the President for his eloquent and concise speech, saying, "I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes."

And of course, in time, we have come to fully appreciate the genius and beauty of the words spoken that day. Dr. Fears argues that Lincoln's address did more than memorialize the fallen soldiers at Gettysburg; it accomplished nothing short of transforming the entire meaning of the Civil War. There were no details of the battle mentioned in the speech, no mentioning of soldier's names, of Gettysburg itself, of the South nor the Union, states rights nor secession. Rather, Lincoln meant the speech to be something far larger, a discourse on the experiment testing whether government can maintain the proposition of equality. At Gettysburg, the Constitution experienced a transformation. The first birth has been tainted by slavery. The men, of both North and South, lying in the graves at Gettysburg had made an atoning sacrifice for this great evil. And the Constitution would be reborn, this time living up to its promises of freedom and equality for all.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate - we cannot consecrate - we cannot hallow - this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Related Posts

25 Speeches That Changed The World

Posted by List25 Team , Updated on July 19, 2024

Blood, Sweat, and Tears

Image Source

In the middle of the largest war in history, for his first speech to the House of Commons as Britain’s Prime Minister on May 13, 1940, Winston Churchill proved that England was in more capable hands. He wasted no time in calling the people to arms as he echoed Theodore Roosevelt’s famous phrase of “blood, sweat, and tears.

What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?

Frederick Douglass was a former slave and an “engineer” for the underground railroad who became an abolitionist. He was disillusioned by the effects of the Fugitive Slave Act, so when he was asked to speak on the Fourth of July celebration in 1852 in Rochester, New York, he took the opportunity to point out the hypocrisy of the nation in celebrating the ideals of freedom when it is mired by slavery.

The Decision to Go to the Moon

When the Soviet Union launched the first man into space, its government flaunted this as an evidence that communism is far superior over corrupt capitalism. On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy boldly declared its decision in Houston, TX to put the first man on the moon, which was accomplished by the end of 1960.

40th Anniversary of D-Day

A moving tribute to the Army rangers who perished in Pointe du Hoc on D-Day, this famous speech was delivered by President Ronald Reagan on June 6, 1984 to honor the original 225 rangers, only 90 of which survived and of whom almost all were in attendance. These soldiers fended off German attackers for two days without reinforcements.

Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech

A true master of written words, it was seldom that William Faulkner publicly displayed his talent for spoken word until he gave this famous speech on December 10, 1950 in Stockholm, Sweden for his contribution to American literature. As both the United States and the Soviet Union raced to develop more advanced nuclear weapons he gave a very scared nation hope with his inspirational speech.

Resignation Speech

The resignation speech delivered by George Washington on December 23, 1784 in Annapolis, Maryland at the end of the Revolutionary War supposedly brought tears to the eyes of the members of the Congress and to all the spectators present. As Major General and Commander in Chief, he had the possibility of retaining power but instead chose to do the right thing by tendering his resignation. It was so emotional and Washington trembled so much that he had to hold on to the parchment with both of his hands to keep it steady while delivering the speech.

The Man with the Muck-rake

Theodore Roosevelt’s “Man With the Muckrake”; address summed up the social and economic situation of the country on the historic day in 1906, when it was delivered. One of Roosevelt’s most important speeches, it is of inestimable value as a guide to the man and his era.

Address to the Nation on the Challenger

On January 28, 1986, millions of Americans were glued to their television sets as they watched seven Americans including the first-ever civilian astronaut, the 37-year-old school teacher Christa McAuliffe, lift off aboard the space shuttle Challenger. After just 73 seconds, the shuttle was consumed in a fireball sending everyone watching it into shock in what became known as the first death of astronauts in flight. A few hours after the disaster, President Ronald Reagan delivered a comforting speech from Washington, DC honoring the pioneers and providing comfort to the distressed citizens.

The Third Phillippic

Known as one of the greatest orators of all time, Demosthenes loved his city-state of Athens. However, while Philip II of Macedon became more daring in his incursions in the Greek peninsula, the Athenians were stuck in an apathetic stupor. He then employed his influential oratorical skills to awaken his fellow Athenians. Sick of his brethren’s apathy, he rallied them in 342 BC just as Philip was advancing on Thrace and boldly called them to action. After hearing his inspiring speech, they all cried out “To arms! To arms!”

We Shall Fight on the Beaches

Given at the House of Commons, London on June 4, 1940, this famous speech was given by one of the greatest orators of the 20th century despite being born with a speech impediment just like Demosthenes and the other greats before him. With his strong, reassuring voice, Winston Churchill boldly stated the following:

We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender

Duties of American Citizenship

A speech given by Theodore Roosevelt in Buffalo, New York on January 26, 1883, it probed into the theoretical reasons why every citizen must be involved in politics and the practicality of serving in that capacity. People must not excuse themselves from politics just because they are too busy and then blame the government for its ineptitude.

Farewell to Baseball Address

The famous speech delivered by Lou Gehrig at the Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939 would go on forever as a tribute to his luminous career. Stricken with the crippling disease that now bears his name at a young age of 36, he spoke of things that he was grateful for rather than his declining health at a tribute given him where he was presented with plaques, gifts and trophies for his dedication to his record 2,130 consecutive games.

Chief Joseph’s surrender speech

Image Source This famous speech was given during a dark moment in American history when the military declared that Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce tribe had to move onto a reservation in Idaho or face retribution. Though Chief Joseph tried to avoid violence, some of his tribesmen dissented and killed four white men. To avoid the backlash of the military, they all set out for Canada to find amnesty. They were just a mere 40 miles from the border, however, when they were defeated after a five-day battle. As they were in dire conditions, they had no choice but to surrender and Chief Joseph’s surrender speech on October 5, 1877 has been marked as one of the greatest moments of that period.

Inauguration Address

Image Source Incoming presidents around the world give their inaugural addresses, but there has never been anything more gripping than the one delivered by a very young, ambitious John F. Kennedy. As the 35th president of the United States, he embodied the fresh optimism of a nation that had just risen out of decades of war. As the citizens listened to his inaugural speech, they felt that the nation was headed towards a new frontier.

Speech of Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great was known for his great conquests but only a few knew of his oratory prowess. His talent for oration was developed while he was studying under Aristotle and he made used of it at the latter end of his conquests to motivate his men. After lording it over the Persian Empire for 10 years, Alexander decided to continue his conquest into India where they faced defeat against King Porus and his army. His men were weary from ten years of battle and they longed to go home. He then delivered a speech in 326 BC to inspire his men to continue on to fight and win which was just the motivation they needed.

Abolition Speech

William Wilberforce was a member of the British Parliament who converted to Christianity and later became an abolitionist. As a Christian, he sought to reform the evils within himself and the world and since one of the glaring moral issues of his day was slavery, he read up on the subject and met some anti-slavery activists. On May 12, 1789, he delivered his Abolition Speech before the House of Commons where he passionately made his case as to why the slave trade must be abolished. He also introduced a bill to abolish the trade and though it failed, it did not stop him from attempting to pass the bill year after year until finally, the Slave Trade Act was passed in 1807.

Duty, Honor, Country

Image Source General Douglas MacArthur was the now famous commander of Allied Forces in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. His chivalry, his experience in the battlefield, and his selfless sacrifice were all done for the sake of “Duty, Country, Honor”. This famous inspirational speech was given in 1962 while accepting the Sylvanus Thayer Award for outstanding service to the nation. His address was intended for the soldiers who would tread the same course he did, reminding them of their purpose in becoming soldiers.

Image Source Mahatma Gandhi has become popular for pioneering non-violent civil disobedience tactics in gaining independence. As wars raged all over the world, India was fighting for its liberty as well from the rule of the British crown, which ruled the country for over a century. Quit India was delivered by Gandhi on August 8, 1942 as he espoused a completely non-violent movement to oust the British with the help of the National Indian Congress. This led to the passing of the Quit India Resolution, which gave the country independence from British rule.

Their Finest Hour

Image Source Delivered by Winston Churchill on June 18, 1940 in the House of Commons, it was his third and final speech during the Battle of France. The Germans invaded France on May 10, 1940, but France’s darkest hours came when Paris fell on the 14th of June, which led to its surrender. This left England as a lone bastion of democracy in Europe against Germany’s fascism. Churchill’s speech was very critical in boosting the morale of England’s citizens and soldiers to make that dark hour their shining moment.

Funeral Oration

Image Source Pericles, which was dubbed by Thuciydies as “the first citizen of Athens,” delivered this oratory piece in Athens in 431 BC. A statesman, general and an orator, he was a product of Sophistas, tutored personally by the great philosopher Anaxagoras. He was a highly persuasive orator who influenced Athenians to build hundreds of temples, including the famous Pantheon. His speeches also inspired Athenians to become the most powerful in Greece. However, his skills in rhetoric were put to the test on February 431 BC during the annual public funeral for those who were slain in the war. He stood to the occasion to laud the glory of Athens and in inspiring the Athenians that their fallen heroes have not died in vain, like what Abraham Lincoln did during the Gettysburg Address, two thousand years later.

Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death

Image Source One of the most famous speeches in recent history, this was delivered by Patrick Henry in Richmond, Virginia on March 23, 1775. Henry had always been in the center of the brewing revolutionary sentiments in Virginia, but was particularly embroiled in the Stamp Act of 1764. He delivered his alleged “treason speech” for the Virginians to ban the act. As the tensions between the colonies and the Crown escalated with Massachusetts patriots preparing for war, he also persuaded his fellow Virginians to strengthen their defenses with this famous line, “Give me liberty or give me death.”

Citizenship in a Republic

Image Source Theodore Roosevelt was at the end of his term and to give his successor, President Taft, time to adjust to the position, he traveled to Africa and Europe. In Paris, France, he was invited to speak at the University of Paris where he delivered this famous speech on April 23, 1910. This powerful address delved on the requirements of citizenship and how democratic countries like the United States and France can stay tough and forceful amidst the fascist ideals of other nations. It was made famous by the “man in the arena” quote.

I Have a Dream

Image Source A speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. on August 28, 1963 in Washington DC, it is also considered one of the greatest speeches in American history. A century after the Gettysburg Address and the emancipation proclamation, the promise of full equality was not yet fulfilled. Black Americans still experienced racial discrimination, but amidst all these, the voice of Dr. King sent out a message of hope.

The Gettysburg Address

Image Source Delivered on November 19, 1863 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania by former US President Abraham Lincoln, this was considered one of the greatest speeches in the history of American rhetoric. One of the three founding documents of American freedom along with the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, it was made up of 272 words and was 3 minutes long. After the Battle of Gettysburg where 8,000 soldiers died and were buried in shallow graves, the community decided to build a cemetery for them. In the inauguration of the cemetery, Lincoln was asked to deliver a short speech as a causal afterthought and he penned this on the back of an envelope on the train, but the product of pure inspiration has resounded even into the future generation.

Sermon on the Mount

Image Source Given by Jesus Christ in 33 AD, believers and non-believers alike often consider the Sermon on the Mount to be one of the most famous inspirational speeches ever given. In fact, one would be hard pressed to find a more quoted, discussed, or revered piece of oration in all of history.

Lists Going Viral Right Now

Entertainment

25 mind-boggling examples of the mandela effect.

Miscellaneous

25 hardest riddles ever (sure to stump you).

25 Best Movies Ever Made

25 Best Anime Of All Time That You Will Want To See (2022)

25 Strangest Phobias You Could Have

25 Cool Certifications That Are Usually Pretty Easy To Get

25 Creation Stories From Around The World

25 Most Powerful Marvel Characters (2022)

25 Of The Most Evil Serial Killers You Have Ever Known

25 Most Popular Animals On Google Search

See also: 25 terrifying dating app stories that are actually true ».

Copyright © 2011 - 2024 List25 Inc. All Rights Reserved. List25® is a registered trademark.

Uncategorized

40 famous persuasive speeches you need to hear.

Written by Kai Xin Koh

Across eras of calamity and peace in our world’s history, a great many leaders, writers, politicians, theorists, scientists, activists and other revolutionaries have unveiled powerful rousing speeches in their bids for change. In reviewing the plethora of orators across tides of social, political and economic change, we found some truly rousing speeches that brought the world to their feet or to a startling, necessary halt. We’ve chosen 40 of the most impactful speeches we managed to find from agents of change all over the world – a diversity of political campaigns, genders, positionalities and periods of history. You’re sure to find at least a few speeches in this list which will capture you with the sheer power of their words and meaning!

1. I have a dream by MLK

“I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification – one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning “My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father’s died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!”

Unsurprisingly, Martin Luther King’s speech comes up top as the most inspiring speech of all time, especially given the harrowing conditions of African Americans in America at the time. In the post-abolition era when slavery was outlawed constitutionally, African Americans experienced an intense period of backlash from white supremacists who supported slavery where various institutional means were sought to subordinate African American people to positions similar to that of the slavery era. This later came to be known as the times of Jim Crow and segregation, which Martin Luther King powerfully voiced his vision for a day when racial discrimination would be a mere figment, where equality would reign.

2. Tilbury Speech by Queen Elizabeth I

“My loving people, We have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit our selves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery; but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear. I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and We do assure you on a word of a prince, they shall be duly paid. In the mean time, my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over these enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.”

While at war with Spain, Queen Elizabeth I was most renowned for her noble speech rallying the English troops against their comparatively formidable opponent. Using brilliant rhetorical devices like metonymy, meronymy, and other potent metaphors, she voiced her deeply-held commitment as a leader to the battle against the Spanish Armada – convincing the English army to keep holding their ground and upholding the sacrifice of war for the good of their people. Eventually against all odds, she led England to victory despite their underdog status in the conflict with her confident and masterful oratory.

3. Woodrow Wilson, address to Congress (April 2, 1917)

“The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquest, no dominion. We seek no indemnities for ourselves, no material compensation for the sacrifices we shall freely make. We are but one of the champions of the rights of mankind. We shall be satisfied when those rights have been made as secure as the faith and the freedom of nations can make them. Just because we fight without rancor and without selfish object, seeking nothing for ourselves but what we shall wish to share with all free peoples, we shall, I feel confident, conduct our operations as belligerents without passion and ourselves observe with proud punctilio the principles of right and of fair play we profess to be fighting for. … It will be all the easier for us to conduct ourselves as belligerents in a high spirit of right and fairness because we act without animus, not in enmity toward a people or with the desire to bring any injury or disadvantage upon them, but only in armed opposition to an irresponsible government which has thrown aside all considerations of humanity and of right and is running amuck. We are, let me say again, the sincere friends of the German people, and shall desire nothing so much as the early reestablishment of intimate relations of mutual advantage between us—however hard it may be for them, for the time being, to believe that this is spoken from our hearts. We have borne with their present government through all these bitter months because of that friendship—exercising a patience and forbearance which would otherwise have been impossible. We shall, happily, still have an opportunity to prove that friendship in our daily attitude and actions toward the millions of men and women of German birth and native sympathy who live among us and share our life, and we shall be proud to prove it toward all who are in fact loyal to their neighbors and to the government in the hour of test. They are, most of them, as true and loyal Americans as if they had never known any other fealty or allegiance. They will be prompt to stand with us in rebuking and restraining the few who may be of a different mind and purpose. If there should be disloyalty, it will be dealt with with a firm hand of stern repression; but, if it lifts its head at all, it will lift it only here and there and without countenance except from a lawless and malignant few. It is a distressing and oppressive duty, gentlemen of the Congress, which I have performed in thus addressing you. There are, it may be, many months of fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us. It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts—for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free. To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes, everything that we are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who know that the day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and her might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she has treasured. God helping her, she can do no other.”

On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson of the USA delivered his address to Congress, calling for declaration of war against what was at the time, a belligerent and aggressive Germany in WWI. Despite his isolationism and anti-war position earlier in his tenure as president, he convinced Congress that America had a moral duty to the world to step out of their neutral observer status into an active role of world leadership and stewardship in order to liberate attacked nations from their German aggressors. The idealistic values he preached in his speech left an indelible imprint upon the American spirit and self-conception, forming the moral basis for the country’s people and aspirational visions to this very day.

4. Ain’t I A Woman by Sojourner Truth

“That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain’t I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain’t I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man – when I could get it – and bear the lash as well! And ain’t I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain’t I a woman? … If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.”

Hailing from a background of slavery and oppression, Sojourner Truth was one of the most revolutionary advocates for women’s human rights in the 1800s. In spite of the New York Anti-Slavery Law of 1827, her slavemaster refused to free her. As such, she fled, became an itinerant preacher and leading figure in the anti-slavery movement. By the 1850s, she became involved in the women’s rights movement as well. At the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention held in Akron, Ohio, she delivered her illuminating, forceful speech against discrimination of women and African Americans in the post-Civil War era, entrenching her status as one of the most revolutionary abolitionists and women’s rights activists across history.

5. The Gettsyburg Address by Abraham Lincoln

“Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

President Abraham Lincoln had left the most lasting legacy upon American history for good reason, as one of the presidents with the moral courage to denounce slavery for the national atrocity it was. However, more difficult than standing up for the anti-slavery cause was the task of unifying the country post-abolition despite the looming shadows of a time when white Americans could own and subjugate slaves with impunity over the thousands of Americans who stood for liberation of African Americans from discrimination. He urged Americans to remember their common roots, heritage and the importance of “charity for all”, to ensure a “just and lasting peace” among within the country despite throes of racial division and self-determination.

6. Woman’s Rights to the Suffrage by Susan B Anthony

“For any State to make sex a qualification that must ever result in the disfranchisement of one entire half of the people is to pass a bill of attainder, or an ex post facto law, and is therefore a violation of the supreme law of the land. By it the blessings of liberty are for ever withheld from women and their female posterity. To them this government has no just powers derived from the consent of the governed. To them this government is not a democracy. It is not a republic. It is an odious aristocracy; a hateful oligarchy of sex; the most hateful aristocracy ever established on the face of the globe; an oligarchy of wealth, where the right govern the poor. An oligarchy of learning, where the educated govern the ignorant, or even an oligarchy of race, where the Saxon rules the African, might be endured; but this oligarchy of sex, which makes father, brothers, husband, sons, the oligarchs over the mother and sisters, the wife and daughters of every household–which ordains all men sovereigns, all women subjects, carries dissension, discord and rebellion into every home of the nation. Webster, Worcester and Bouvier all define a citizen to be a person in the United States, entitled to vote and hold office. The only question left to be settled now is: Are women persons? And I hardly believe any of our opponents will have the hardihood to say they are not. Being persons, then, women are citizens; and no State has a right to make any law, or to enforce any old law, that shall abridge their privileges or immunities. Hence, every discrimination against women in the constitutions and laws of the several States is today null and void, precisely as in every one against Negroes.”

Susan B. Anthony was a pivotal leader in the women’s suffrage movement who helped to found the National Woman Suffrage Association with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and fight for the constitutional right for women to vote. She courageously and relentlessly advocated for women’s rights, giving speeches all over the USA to convince people of women’s human rights to choice and the ballot. She is most well known for her act of righteous rebellion in 1872 when she voted in the presidential election illegally, for which she was arrested and tried unsuccessfully. She refused to pay the $100 fine in a bid to reject the demands of the American system she denounced as a ‘hateful oligarchy of sex’, sparking change with her righteous oratory and inspiring many others in the women’s suffrage movement within and beyond America.

7. Vladimir Lenin’s Speech at an International Meeting in Berne, February 8, 1916

“It may sound incredible, especially to Swiss comrades, but it is nevertheless true that in Russia, also, not only bloody tsarism, not only the capitalists, but also a section of the so-called or ex-Socialists say that Russia is fighting a “war of defence,” that Russia is only fighting against German invasion. The whole world knows, however, that for decades tsarism has been oppressing more than a hundred million people belonging to other nationalities in Russia; that for decades Russia has been pursuing a predatory policy towards China, Persia, Armenia and Galicia. Neither Russia, nor Germany, nor any other Great Power has the right to claim that it is waging a “war of defence”; all the Great Powers are waging an imperialist, capitalist war, a predatory war, a war for the oppression of small and foreign nations, a war for the sake of the profits of the capitalists, who are coining golden profits amounting to billions out of the appalling sufferings of the masses, out of the blood of the proletariat. … This again shows you, comrades, that in all countries of the world real preparations are being made to rally the forces of the working class. The horrors of war and the sufferings of the people are incredible. But we must not, and we have no reason whatever, to view the future with despair. The millions of victims who will fall in the war, and as a consequence of the war, will not fall in vain. The millions who are starving, the millions who are sacrificing their lives in the trenches, are not only suffering, they are also gathering strength, are pondering over the real cause of the war, are becoming more determined and are acquiring a clearer revolutionary understanding. Rising discontent of the masses, growing ferment, strikes, demonstrations, protests against the war—all this is taking place in all countries of the world. And this is the guarantee that the European War will be followed by the proletarian revolution against capitalism”

Vladimir Lenin remains to this day one of the most lauded communist revolutionaries in the world who brought the dangers of imperialism and capitalism to light with his rousing speeches condemning capitalist structures of power which inevitably enslave people to lives of misery and class stratification. In his genuine passion for the rights of the working class, he urged fellow comrades to turn the “imperialist war” into a “civil” or class war of the proletariat against the bourgeoisie. He encouraged the development of new revolutionary socialist organisations, solidarity across places in society so people could unite against their capitalist overlords, and criticised nationalism for its divisive effect on the socialist movement. In this speech especially, he lambasts “bloody Tsarism” for its oppression of millions of people of other nationalities in Russia, calling for the working class people to revolt against the Tsarist authority for the proletariat revolution to succeed and liberate them from class oppression.

8. I Have A Dream Speech by Mary Wollstonecraft

“If, I say, for I would not impress by declamation when Reason offers her sober light, if they be really capable of acting like rational creatures, let them not be treated like slaves; or, like the brutes who are dependent on the reason of man, when they associate with him; but cultivate their minds, give them the salutary, sublime curb of principle, and let them attain conscious dignity by feeling themselves only dependent on God. Teach them, in common with man, to submit to necessity, instead of giving, to render them more pleasing, a sex to morals. Further, should experience prove that they cannot attain the same degree of strength of mind, perseverance, and fortitude, let their virtues be the same in kind, though they may vainly struggle for the same degree; and the superiority of man will be equally clear, if not clearer; and truth, as it is a simple principle, which admits of no modification, would be common to both. Nay, the order of society as it is at present regulated would not be inverted, for woman would then only have the rank that reason assigned her, and arts could not be practised to bring the balance even, much less to turn it.”

In her vindication of the rights of women, Mary Wollstonecraft was one of the pioneers of the feminist movement back in 1792 who not only theorised and advocated revolutionarily, but gave speeches that voiced these challenges against a dominantly sexist society intent on classifying women as irrational less-than-human creatures to be enslaved as they were. In this landmark speech, she pronounces her ‘dream’ of a day when women would be treated as the rational, deserving humans they are, who are equal to man in strength and capability. With this speech setting an effective precedent for her call to equalize women before the law, she also went on to champion the provision of equal educational opportunities to women and girls, and persuasively argued against the patriarchal gender norms which prevented women from finding their own lot in life through their being locked into traditional institutions of marriage and motherhood against their will.

9. First Inaugural Speech by Franklin D Roosevelt

“So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is…fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and of vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. And I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days. … More important, a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence, and an equally great number toil with little return. Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment. Our greatest primary task is to put people to work. This is no unsolvable problem if we face it wisely and courageously. There are many ways in which it can be helped, but it can never be helped merely by talking about it. We must act and act quickly. … I am prepared under my constitutional duty to recommend the measures that a stricken Nation in the midst of a stricken world may require. These measures, or such other measures as the Congress may build out of its experience and wisdom, I shall seek, within my constitutional authority, to bring to speedy adoption. But in the event that the Congress shall fail to take one of these two courses, and in the event that the national emergency is still critical, I shall not evade the clear course of duty that will then confront me. I shall ask the Congress for the one remaining instrument to meet the crisis — broad Executive power to wage a war against the emergency, as great as the power that would be given to me if we were in fact invaded by a foreign foe.”

Roosevelt’s famous inaugural speech was delivered in the midst of a period of immense tension and strain under the Great Depression, where he highlighted the need for ‘quick action’ by Congress to prepare for government expansion in his pursuit of reforms to lift the American people out of devastating poverty. In a landslide victory, he certainly consolidated the hopes and will of the American people through this compelling speech.

10. The Hypocrisy of American Slavery by Frederick Douglass

“What to the American slave is your Fourth of July? I answer, a day that reveals to him more than all other days of the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mock; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy – a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation of the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of these United States at this very hour. Go search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the Old World, travel through South America, search out every abuse and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival.”

On 4 July 1852, Frederick Douglass gave this speech in Rochester, New York, highlighting the hypocrisy of celebrating freedom while slavery continues. He exposed the ‘revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy’ of slavery which had gone unabolished amidst the comparatively obscene celebration of independence and liberty with his potent speech and passion for the anti-abolition cause. After escaping from slavery, he went on to become a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York with his oratory and incisive antislavery writings. To this day, his fierce activism and devotion to exposing virulent racism for what it was has left a lasting legacy upon pro-Black social movements and the overall sociopolitical landscape of America.

11. Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

“You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I’ll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ’Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells Pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I’ll rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops, Weakened by my soulful cries? Does my haughtiness offend you? Don’t you take it awful hard ’Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines Diggin’ in my own backyard. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I’ve got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs? Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise.”

With her iconic poem Still I Rise , Maya Angelou is well-known for uplifting fellow African American women through her empowering novels and poetry and her work as a civil rights activist. Every bit as lyrical on the page, her recitation of Still I Rise continues to give poetry audiences shivers all over the world, inspiring women of colour everywhere to keep the good faith in striving for equality and peace, while radically believing in and empowering themselves to be agents of change. A dramatic reading of the poem will easily showcase the self-belief, strength and punch that it packs in the last stanza on the power of resisting marginalization.

12. Their Finest Hour by Winston Churchill

“What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest hour.””

In the darkest shadows cast by war, few leaders have been able to step up to the mantle and effectively unify millions of citizens for truly sacrificial causes. Winston Churchill was the extraordinary exception – lifting 1940 Britain out of the darkness with his hopeful, convicted rhetoric to galvanise the English amidst bleak, dreary days of war and loss. Through Britain’s standalone position in WWII against the Nazis, he left his legacy by unifying the nation under shared sacrifices of the army and commemorating their courage.

13. A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

“Life for both sexes – and I looked at them (through a restaurant window while waiting for my lunch to be served), shouldering their way along the pavement – is arduous, difficult, a perpetual struggle. It calls for gigantic courage and strength. More than anything, perhaps, creatures of illusion as we are, it calls for confidence in oneself. Without self-confidence we are babes in the cradle. And how can we generate this imponderable quality, which is yet so invaluable, most quickly? By thinking that other people are inferior to oneself. By feeling that one has some innate superiority – it may be wealth, or rank, a straight nose, or the portrait of a grandfather by Romney – for there is no end to the pathetic devices of the human imagination – over other people. Hence the enormous importance to a patriarch who has to conquer, who has to rule, of feeling that great numbers of people, half the human race indeed, are by nature inferior to himself. It must indeed be one of the great sources of his power….Women have served all these centuries as looking-glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size. Without that power probably the earth would still be swamp and jungle. The glories of all our wars would be on the remains of mutton bones and bartering flints for sheepskins or whatever simple ornament took our unsophisticated taste. Supermen and Fingers of Destiny would never have existed. The Czar and the Kaiser would never have worn their crowns or lost them. Whatever may be their use in civilised societies, mirrors are essential to all violent and heroic action. That is why Napoleon and Mussolini both insist so emphatically upon the inferiority of women, for if they were not inferior, they would cease to enlarge. That serves to explain in part the necessity that women so often are to men. And it serves to explain how restless they are under her criticism; how impossible it is for her to say to them this book is bad, this picture is feeble, or whatever it may be, without giving far more pain and rousing far more anger than a man would do who gave the same criticism. For if she begins to tell the truth, the figure in the looking-glass shrinks; his fitness in life is diminished. How is he to go on giving judgment, civilising natives, making laws, writing books, dressing up and speechifying at banquets, unless he can see himself at breakfast and at dinner at least twice the size he really is?”

In this transformational speech , Virginia Woolf pronounces her vision that ‘a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction’. She calls out the years in which women have been deprived of their own space for individual development through being chained to traditional arrangements or men’s prescriptions – demanding ‘gigantic courage’ and ‘confidence in oneself’ to brave through the onerous struggle of creating change for women’s rights. With her steadfast, stolid rhetoric and radical theorization, she paved the way for many women’s rights activists and writers to forge their own paths against patriarchal authority.

14. Inaugural Address by John F Kennedy

“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility–I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it–and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man. Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”

For what is probably the most historically groundbreaking use of parallelism in speech across American history, President JFK placed the weighty task of ‘asking what one can do for their country’ onto the shoulders of each American citizen. Using an air of firmness in his rhetoric by declaring his commitment to his countrymen, he urges each American to do the same for the broader, noble ideal of freedom for all. With his crucial interrogation of a citizen’s moral duty to his nation, President JFK truly made history.

15. Atoms for Peace Speech by Dwight Eisenhower

“To pause there would be to confirm the hopeless finality of a belief that two atomic colossi are doomed malevolently to eye each other indefinitely across a trembling world. To stop there would be to accept helplessly the probability of civilization destroyed, the annihilation of the irreplaceable heritage of mankind handed down to us from generation to generation, and the condemnation of mankind to begin all over again the age-old struggle upward from savagery towards decency, and right, and justice. Surely no sane member of the human race could discover victory in such desolation. Could anyone wish his name to be coupled by history with such human degradation and destruction?Occasional pages of history do record the faces of the “great destroyers”, but the whole book of history reveals mankind’s never-ending quest for peace and mankind’s God-given capacity to build. It is with the book of history, and not with isolated pages, that the United States will ever wish to be identified. My country wants to be constructive,not destructive. It wants agreements, not wars, among nations. It wants itself to live in freedom and in the confidence that the peoples of every other nation enjoy equally the right of choosing their own way of life. So my country’s purpose is to help us to move out of the dark chamber of horrors into the light, to find a way by which the minds of men, the hopes of men, the souls of men everywhere, can move forward towards peace and happiness and well-being.”

On a possibility as frightful and tense as nuclear war, President Eisenhower managed to convey the gravity of the world’s plight in his measured and persuasive speech centred on the greater good of mankind. Using rhetorical devices such as the three-part paratactical syntax which most world leaders are fond of for ingraining their words in the minds of their audience, he centers the discourse of the atomic bomb on those affected by such a world-changing decision in ‘the minds, hopes and souls of men everywhere’ – effectively putting the vivid image of millions of people’s fates at stake in the minds of his audience. Being able to make a topic as heavy and fraught with moral conflict as this as eloquent as he did, Eisenhower definitely ranks among some of the most skilled orators to date.

16. The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action by Audre Lorde

“I was going to die, if not sooner then later, whether or not I had ever spoken myself. My silences had not protected me. Your silence will not protect you. But for every real word spoken, for every attempt I had ever made to speak those truths for which I am still seeking, I had made contact with other women while we examined the words to fit a world in which we all believed, bridging our differences. What are the words you do not have yet? What do you need to say? What are the tyrannies you swallow day by day and attempt to make your own, until you will sicken and die of them, still in silence? Perhaps for some of you here today, I am the face of one of your fears. Because I am a woman, because I am black, because I am myself, a black woman warrior poet doing my work, come to ask you, are you doing yours?”

Revolutionary writer, feminist and civil rights activist Audre Lorde first delivered this phenomenal speech at Lesbian and Literature panel of the Modern Language Association’s December 28, 1977 meeting, which went on to feature permanently in her writings for its sheer wisdom and truth. Her powerful writing and speech about living on the margins of society has enlightened millions of people discriminated across various intersections, confronting them with the reality that they must speak – since their ‘silence will not protect’ them from further marginalization. Through her illuminating words and oratory, she has reminded marginalized persons of the importance of their selfhood and the radical capacity for change they have in a world blighted by prejudice and division.

17. 1965 Cambridge Union Hall Speech by James Baldwin

“What is dangerous here is the turning away from – the turning away from – anything any white American says. The reason for the political hesitation, in spite of the Johnson landslide is that one has been betrayed by American politicians for so long. And I am a grown man and perhaps I can be reasoned with. I certainly hope I can be. But I don’t know, and neither does Martin Luther King, none of us know how to deal with those other people whom the white world has so long ignored, who don’t believe anything the white world says and don’t entirely believe anything I or Martin is saying. And one can’t blame them. You watch what has happened to them in less than twenty years.”

Baldwin’s invitation to the Cambridge Union Hall is best remembered for foregrounding the unflinching differences in white and African Americans’ ‘system of reality’ in everyday life. Raising uncomfortable truths about the insidious nature of racism post-civil war, he provides several nuggets of thought-provoking wisdom on the state of relations between the oppressed and their oppressors, and what is necessary to mediate such relations and destroy the exploitative thread of racist hatred. With great frankness, he admits to not having all the answers but provides hard-hitting wisdom on engagement to guide activists through confounding times nonetheless.

18. I Am Prepared to Die by Nelson Mandela

“Above all, My Lord, we want equal political rights, because without them our disabilities will be permanent. I know this sounds revolutionary to the whites in this country, because the majority of voters will be Africans. This makes the white man fear democracy. But this fear cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the only solution which will guarantee racial harmony and freedom for all. It is not true that the enfranchisement of all will result in racial domination. Political division, based on colour, is entirely artificial and, when it disappears, so will the domination of one colour group by another. The ANC has spent half a century fighting against racialism. When it triumphs as it certainly must, it will not change that policy. This then is what the ANC is fighting. Our struggle is a truly national one. It is a struggle of the African people, inspired by our own suffering and our own experience. It is a struggle for the right to live. During my lifetime I have dedicated my life to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal for which I hope to live for and to see realised. But, My Lord, if it needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Apartheid is still considered one of these most devastating events of world history, and it would not have ended without the crucial effort and words of Nelson Mandela during his courageous political leadership. In this heartbreaking speech , he voices his utter devotion to the fight against institutionalised racism in African society – an ideal for which he was ‘prepared to die for’. Mandela continues to remind us today of his moral conviction in leading, wherein the world would likely to be a better place if all politicians had the same resolve and genuine commitment to human rights and the abolition of oppression as he did.

19. Critique on British Imperialism by General Aung San

“Do they form their observations by seeing the attendances at not very many cinemas and theatres of Rangoon? Do they judge this question of money circulation by paying a stray visit to a local bazaar? Do they know that cinemas and theatres are not true indicators, at least in Burma, of the people’s conditions? Do they know that there are many in this country who cannot think of going to these places by having to struggle for their bare existence from day to day? Do they know that those who nowadays patronise or frequent cinemas and theatres which exist only in Rangoon and a few big towns, belong generally to middle and upper classes and the very few of the many poor who can attend at all are doing so as a desperate form of relaxation just to make them forget their unsupportable existences for the while whatever may be the tomorrow that awaits them?”

Under British colonial rule, one of the most legendary nationalist leaders emerged from the ranks of the thousands of Burmese to boldly lead them towards independence, out of the exploitation and control under the British. General Aung San’s speech criticising British social, political and economic control of Burma continues to be scathing, articulate, and relevant – especially given his necessary goal of uniting the Burmese natives against their common oppressor. He successfully galvanised his people against the British, taking endless risks through nationalist speeches and demonstrations which gradually bore fruit in Burma’s independence.

20. Nobel Lecture by Mother Teresa

“I believe that we are not real social workers. We may be doing social work in the eyes of the people, but we are really contemplatives in the heart of the world. For we are touching the Body Of Christ 24 hours. We have 24 hours in this presence, and so you and I. You too try to bring that presence of God in your family, for the family that prays together stays together. And I think that we in our family don’t need bombs and guns, to destroy to bring peace–just get together, love one another, bring that peace, that joy, that strength of presence of each other in the home. And we will be able to overcome all the evil that is in the world. There is so much suffering, so much hatred, so much misery, and we with our prayer, with our sacrifice are beginning at home. Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do. It is to God Almighty–how much we do it does not matter, because He is infinite, but how much love we put in that action. How much we do to Him in the person that we are serving.”

In contemporary culture, most people understand Mother Teresa to be the epitome of compassion and kindness. However, if one were to look closer at her speeches from the past, one would discover not merely her altruistic contributions, but her keen heart for social justice and the downtrodden. She wisely and gracefully remarks that ‘love begins at home’ from the individual actions of each person within their private lives, which accumulate into a life of goodness and charity. For this, her speeches served not just consolatory value or momentary relevance, as they still inform the present on how we can live lives worth living.

21. June 9 Speech to Martial Law Units by Deng Xiaoping

“This army still maintains the traditions of our old Red Army. What they crossed this time was in the true sense of the expression a political barrier, a threshold of life and death. This was not easy. This shows that the People’s Army is truly a great wall of iron and steel of the party and state. This shows that no matter how heavy our losses, the army, under the leadership of the party, will always remain the defender of the country, the defender of socialism, and the defender of the public interest. They are a most lovable people. At the same time, we should never forget how cruel our enemies are. We should have not one bit of forgiveness for them. The fact that this incident broke out as it did is very worthy of our pondering. It prompts us cool-headedly to consider the past and the future. Perhaps this bad thing will enable us to go ahead with reform and the open policy at a steadier and better — even a faster — pace, more speedily correct our mistakes, and better develop our strong points.”

Mere days before the 4 June 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising, Chinese Communist Party leader Deng Xiaoping sat with six party elders (senior officials) and the three remaining members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the paramount decision-making body in China’s government. The meeting was organised to discuss the best course of action for restoring social and political order to China, given the sweeping economic reforms that had taken place in the past decade that inevitably resulted in some social resistance from the populace. Deng then gave this astute and well-regarded speech, outlining the political complexities in shutting down student protests given the context of reforms encouraging economic liberalization already taking place, as aligned with the students’ desires. It may not be the most rousing or inflammatory of speeches, but it was certainly persuasive in voicing the importance of taking a strong stand for the economic reforms Deng was implementing to benefit Chinese citizens in the long run. Today, China is an economic superpower, far from its war-torn developing country status before Deng’s leadership – thanks to his foresight in ensuring political stability would allow China to enjoy the fruits of the massive changes they adapted to.

22. Freedom or Death by Emmeline Pankhurst

“You won your freedom in America when you had the revolution, by bloodshed, by sacrificing human life. You won the civil war by the sacrifice of human life when you decided to emancipate the negro. You have left it to women in your land, the men of all civilised countries have left it to women, to work out their own salvation. That is the way in which we women of England are doing. Human life for us is sacred, but we say if any life is to be sacrificed it shall be ours; we won’t do it ourselves, but we will put the enemy in the position where they will have to choose between giving us freedom or giving us death. Now whether you approve of us or whether you do not, you must see that we have brought the question of women’s suffrage into a position where it is of first rate importance, where it can be ignored no longer. Even the most hardened politician will hesitate to take upon himself directly the responsibility of sacrificing the lives of women of undoubted honour, of undoubted earnestness of purpose. That is the political situation as I lay it before you today.”

In 1913 after Suffragette Emily Davison stepped in front of King George V’s horse at the Epsom Derby and suffered fatal injuries, Emmeline Pankhurst delivered her speech to Connecticut as a call to action for people to support the suffragette movement. Her fortitude in delivering such a sobering speech on the state of women’s rights is worth remembering for its invaluable impact and contributions to the rights we enjoy in today’s world.

23. Quit India by Mahatma Gandhi

“We shall either free India or die in the attempt; we shall not live to see the perpetuation of our slavery. Every true Congressman or woman will join the struggle with an inflexible determination not to remain alive to see the country in bondage and slavery. Let that be your pledge. Keep jails out of your consideration. If the Government keep me free, I will not put on the Government the strain of maintaining a large number of prisoners at a time, when it is in trouble. Let every man and woman live every moment of his or her life hereafter in the consciousness that he or she eats or lives for achieving freedom and will die, if need be, to attain that goal. Take a pledge, with God and your own conscience as witness, that you will no longer rest till freedom is achieved and will be prepared to lay down your lives in the attempt to achieve it. He who loses his life will gain it; he who will seek to save it shall lose it. Freedom is not for the coward or the faint-hearted.”

Naturally, the revolutionary activist Gandhi had to appear in this list for his impassioned anti-colonial speeches which rallied Indians towards independence. Famous for leading non-violent demonstrations, his speeches were a key element in gathering Indians of all backgrounds together for the common cause of eliminating their colonial masters. His speeches were resolute, eloquent, and courageous, inspiring the hope and admiration of many not just within India, but around the world.

24. 1974 National Book Award Speech by Adrienne Rich, Alice Walker, Audre Lorde

“The statement I am going to read was prepared by three of the women nominated for the National Book Award for poetry, with the agreement that it would be read by whichever of us, if any, was chosen.We, Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, and Alice Walker, together accept this award in the name of all the women whose voices have gone and still go unheard in a patriarchal world, and in the name of those who, like us, have been tolerated as token women in this culture, often at great cost and in great pain. We believe that we can enrich ourselves more in supporting and giving to each other than by competing against each other; and that poetry—if it is poetry—exists in a realm beyond ranking and comparison. We symbolically join together here in refusing the terms of patriarchal competition and declaring that we will share this prize among us, to be used as best we can for women. We appreciate the good faith of the judges for this award, but none of us could accept this money for herself, nor could she let go unquestioned the terms on which poets are given or denied honor and livelihood in this world, especially when they are women. We dedicate this occasion to the struggle for self-determination of all women, of every color, identification, or derived class: the poet, the housewife, the lesbian, the mathematician, the mother, the dishwasher, the pregnant teen-ager, the teacher, the grandmother, the prostitute, the philosopher, the waitress, the women who will understand what we are doing here and those who will not understand yet; the silent women whose voices have been denied us, the articulate women who have given us strength to do our work.”

Adrienne Rich, Audre Lorde, and Alice Walker wrote this joint speech to be delivered by Adrienne Rich at the 1974 National Book Awards, based on their suspicions that the first few African American lesbian women to be nominated for the awards would be snubbed in favour of a white woman nominee. Their suspicions were confirmed, and Adrienne Rich delivered this socially significant speech in solidarity with her fellow nominees, upholding the voices of the ‘silent women whose voices have been denied’.

25. Speech to 20th Congress of the CPSU by Nikita Khruschev

“Considering the question of the cult of an individual, we must first of all show everyone what harm this caused to the interests of our Party. Vladimir Ilyich Lenin had always stressed the Party’s role and significance in the direction of the socialist government of workers and peasants; he saw in this the chief precondition for a successful building of socialism in our country. Pointing to the great responsibility of the Bolshevik Party, as ruling Party of the Soviet state, Lenin called for the most meticulous observance of all norms of Party life; he called for the realization of the principles of collegiality in the direction of the Party and the state. Collegiality of leadership flows from the very nature of our Party, a Party built on the principles of democratic centralism. “This means,” said Lenin, “that all Party matters are accomplished by all Party members – directly or through representatives – who, without any exceptions, are subject to the same rules; in addition, all administrative members, all directing collegia, all holders of Party positions are elective, they must account for their activities and are recallable.””

This speech is possibly the most famed Russian speech for its status as a ‘secret’ speech delivered only to the CPSU at the time, which was eventually revealed to the public. Given the unchallenged political legacy and cult of personality which Stalin left in the Soviet Union, Nikita Khruschev’s speech condemning the authoritarian means Stalin had resorted to to consolidate power as un-socialist was an important mark in Russian history.

26. The Struggle for Human Rights by Eleanor Roosevelt

“It is my belief, and I am sure it is also yours, that the struggle for democracy and freedom is a critical struggle, for their preservation is essential to the great objective of the United Nations to maintain international peace and security. Among free men the end cannot justify the means. We know the patterns of totalitarianism — the single political party, the control of schools, press, radio, the arts, the sciences, and the church to support autocratic authority; these are the age-old patterns against which men have struggled for three thousand years. These are the signs of reaction, retreat, and retrogression. The United Nations must hold fast to the heritage of freedom won by the struggle of its people; it must help us to pass it on to generations to come. The development of the ideal of freedom and its translation into the everyday life of the people in great areas of the earth is the product of the efforts of many peoples. It is the fruit of a long tradition of vigorous thinking and courageous action. No one race and on one people can claim to have done all the work to achieve greater dignity for human beings and great freedom to develop human personality. In each generation and in each country there must be a continuation of the struggle and new steps forward must be taken since this is preeminently a field in which to stand still is to retreat.”

Eleanor Roosevelt has been among the most well-loved First Ladies for good reason – her eloquence and gravitas in delivering every speech convinced everyone of her suitability for the oval office. In this determined and articulate speech , she outlines the fundamental values that form the bedrock of democracy, urging the rest of the world to uphold human rights regardless of national ideology and interests.

27. The Ballot or The Bullet by Malcolm X

“And in this manner, the organizations will increase in number and in quantity and in quality, and by August, it is then our intention to have a black nationalist convention which will consist of delegates from all over the country who are interested in the political, economic and social philosophy of black nationalism. After these delegates convene, we will hold a seminar; we will hold discussions; we will listen to everyone. We want to hear new ideas and new solutions and new answers. And at that time, if we see fit then to form a black nationalist party, we’ll form a black nationalist party. If it’s necessary to form a black nationalist army, we’ll form a black nationalist army. It’ll be the ballot or the bullet. It’ll be liberty or it’ll be death.”

Inarguably, the revolutionary impact Malcolm X’s fearless oratory had was substantial in his time as a radical anti-racist civil rights activist. His speeches’ emancipatory potential put forth his ‘theory of rhetorical action’ where he urges Black Americans to employ both the ballot and the bullet, strategically without being dependent on the other should the conditions of oppression change. A crucial leader in the fight for civil rights, he opened the eyes of thousands of Black Americans, politicising and convincing them of the necessity of fighting for their democratic rights against white supremacists.

28. Living the Revolution by Gloria Steinem

“The challenge to all of us, and to you men and women who are graduating today, is to live a revolution, not to die for one. There has been too much killing, and the weapons are now far too terrible. This revolution has to change consciousness, to upset the injustice of our current hierarchy by refusing to honor it, and to live a life that enforces a new social justice. Because the truth is none of us can be liberated if other groups are not.”

In an unexpected commencement speech delivered at Vassar College in 1970, Gloria Steinem boldly makes a call to action on behalf of marginalized groups in need of liberation to newly graduated students. She proclaimed it the year of Women’s Liberation and forcefully highlighted the need for a social revolution to ‘upset the injustice of the current hierarchy’ in favour of human rights – echoing the hard-hitting motto on social justice, ‘until all of us are free, none of us are free’.

29. The Last Words of Harvey Milk by Harvey Milk

“I cannot prevent some people from feeling angry and frustrated and mad in response to my death, but I hope they will take the frustration and madness and instead of demonstrating or anything of that type, I would hope that they would take the power and I would hope that five, ten, one hundred, a thousand would rise. I would like to see every gay lawyer, every gay architect come out, stand up and let the world know. That would do more to end prejudice overnight than anybody could imagine. I urge them to do that, urge them to come out. Only that way will we start to achieve our rights. … All I ask is for the movement to continue, and if a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door…”

As the first openly gay elected official in the history of California, Harvey Milk’s entire political candidature was in itself a radical statement against the homophobic status quo at the time. Given the dangerous times he was in as an openly gay man, he anticipated that he would be assassinated eventually in his political career. As such, these are some of his last words which show the utter devotion he had to campaigning against homophobia while representing the American people, voicing his heartbreaking wish for the bullet that would eventually kill him to ‘destroy every closet door’.

30. Black Power Address at UC Berkeley by Stokely Carmichael

“Now we are now engaged in a psychological struggle in this country, and that is whether or not black people will have the right to use the words they want to use without white people giving their sanction to it; and that we maintain, whether they like it or not, we gonna use the word “Black Power” — and let them address themselves to that; but that we are not going to wait for white people to sanction Black Power. We’re tired waiting; every time black people move in this country, they’re forced to defend their position before they move. It’s time that the people who are supposed to be defending their position do that. That’s white people. They ought to start defending themselves as to why they have oppressed and exploited us.”

A forceful and impressive orator, Stokely Carmichael was among those at the forefront of the civil rights movement, who was a vigorous socialist organizer as well. He led the Black Power movement wherein he gave this urgent, influential speech that propelled Black Americans forward in their fight for constitutional rights in the 1960s.

31. Speech on Vietnam by Lyndon Johnson

“The true peace-keepers are those men who stand out there on the DMZ at this very hour, taking the worst that the enemy can give. The true peace-keepers are the soldiers who are breaking the terrorist’s grip around the villages of Vietnam—the civilians who are bringing medical care and food and education to people who have already suffered a generation of war. And so I report to you that we are going to continue to press forward. Two things we must do. Two things we shall do. First, we must not mislead the enemy. Let him not think that debate and dissent will produce wavering and withdrawal. For I can assure you they won’t. Let him not think that protests will produce surrender. Because they won’t. Let him not think that he will wait us out. For he won’t. Second, we will provide all that our brave men require to do the job that must be done. And that job is going to be done. These gallant men have our prayers-have our thanks—have our heart-felt praise—and our deepest gratitude. Let the world know that the keepers of peace will endure through every trial—and that with the full backing of their countrymen, they are going to prevail.”

During some of the most harrowing periods of human history, the Vietnam War, American soldiers were getting soundly defeated by the Vietnamese in guerrilla warfare. President Lyndon Johnson then issued this dignified, consolatory speech to encourage patriotism and support for the soldiers putting their lives on the line for the nation.

32. A Whisper of AIDS by Mary Fisher

“We may take refuge in our stereotypes, but we cannot hide there long, because HIV asks only one thing of those it attacks. Are you human? And this is the right question. Are you human? Because people with HIV have not entered some alien state of being. They are human. They have not earned cruelty, and they do not deserve meanness. They don’t benefit from being isolated or treated as outcasts. Each of them is exactly what God made: a person; not evil, deserving of our judgment; not victims, longing for our pity ­­ people, ready for  support and worthy of compassion. We must be consistent if we are to be believed. We cannot love justice and ignore prejudice, love our children and fear to teach them. Whatever our role as parent or policymaker, we must act as eloquently as we speak ­­ else we have no integrity. My call to the nation is a plea for awareness. If you believe you are safe, you are in danger. Because I was not hemophiliac, I was not at risk. Because I was not gay, I was not at risk. Because I did not inject drugs, I was not at risk. The lesson history teaches is this: If you believe you are safe, you are at risk. If you do not see this killer stalking your children, look again. There is no family or community, no race or religion, no place left in America that is safe. Until we genuinely embrace this message, we are a nation at risk.”

Back when AIDS research was still undeveloped, the stigma of contracting HIV was even more immense than it is today. A celebrated artist, author and speaker, Mary Fisher became an outspoken activist for those with HIV/AIDS, persuading people to extend compassion to the population with HIV instead of stigmatizing them – as injustice has a way of coming around to people eventually. Her bold act of speaking out for the community regardless of the way they contracted the disease, their sexual orientation or social group, was an influential move in advancing the human rights of those with HIV and spreading awareness on the discrimination they face.

33. Freedom from Fear by Aung San Suu Kyi

“The quintessential revolution is that of the spirit, born of an intellectual conviction of the need for change in those mental attitudes and values which shape the course of a nation’s development. A revolution which aims merely at changing official policies and institutions with a view to an improvement in material conditions has little chance of genuine success. Without a revolution of the spirit, the forces which produced the iniquities of the old order would continue to be operative, posing a constant threat to the process of reform and regeneration. It is not enough merely to call for freedom, democracy and human rights. There has to be a united determination to persevere in the struggle, to make sacrifices in the name of enduring truths, to resist the corrupting influences of desire, ill will, ignorance and fear. Saints, it has been said, are the sinners who go on trying. So free men are the oppressed who go on trying and who in the process make themselves fit to bear the responsibilities and to uphold the disciplines which will maintain a free society. Among the basic freedoms to which men aspire that their lives might be full and uncramped, freedom from fear stands out as both a means and an end. A people who would build a nation in which strong, democratic institutions are firmly established as a guarantee against state-induced power must first learn to liberate their own minds from apathy and fear.”

Famous for her resoluteness and fortitude in campaigning for democracy in Burma despite being put under house arrest by the military government, Aung San Suu Kyi’s speeches have been widely touted as inspirational. In this renowned speech of hers, she delivers a potent message to Burmese to ‘liberate their minds from apathy and fear’ in the struggle for freedom and human rights in the country. To this day, she continues to tirelessly champion the welfare and freedom of Burmese in a state still overcome by vestiges of authoritarian rule.

34. This Is Water by David Foster Wallace

“Our own present culture has harnessed these forces in ways that have yielded extraordinary wealth and comfort and personal freedom. The freedom all to be lords of our tiny skull-sized kingdoms, alone at the centre of all creation. This kind of freedom has much to recommend it. But of course there are all different kinds of freedom, and the kind that is most precious you will not hear much talk about much in the great outside world of wanting and achieving…. The really important kind of freedom involves attention and awareness and discipline, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them over and over in myriad petty, unsexy ways every day. That is real freedom. That is being educated, and understanding how to think. The alternative is unconsciousness, the default setting, the rat race, the constant gnawing sense of having had, and lost, some infinite thing.”

Esteemed writer David Foster Wallace gave a remarkably casual yet wise commencement speech at Kenyon College in 2005 on the importance of learning to think beyond attaining a formal education. He encouraged hundreds of students to develop freedom of thought, a heart of sacrificial care for those in need of justice, and a consciousness that would serve them in discerning the right choices to make within a status quo that is easy to fall in line with. His captivating speech on what it meant to truly be ‘educated’ tugged at the hearts of many young and critical minds striving to achieve their dreams and change the world.

35. Questioning the Universe by Stephen Hawking

“This brings me to the last of the big questions: the future of the human race. If we are the only intelligent beings in the galaxy, we should make sure we survive and continue. But we are entering an increasingly dangerous period of our history. Our population and our use of the finite resources of planet Earth are growing exponentially, along with our technical ability to change the environment for good or ill. But our genetic code still carries the selfish and aggressive instincts that were of survival advantage in the past. It will be difficult enough to avoid disaster in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand or million. Our only chance of long-term survival is not to remain inward-looking on planet Earth, but to spread out into space. The answers to these big questions show that we have made remarkable progress in the last hundred years. But if we want to continue beyond the next hundred years, our future is in space. That is why I am in favor of manned — or should I say, personned — space flight.”

Extraordinary theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author Stephen Hawking was a considerable influence upon modern physics and scientific research at large, inspiring people regardless of physical ability to aspire towards expanding knowledge in the world. In his speech on Questioning the Universe, he speaks of the emerging currents and issues in the scientific world like that of outer space, raising and answering big questions that have stumped great thinkers for years.

36. 2008 Democratic National Convention Speech by Michelle Obama

“I stand here today at the crosscurrents of that history — knowing that my piece of the American dream is a blessing hard won by those who came before me. All of them driven by the same conviction that drove my dad to get up an hour early each day to painstakingly dress himself for work. The same conviction that drives the men and women I’ve met all across this country: People who work the day shift, kiss their kids goodnight, and head out for the night shift — without disappointment, without regret — that goodnight kiss a reminder of everything they’re working for. The military families who say grace each night with an empty seat at the table. The servicemen and women who love this country so much, they leave those they love most to defend it. The young people across America serving our communities — teaching children, cleaning up neighborhoods, caring for the least among us each and every day. People like Hillary Clinton, who put those 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, so that our daughters — and sons — can dream a little bigger and aim a little higher. People like Joe Biden, who’s never forgotten where he came from and never stopped fighting for folks who work long hours and face long odds and need someone on their side again. All of us driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won’t do — that we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be. That is the thread that connects our hearts. That is the thread that runs through my journey and Barack’s journey and so many other improbable journeys that have brought us here tonight, where the current of history meets this new tide of hope. That is why I love this country.”

Ever the favourite modern First Lady of America, Michelle Obama has delivered an abundance of iconic speeches in her political capacity, never forgetting to foreground the indomitable human spirit embodied in American citizens’ everyday lives and efforts towards a better world. The Obamas might just have been the most articulate couple of rhetoricians of their time, making waves as the first African American president and First Lady while introducing important policies in their period of governance.

37. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

“I’m not talking about blind optimism here — the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don’t think about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about something more substantial. It’s the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker’s son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too. Hope — Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God’s greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation. A belief in things not seen. A belief that there are better days ahead.”

Now published into a book, Barack Obama’s heart-capturing personal story of transformational hope was first delivered as a speech on the merits of patriotic optimism and determination put to the mission of concrete change. He has come to be known as one of the most favoured and inspiring presidents in American history, and arguably the most skilled orators ever.

38. “Be Your Own Story” by Toni Morrison

“But I’m not going to talk anymore about the future because I’m hesitant to describe or predict because I’m not even certain that it exists. That is to say, I’m not certain that somehow, perhaps, a burgeoning ménage a trois of political interests, corporate interests and military interests will not prevail and literally annihilate an inhabitable, humane future. Because I don’t think we can any longer rely on separation of powers, free speech, religious tolerance or unchallengeable civil liberties as a matter of course. That is, not while finite humans in the flux of time make decisions of infinite damage. Not while finite humans make infinite claims of virtue and unassailable power that are beyond their competence, if not their reach. So, no happy talk about the future. … Because the past is already in debt to the mismanaged present. And besides, contrary to what you may have heard or learned, the past is not done and it is not over, it’s still in process, which is another way of saying that when it’s critiqued, analyzed, it yields new information about itself. The past is already changing as it is being reexamined, as it is being listened to for deeper resonances. Actually it can be more liberating than any imagined future if you are willing to identify its evasions, its distortions, its lies, and are willing to unleash its secrets.”

Venerated author and professor Toni Morrison delivered an impressively articulate speech at Wellesley College in 2004 to new graduates, bucking the trend by discussing the importance of the past in informing current and future ways of living. With her brilliance and eloquence, she blew the crowd away and renewed in them the capacity for reflection upon using the past as a talisman to guide oneself along the journey of life.

39. Nobel Speech by Malala Yousafzai

“Dear brothers and sisters, the so-called world of adults may understand it, but we children don’t. Why is it that countries which we call “strong” are so powerful in creating wars but so weak in bringing peace? Why is it that giving guns is so easy but giving books is so hard? Why is it that making tanks is so easy, but building schools is so difficult? As we are living in the modern age, the 21st century and we all believe that nothing is impossible. We can reach the moon and maybe soon will land on Mars. Then, in this, the 21st century, we must be determined that our dream of quality education for all will also come true. So let us bring equality, justice and peace for all. Not just the politicians and the world leaders, we all need to contribute. Me. You. It is our duty. So we must work … and not wait. I call upon my fellow children to stand up around the world. Dear sisters and brothers, let us become the first generation to decide to be the last. The empty classrooms, the lost childhoods, wasted potential-let these things end with us.”

At a mere 16 years of age, Malala Yousafzai gave a speech on the severity of the state of human rights across the world, and wowed the world with her passion for justice at her tender age. She displayed tenacity and fearlessness speaking about her survival of an assassination attempt for her activism for gender equality in the field of education. A model of courage to us all, her speech remains an essential one in the fight for human rights in the 21st century.

40. Final Commencement Speech by Michelle Obama

“If you are a person of faith, know that religious diversity is a great American tradition, too. In fact, that’s why people first came to this country — to worship freely. And whether you are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh — these religions are teaching our young people about justice, and compassion, and honesty. So I want our young people to continue to learn and practice those values with pride. You see, our glorious diversity — our diversities of faiths and colors and creeds — that is not a threat to who we are, it makes us who we are. So the young people here and the young people out there: Do not ever let anyone make you feel like you don’t matter, or like you don’t have a place in our American story — because you do. And you have a right to be exactly who you are. But I also want to be very clear: This right isn’t just handed to you. No, this right has to be earned every single day. You cannot take your freedoms for granted. Just like generations who have come before you, you have to do your part to preserve and protect those freedoms. … It is our fundamental belief in the power of hope that has allowed us to rise above the voices of doubt and division, of anger and fear that we have faced in our own lives and in the life of this country. Our hope that if we work hard enough and believe in ourselves, then we can be whatever we dream, regardless of the limitations that others may place on us. The hope that when people see us for who we truly are, maybe, just maybe they, too, will be inspired to rise to their best possible selves.”

Finally, we have yet another speech by Michelle Obama given in her final remarks as First Lady – a tear-inducing event for many Americans and even people around the world. In this emotional end to her political tenure, she gives an empowering, hopeful, expressive speech to young Americans, exhorting them to take hold of its future in all their diversity and work hard at being their best possible selves.

Amidst the bleak era of our current time with Trump as president of the USA, not only Michelle Obama, but all 40 of these amazing speeches can serve as sources of inspiration and hope to everyone – regardless of their identity or ambitions. After hearing these speeches, which one’s your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!

Article Written By: Kai Xin Koh

You may also like….

How To Prepare An Awesome Business Presentation

by Kai Xin Koh

Business presentations are inescapable in today’s world, where entrepreneurship and innovation are at the heart of businesses. With limited...

Sign Up for Winning With Stories!

• First Name *
• Email This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

• Best Fountain Pens
• How to Smoke a Cigar
• Best nerf guns for adults
• The best Netflix movies
• Best Ernest Hemingway books

10 famous speeches in history that continue to stand the test of time

A great speech is something that combines persuasive writing, a comfort with public speaking , and a meaningful message to create an impression greater than the sum of its parts. There’s no one set of rules to govern the ideal speech, and plenty of people struggle with them even with teams of experts to help them out — just see the majority of speeches given by politicians. But once in a while, a truly great speaker and a truly great speech come together to create something that stands out and withstands the test of time, carrying meaning with it through generations even to those who weren’t yet born when it was given.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Demosthenes, queen elizabeth i, george washington, abraham lincoln, chief joseph, winston churchill, john f. kennedy, barack obama, more famous speeches to inspire you.

Great speeches are more than just rhetorical flourish or impressive performance — they’re also calls to action, able to persuade and embolden the listener. These speeches can be inspiring, informative, and instructive, whether you’re interested in learning more about history or working on a speech of your own .

We’ve rounded up 10 of history’s greatest speeches, including excerpts so you can learn about how the power of a great speech can last for years.

1963 ‘I Have a Dream’ speech

The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. ‘s I Have a Dream speech, delivered on August 28, 1963, is one of the finest pieces of oratory in human history. It blended masterful, rich language with the oratorical technique of repetition and it was utterly fearless.

King would be dead by an assassin’s bullet less than five years after delivering his most famous speech. His words were no mere rhetoric; they were an affirmation of the value of human life and the expression of a cause for which he would give his own.

“I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’ … “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

341 BCE ‘Third Philippic’

Though you may not have heard of the Athenian orator Demosthenes, consider the fact that one of history’s most famed speakers of all time, Cicero, cited his ancient forebear 300 years later. Demosthenes’ Third Philippic , so-called because it was the third speech he gave devoted to convincing his fellow Athenians to take up arms against the encroaching forces of Phillip of Macedon, literally led men to war. At the end of his speech, delivered in 341 BCE, the Athenian Assembly moved at once against their rival, spurred on by lines damning the past inaction of his fellow citizens:

“You are in your present plight because you do not do any part of your duty, small or great; for of course, if you were doing all that you should do, and were still in this evil case, you could not even hope for any improvement. As it is, Philip has conquered your indolence and your indifference; but he has not conquered Athens. You have not been vanquished, you have never even stirred.

1588 ‘Spanish Armada’ speech t o the troops at Tilbury

In 1588, English monarch Queen Elizabeth I gave one of the manliest speeches in history, even at one point, putting down her own body for being female. As the “mighty” Spanish Armada, a flotilla of some 130 ships, sailed toward Britain with plans of invasion, the queen delivered a rousing address at Tilbury, Essex, England. As it turned out, a storm and some navigational errors took care of the Spanish warships for the most part. Still, it was a bold speech that helped bolster a nation. This speech also made Queen Elizabeth famous for the armor she wore in front of her troops.

“I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm: To which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field.”

1783 Resignation speech

To grasp the true power of George Washington ‘s resignation as the commander-in-chief of the U.S. military (then known as the Continental Army) on December 23, 1783, you have to go beyond the words themselves and appreciate the context. Washington was in no way obliged to resign his commission, but did so willingly and even gladly, just as he would later refuse a third term as president of the nation, establishing a precedent honored into the 1940s and thereafter enshrined in law. Despite being the most powerful man in the fledgling military and then becoming the most powerful man in the United States, the staid and humble Washington was never hungry for power for himself; he just happened to be the best man for the job(s).

Even in his last address as leader of the nation’s armed forces, Washington made it all about America, and not about himself:

“Happy in the confirmation of our Independence and Sovereignty, and pleased with the opportunity afforded the United States of becoming a respectable Nation, I resign with satisfaction the Appointment I accepted with diffidence. A diffidence in my abilities to accomplish so arduous a task, which however was superseded by a confidence in the rectitude of our Cause, the support of the Supreme Power of the Union, and the patronage of Heaven.”

1863 ‘Gettysburg Address’

There’s a reason many people consider the Gettysburg Address to be the best speech in American history: It probably is. In just 275 words on November 19, 1863, near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, President Abraham Lincoln managed to express the following sentiments:

• America is both a place and a concept, both of which are worth fighting.
• Fighting is horrible, but losing is worse.
• We have no intention of losing.

Ironically, one line in Lincoln’s speech proved to be laughably inaccurate. Midway through the speech, he humbly said: “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here.” In fact, the world continues to remember his brief yet very stirring address.

“In a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate — we cannot hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract …

“It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us; that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.”

1877 Surrender speech

On October 5, 1877, Nez Perce tribe leader Chief Joseph delivered a short, impromptu, and wrenching speech that many see as the lamentation of the end of an era for Native Americans and the lands that were stolen from them. Overtaken by the United States Army during a desperate multi-week retreat toward Canada, Chief Joseph surrendered to General Howard with this bleak, moving message:

“I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. Looking Glass is dead. Toohoolhoolzote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say, ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ He who led the young men [Olikut] is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are — perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.”

1939 ‘Luckiest Man’ speech

No one wants a deadly disease named after them, but that’s what happened to baseball legend Lou Gehrig , who died at 37 after a brief battle with ALS, commonly known as “Lou Gehrig’s disease.” Following a career in which the Hall of Fame player earned many of baseball’s top honors and awards, Gehrig delivered one of the most touching speeches of the 20th century, a speech in which he brought comfort to those mourning his illness even as his health fell apart.

In essence, Gehrig told people not to worry about one dying man, but instead to celebrate all life had to offer as he listed all the wonderful things that occurred in his own life. In so doing, he brought solace to many and created a model of selflessness. Gehrig delivered this short speech at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939.

“Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for 17  years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans … “So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for.”

1940 ‘We Shall Fight on the Beaches’ speech

Winston Churchill delivered many superlative speeches in his day, including the 1946 address that created the term “Iron Curtain” to describe the boundary of Britain’s recent ally, the Soviet Union, and a 1940 speech praising the heroism of the British Royal Air Force in which he uttered the line: “Never was so much owed by so many to so few.”

But it was his bold and bolstering speech delivered on June 4, 1940, to the British Parliament’s House of Commons — commonly referred to as We Shall Fight on the Beaches — that most exemplifies the famed leader. These were more than just words — these were a promise to his nation that they were all in the fight wholeheartedly together and it was a heads-up to the Axis powers that attacking the Brits had been a bad idea.

“We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”

1961 inaugural address

Much of President John F. Kennedy ‘s pithy 1,366-word inaugural address, delivered on January 20, 1961, was well-written and meaningful, but as often happens, his speech has stood the test of time thanks to one perfect phrase. Amidst an address filled with both hope and dire warnings (“Man holds in his hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life,” the latter being a clear reference to atomic weapons), he issued a direct appeal to Americans everywhere to stand up for their country. You know the line:

“And so, my fellow Americans: Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”

2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address

When our future president – then a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Illinois – Barack Obama delivered a 17-minute speech on the evening of July 27, 2004, at the Democratic National Convention endorsing presidential candidate John Kerry, the personal trajectory of one man and the history of an entire nation shifted dramatically. Already an up-and-coming politician gaining traction in his home state of Illinois, Obama’s keynote address that night transformed him into a national figure and paved the way for his journey to becoming the first POTUS of color. What was it about the speech that so moved the country?

Partly, it was simply the excellent writing, most of which Obama handled himself. Perhaps more so, it was the message of the speech, which spoke to the “abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation.” In short, Obama reminded us of who we were supposed to be as citizens of this nation. And for a flickering moment, many of us heard him.

“There’s not a liberal America and a conservative America; there’s the United States of America. There’s not a Black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there’s the United States of America … “We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America. In the end, that’s what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism, or do we participate in a politics of hope?”

While we’ve taken an in-depth look at some of history’s most famous speeches, the list goes much further than those 10. Here are a few more great speeches that helped shape history that still have the power to inspire.

• 1941 – President Franklin Delano Roosevelt – Day of Infamy speech – Roosevelt’s address to Congress on December 8, 1941, came the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. It’s best known for its opening line: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” The speech spurred Congress to declare war on Japan and thrust the U.S. into World War II.
• 1933 – President Franklin Delano Roosevelt – First Inaugural Address – Considering FDR served four terms during the end of the Great Depression and through World War II, it stands to reason that he would have some pretty famous speeches. His first inaugural address from 1933 is also remembered for one powerful line. As he discussed his plan to pull the country out of the Great Depression, he uttered this iconic line: “So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is … fear itself.”
• 1986 – President Ronald Reagan – Address to the Nation on the Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger – when Reagan addressed the country on the night of January 28, 1986, the U.S. was reeling from seeing the Space Shuttle Challenger explode, just seconds after launch, killing the crew, which included Christa McAuliffe, who was to be NASA’s first teacher in space. Reagan was to have delivered his State of the Union speech to Congress that night but canceled it in the wake of the Challenger disaster. The speech included these memorable words of condolence: “We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and ‘slipped the surly bonds of earth’ to ‘touch the face of God.'”
• 2001 – President George W. Bush – Address to the nation after 9/11 –  The morning of September 11, 2001, Bush was at a Florida elementary school to meet with children. He would have no idea that the day would end with him addressing the country after the horrific terrorist attacks that brought down the World Trade Center and damaged the Pentagon. That night, Bush gave the country words of hope, saying that the attacks did nothing to damage the American spirit. “Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts,” Bush said. “The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing, have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed; our country is strong.”

We hope you’re feeling more inspired and determined to make your own history after perusing this list. For more historical inspiration, check out ten of our favorite Black History films , a list of fantastic history books to read , a group of iconic photographs of people who changed history , and seven amazing books documenting LGBTQ+ history — not to mention the importance of historical heroes who have been often overlooked . However you intend to change your present and future, we wish you nothing but the best of luck.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The 10 best Hugh Jackman movies of all time
• The 5 best Super Bowl commercials of all time (and the 4 worst)
• 2024 Oscars nominations: The 10 biggest snubs (it’s not just Barbie)
• From college to the barbershop, here are the 10 best Simpsons episodes of all time, ranked
• Famous last words from the most badass men of history

Alright, fellas, gather 'round and listen up. Golf Pride is bringing back a real classic — the V55 Heritage grip — and this time, it's available in both corded and rubber options.

That's right; you can relive the glory days of the V55 with the grip that's been trusted by champions and amateurs alike for years. But there's a catch: It's only available for a limited time.

It used to be you didn't want to click on an email or link because it was a scammer pretending to be a prince trying to give away their money. Now, you never know if the meme or video you are about to click on is going to be someone trolling you into hearing Rick Astley's 1987 hit Never Gonna Give You Up. If you haven't been Rickrolled yet, tell us your secret. Embracing the iconic nature of the song, Rick Astley re-recorded the jam, but with a twist aimed at bringing awareness to a good cause.

There's animation, then there's Pixar. The animation studio owned by Disney revolutionized computer-generated entertainment in the late 1990s, and it has never looked back since. While Disney is known for bringing magic to the movie screen, Pixar's thematically rich stories and ultra-fleshed-out characters transcend the medium, making critics aware of the greatness that lies within CGI imagery. Pixar's reputation relied more on creativity and abstract, yet relatable concepts in its early years, while it's resided on the sequel content more in recent times. Whether you like one of the company's franchises or its standalone films more, you've surely been touched by the ethereal and effervescent style of Pixar. Here are the 10 best Pixar movies, ranked.

These 11 Speeches from the Last Two Centuries Changed the World

This post is in partnership with the History News Network , the website that puts the news into historical perspective. The article below was originally published at HNN .

The Hypocrisy of American Slavery

Who: Frederick Douglass

When: July 4, 1852

Why it matters: On the day marking American Independence, Frederick Douglass delivered a cutting speech denouncing American society. In the speech he demands to know how a people who pride themselves on liberty and equality can rightfully celebrate these ideals when millions are enslaved. Douglass chastises every American as a hypocrite, noting the irony in the 4th of July festivities taking place as he spoke.

Memorable quote: “ What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July? 

I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.”

The Gettysburg Address

Who: President Abraham Lincoln

When: November 19, 1863

Why it matters: The famous speech was uttered by President Lincoln amidst America’s Civil War. The famous opening line, “Four score and seven years ago,” calls on the American people to remember the intentions of the founding fathers. In the speech Lincoln never mentions slavery, the Confederacy, or even the Union. Instead, he emphasizes healing, and a return to ideals of the Declaration of Independence. The speech defined the concept of American government as “a government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

Memorable quote: “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

Women’s Right to Vote

Who: Susan B. Anthony

Why it matters: Susan B. Anthony was fined for voting in the 1872 election, and so she began to vigorously campaign for women’s suffrage. This speech was given in her defense of women’s suffrage. Her work paved the way for the nineteenth amendment, giving women the right to vote in 1920. She never did pay the fine.

Memorable quote: “ It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union. And we formed it, not to give the blessings of liberty, but to secure them; not to the half of ourselves and the half of our posterity, but to the whole people — women as well as men.”

Fourteen Points Speech

Who: President Woodrow Wilson

When: January 8, 1918

Why it matters: Wilson’s speech formed the foundation of what would become American foreign policy. The speech set forth American goals in the Great War. Perhaps most significant is Wilson’s proposal for an international governing body, which became the basis for the League of Nations. After World War II the League was replaced by the United Nations.

Memorable quote: “ All the peoples of the world are in effect partners in this interest, and for our own part we see very clearly that unless justice be done to others it will not be done to us.”

FDR’s First Inaugural Address

Who: President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

When: March 4, 1933

Why it matters: Amidst one of the most crippling economic crises in history, FDR wanted to forcefully show the American people that he intended to end it. He succeeded by announcing his intention to use the vast powers of the federal government to address the problem. In the speech he acknowledges respect for the Constitution and separation of power, yet notes the necessity of the time and the need for vigorous action. In this speech, FDR effectively declares “war” against the Great Depression.

Memorable quote: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

We Shall Fight on the Beaches

Who: Winston Churchill

When: June 4, 1940

Why it matters: The speech was designed to inspire the British people and impress Americans with the resolve of the British government in the face of German aggression. The speech was delivered after British troops had successfully evacuated from Dunkirk in one of the most astonishing reversals of fortune in the history of warfare.

Memorable quote: “ We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, 
we shall fight on the seas and oceans,
 we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be,
 we shall fight on the beaches, 
we shall fight on the landing grounds,
 we shall fight in the fields and in the streets,
 we shall fight in the hills;
 we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.”

A Tryst with Destiny

Who: Jawaharlal Nehru

When: August 14, 1947

Why it matters: In the speech Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, defines what freedom means for the people of India after their long struggle for independence from the British Empire.

Memorable quote: “ A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.”

“ The Moon Speech” ( Address at Rice University on the Nation’s Space Effort)

Who: President John F. Kennedy

When: September 12, 1962

Why it matters: JFK’s moon speech made the compelling case to the American people of the importance of space exploration and funding the Apollo project. The speech and its aftermath and reception ultimately led to the successful moon landing in 1969. JFK established that the United States should be the world leader in Space exploration, and marked the first significant step taken by a President to ensure its possibility.

Memorable quote: “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”

I Have a Dream

Who: Martin Luther King, Jr.

When: August 28, 1963

Why it matters : King’s powerful and memorable speech is often quoted today. He challenged the American people to live up to their democratic ideals. He insisted on non-violent conflict resolution. His words echo on as a passionate call for freedom.

Memorable quote: “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; ‘and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.'”

I am Prepared to Die

Who: Nelson Mandela

When: April 20, 1964

Why it matters: This is the speech that defined Nelson Mandela. It was given in the course of a trial of the leaders of the African National Congress, who had been accused of subversion. The trial ended with the imprisonment of eight ANC leaders including Mandela. In the speech Mandela tells his story and expresses his views on apartheid.

Memorable quote: “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Tear Down this Wall

Who: President Ronald Reagan

When: June 12, 1987

Why it matters: In a speech delivered at the Berlin Wall President Ronald Reagan challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the wall separating East and West Berlin. Reagan’s injunction was delivered over the objections of his advisors, who thought it went too far. The speech is considered to have been a major turning point in the Cold War.

Memorable quote: “ Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

Rachel Rolnick, a student at Stern College for Women, is an HNN intern.

Read next: TIME Remembers: In Memoriam 2014

More Must-Reads from TIME

• Breaking Down the 2024 Election Calendar
• How Nayib Bukele’s ‘Iron Fist’ Has Transformed El Salvador
• What if Ultra-Processed Foods Aren’t as Bad as You Think?
• How Ukraine Beat Russia in the Battle of the Black Sea
• Long COVID Looks Different in Kids
• How Project 2025 Would Jeopardize Americans’ Health
• What a $129 Frying Pan Says About America’s Eating Habits
• The 32 Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2024

Contact us at [email protected]

10 uplifting speeches from history that will inspire you in times of crisis

• Throughout history, leaders have made speeches that inspired millions and changed the course of history. Those speeches still inspire us today. 
• Famous speeches like Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" and Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address still resonate today. 
• Lesser-known speeches like Hillary Clinton's "Human Rights Are Women's Rights" and Nora Ephron's commencement address are considered inspirational. 
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories .

While history is no stranger to crises, there are always leaders who come forward to help usher in more hopeful times by crafting and delivering impactful speeches. 

Leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, and Maya Angelou have all delivered speeches that inspired millions — and some even changed the course of history. 

Take a look back at some of the most famous speeches from history that still move us today. 

Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in 1863 reminds people to honor those we have lost.

President Abraham Lincoln gave a relatively short speech at the deadliest battle site during the Civil War on November 19, 1863. Although it wasn't meant to be monumental, some call it the best speech in history. In it, Lincoln tells his people that they must remember each and every person who fought and died on the battlefield, especially because every human is created equal. 

"The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here," Lincoln says in the address. "It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

In 1938, Lou Gehrig gave his "Luckiest Man" that celebrated the beauty of life.

On July 4, 1938, Lou Gehrig delivered a speech at Yankee Stadium after it was revealed that the baseball player had ALS. Although he was delivering devastating news to his fans in the speech, he instead focused on everything life has to offer. 

"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth," he said in the speech. "I have been in ballparks for 17  years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans … So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for."

Winston Churchill delivered the "We Shall Fight on the Beaches" speech in 1940, showing the strength of the human spirit.

On June 4, 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed Parliament during a particularly difficult time in World War II. Smithsonian Magazine called it "one of the most rousing and iconic addresses" of the era. In the speech, the prime minister told his people that they would fight together and use all their strength to defeat their enemies. 

"We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender," Churchill says in the famous speech . 

In 1942, Mahatma Gandhi gave his "Quit India" speech, which encouraged peaceful protests.

The day before the Quit India movement started, Mahatma Gandhi delivered an inspiring speech, on August 8, 1942 . In the speech, he told his people to resist the British government but to do so in a peaceful, organized manner. He focused on the benefits of a nonviolent uprising, which became the cornerstone of his beliefs. 

The most famous line from the speech is: "I believe that in the history of the world, there has not been a more genuinely democratic struggle for freedom than ours."

John F. Kennedy delivered "The Decision to Go to The Moon" speech in 1961, proving humans know no bounds.

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced to Congress and the world that the US was committed to sending an American to the moon. In the inspiring speech , the president explains the ambitious goal as one of necessity. 

"Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, 'Because it is there,'" Kennedy said in his speech. "Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked."

Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream Speech" in 1963 reminds people there is always something better on the horizon.

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr., delivered what is arguably the most famous and most inspiring speech in American history. Before the historic March on Washington, King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and addressed the 250,000 attendees, calling for the end of discrimination and racism by dreaming about a brighter future. 

"I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice," he said in the speech. "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today."

In 1993, Maya Angelou read her poem "On the Pulse of the Morning" at Bill Clinton's inauguration in an attempt to bring the global community together.

On the morning of President Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993, poet Maya Angelou delivered a moving speech when she read out her poem "On the Pulse of the Morning." It was the first time a poem had been recited at the ceremony since 1961 . In it, Angelou touched upon topics of equality and inclusion, and she attempted to inspire the world to unite under these principles.

Part of the poem reads:

"The river sings and sings on. There is a true yearning to respond to The singing river and the wise rock. So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew, The African and Native American, the Sioux, The Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek, The Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheikh, The Gay, the Straight, the Preacher, The privileged, the homeless, the teacher. They hear. They all hear The speaking of the tree."

Hillary Clinton delivered the "Human Rights Are Women's Rights" speech in 1995, saying those who are suppressed also have a voice.

As the first lady, Hillary Clinton attended the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. She was pressured to water down her message, but instead, she delivered a moving speech that still resonates today. In it, she said women who are held back by sexist governments should be set free and heard. 

"If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights once and for all," Clinton said in the speech. "Let us not forget that among those rights are the right to speak freely — and the right to be heard."

Nora Ephron encouraged people to break the rules in her commencement address to Wellesley College in 1996.

While Nora Ephron is known for penning some of the most famous films in the '80s and '90s, she also made a legendary speech at the 1996 Wellesley College graduation ceremony . In it, she inspired women to break free of the mold placed on them. 

"Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there," Ephron said in the speech. "And I also hope you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women."

She also said, "Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim."

In 1977, Harvey Milk gave his "Give Them Hope" speech, urging people to celebrate their differences and to hold on to messages of hope.

When he was running for local office in California, Harvey Milk delivered his "Give Them Hope" remarks as a stump speech . It was meant to rally supporters behind him, but it quickly became a speech of hope and celebration for the LGBT community. 

"And the young gay people in Altoona, Pennsylvanias, and the Richmond, Minnesotas, who are coming out and hear Anita Bryant on television and her story. The only thing they have to look forward to is hope. And you have to give them hope," Milk said in his speech . "Hope for a better world, hope for a better tomorrow, hope for a better place to come to if the pressures at home are too great. Hope that all will be all right. Without hope, not only are the gays, but the blacks, the seniors, the handicapped, the 'us-es.' The 'us-es' will give up."

• 8 inspirational speeches from Martin Luther King Jr. that aren't 'I Have a Dream'
• The most impactful event in every state that shaped US history
• 4 famous lines from legendary speeches that were made up on the spot
• 9 influential speeches that changed the world

• Main content

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Sign up for the HNN Newsletter

These 11 speeches from the last two centuries changed the world.

The Hypocrisy of American Slavery

Who: Frederick Douglass

When: July 4, 1852

Why it matters: On the day marking American Independence, Frederick Douglass delivered a cutting speech denouncing American society. In the speech he demands to know how a people who pride themselves on liberty and equality can rightfully celebrate these ideals when millions are enslaved. Douglass chastises every American as a hypocrite, noting the irony in the 4th of July festivities taking place as he spoke.

Memorable quote: “ What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July?

I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.”

The Gettysburg Address

Who: President Abraham Lincoln

When: November 19, 1863

Why it matters: The famous speech was uttered by President Lincoln amidst America’s Civil War. The famous opening line, “Four score and seven years ago,” calls on the American people to remember the intentions of the founding fathers. In the speech Lincoln never mentions slavery, the Confederacy, or even the Union. Instead, he emphasizes healing, and a return to ideals of the Declaration of Independence. The speech defined the concept of American government as “a government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

Memorable quote: “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

Women’s Right to Vote

Who: Susan B. Anthony

Why it matters: Susan B. Anthony was fined for voting in the 1872 election, and so she began to vigorously campaign for women’s suffrage. This speech was given in her defense of women's suffrage. Her work paved the way for the nineteenth amendment, giving women the right to vote in 1920. She never did pay the fine.

Memorable quote: “ It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union. And we formed it, not to give the blessings of liberty, but to secure them; not to the half of ourselves and the half of our posterity, but to the whole people - women as well as men.”

Fourteen Points Speech

Who: President Woodrow Wilson

When: January 8, 1918

Why it matters: Wilson’s speech formed the foundation of what would become American foreign policy. The speech set forth American goals in the Great War. Perhaps most significant is Wilson’s proposal for an international governing body, which became the basis for the League of Nations. After World War II the League was replaced by the United Nations.

Memorable quote: “ All the peoples of the world are in effect partners in this interest, and for our own part we see very clearly that unless justice be done to others it will not be done to us.”

FDR’s First Inaugural Address

Who: President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

When: March 4, 1933

Why it matters: Amidst one of the most crippling economic crises in history, FDR wanted to forcefully show the American people that he intended to end it. He succeeded by announcing his intention to use the vast powers of the federal government to address the problem. In the speech he acknowledges respect for the Constitution and separation of power, yet notes the necessity of the time and the need for vigorous action. In this speech, FDR effectively declares “war” against the Great Depression.

Memorable quote: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

We Shall Fight on the Beaches

Who: Winston Churchill

When: June 4, 1940

Why it matters: The speech was designed to inspire the British people and impress Americans with the resolve of the British government in the face of German aggression. The speech was delivered after British troops had successfully evacuated from Dunkik in one of the most astonishing reversals of fortune in the history of warfare.

Memorable quote: “ We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France,
we shall fight on the seas and oceans,
we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be,
we shall fight on the beaches,
we shall fight on the landing grounds,
we shall fight in the fields and in the streets,
we shall fight in the hills;
we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.”

A Tryst with Destiny

Who: Jawaharlal Nehru

When: August 14, 1947

Why it matters: In the speech Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, defines what freedom means for the people of India after their long struggle for independence from the British Empire.

Memorable quote: “ A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history , when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation , long suppressed, finds utterance.”

“ The Moon Speech” ( Address at Rice University on the Nation's Space Effort)

Who: President John F. Kennedy

When: September 12, 1962

Why it matters: JFK’s moon speech made the compelling case to the American people of the importance of space exploration and funding the Apollo project. The speech and its aftermath and reception ultimately led to the successful moon landing in 1969. JFK established that the United States should be the world leader in Space exploration, and marked the first significant step taken by a President to ensure its possibility.

Memorable quote: "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”

I Have a Dream

Who: Martin Luther King, Jr.

When: August 28, 1963

Why it matters : King’s powerful and memorable speech is often quoted today. He challenged the American people to live up to their democratic ideals. He insisted on non-violent conflict resolution. His words echo on as a passionate call for freedom.

Memorable quote: "I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; 'and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.'"

I am Prepared to Die

Who: Nelson Mandela

When: April 20, 1964

Why it matters: This is the speech thatdefinedNelson Mandela. It was given in the course of a trial of the leaders of the African National Congress, who had been accused of subversion. The trial ended with the imprisonment of eight ANC leaders including Mandela. In the speech Mandela tells his story and expresses his views on apartheid.

Memorable quote: “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Tear Down this Wall

Who: President Ronald Reagan

When: June 12, 1987

Why it matters: In a speech delivered at the Berlin Wall President Ronald Reagan challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the wall separating East and West Berlin. Reagan's injunction was delivered over the objections of his advisors, who thought it went too far. The speech is considered to have been a major turning point in the Cold War.

Memorable quote: “ Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

Miscellaneous

The most memorable "speeches" that have changed the world.

Pivotal moments in history have hinged on powerful oratory, leaving an indelible mark on humanity's pursuit of freedom, justice, and equality.

Key Takeaways

• Iconic speeches like Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' and Winston Churchill's 'We Shall Fight on the Beaches' have shaped history and inspired change.
• Leaders like Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, and Susan B. Anthony have defied oppression and advocated for human rights and equality through powerful speeches.
• Influential speeches have sparked collective action, such as Gandhi's Quit India Speech and Mandela's Rivonia Trial speech, leading to significant social and political changes.
• Defining moments in history, like John F. Kennedy's inaugural address and Queen Elizabeth II's Tilbury speech, have altered the course of human events and inspired future generations.
• Passionate pleas for equality, such as Harvey Milk's 'Hope' speech and Malala Yousafzai's UN address, have championed marginalized groups and empowered them to demand justice and equality.

Speeches of Freedom and Justice

Voices Against Oppression

Breaking the Chains

Unheard voices rise, against the tyrant, calls to action for humanity.

• Mahatma Gandhi's Quit India Speeches in 1942 sparked India's struggle for independence through passive resistance.
• Nelson Mandela's Rivonia Trial speech in 1964 inspired the fight against apartheid in South Africa.
• Eleanor Roosevelt's Address to the United Nations on Human Rights led to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights .
• Although Queen Elizabeth II's speeches are often more formal and diplomatic, they still play an essential role in promoting unity and cooperation among nations.

Defining Moments in History

Words That Shaped the Future

• Queen Elizabeth I's Tilbury speech , which boosted English morale during the Spain vs. England rivalry, leading to victory.
• Patrick Henry's 'Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death' speech, which inspired Virginia's role in the Revolutionary War, influencing key figures.
• Mahatma Gandhi's Quit India Speeches , which symbolized India's struggle for independence through passive resistance, culminating in freedom in 1947.
• Eleanor Roosevelt's Address to the United Nations on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which influenced national constitutions globally as the most translated document.

Leaders of Social Change

Passionate Pleas for Equality

• Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech, which called for an end to racial discrimination and inspired the civil rights movement .
• Susan B. Anthony's 'On Women's Right to Vote' speech, which demanded voting rights for women and challenged gender inequality.
• Malala Yousafzai's UN address, which advocated for girls' education and human rights, empowering youth to make a difference.
• Harvey Milk's 'Hope' speech, which championed LGBTQ+ rights and equality, becoming an icon for the LGBTQ+ community.

Iconic Addresses to Nations

Kennedy's Cuban Crisis Call

• The speech was a defining moment in the Cuban Missile Crisis, marking a turning point in the Cold War.
• Kennedy's strong leadership and communication skills helped defuse the situation, avoiding nuclear war.
• The address showcased Kennedy's ability to remain calm under pressure, even in the face of catastrophic consequences .
• The Cuban Crisis Call is remembered as one of the most iconic addresses to a nation in times of crisis.

Roosevelt's Fireside Chats

Courageous voices for reform.

Timeless Messages of Hope

Frequently Asked Questions

What famous speech changed the world?, what is the most influential speech in the world?, what was the greatest speech in history?, what is the most inspirational speech of all time?, how have christian speakers’ speeches changed the world.

The Remarkable Career of "Remi Adeleke Navy" and How He Became a Motivational Legend

The Cutting-Edge "Hotel Development Program" That Will Transform the Industry

You may like

James taylor net worth – the singer-songwriter's financial success.

Discover the astounding net worth of James Taylor and the secrets behind his financial success that keep fans intrigued and wanting more.

James Taylor's net worth is estimated at $80 million, showcasing his impressive financial success as a celebrated singer-songwriter . With over 100 million records sold globally, his music resonates deeply with fans. Taylor has won six Grammy Awards , further solidifying his standing in the industry. His wealth comes not only from record sales but also lucrative concert tours and savvy real estate investments. The timeless appeal of his heartfelt lyrics and powerful melodies guarantees his enduring popularity. If you're curious about his journey and upcoming projects, there's plenty more to explore about this iconic artist's life and contributions. Taylor’s impact on the music world is undeniable, and his influence continues to inspire new generations of musicians. Beyond his musical achievements, Taylor is also known for his philanthropy work, supporting various causes and organizations. As he continues to create and perform, fans eagerly anticipate his next release or tour, eager for the chance to celebrate with loved ones while enjoying his timeless music.

Background Information

James Taylor's childhood in North Carolina played a significant role in shaping his musical journey .

You can't overlook his impressive Grammy Award wins and the notable collaborations that marked his career.

Each of these points contributes to understanding his legacy and net worth.

Childhood in North Carolina

Born in Boston but raised in Chapel Hill , North Carolina, Taylor's childhood laid an essential foundation for his musical journey . Growing up in this tranquil rural environment, you can see how North Carolina shaped his music and songwriting style. He began taking cello lessons at a young age, but it was his discovery of the guitar in 1960 that truly ignited his passion for creating music.

By the age of 14, Taylor wrote his first song , marking the beginning of his artistic expression. He started performing in local coffeehouses around 1963, showcasing his talent and connecting with audiences.

However, his childhood wasn't without challenges. Taylor struggled with severe depression during his formative years, which ultimately led him to a psychiatric hospital in 1965. This difficult period had a profound influence on his songwriting, as Taylor channeled his experiences into his music.

The combination of his North Carolina upbringing and personal struggles provided a rich backdrop for the emotional depth found in his later work, establishing him as a key figure in the folk-rock genre .

Grammy Award Wins

With six Grammy Awards to his name, Taylor's impact on the music industry is undeniable. As a Grammy Award winner, James Taylor has consistently showcased his talent, beginning with his first win in 1971 for the beloved song 'You've Got a Friend.' This victory helped solidify his status as a prominent singer-songwriter .

His self-titled debut album laid the groundwork for a successful career, leading to incredible album sales, including his iconic ' Greatest Hits ' album, which has sold over 11 million copies in the U.S. alone.

Taylor's versatility shines through in his Grammy accolades, which include wins for Best Pop Male Vocal Performance and Best Pop Album. These awards reflect his ability to resonate with a diverse audience and adapt to changing musical landscapes.

With records sold worldwide, his influence extends beyond just awards. In 2000, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, further affirming his legacy in the music community.

James Taylor's Grammy wins not only highlight his artistry but also contribute notably to his financial success and enduring popularity.

Notable Collaborations and Performances

Collaborations and performances have played a considerable role in shaping Taylor's career, showcasing his artistic versatility and enduring appeal. Throughout the years, James Taylor has teamed up with various artists, most prominently Carole King . Their extensive touring and the acclaimed album ' Live at the Troubadour ' in 2010 exemplify the magic they create together.

Taylor's performances at high-profile events, such as the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama, underline his strong connection to American culture and the music industry. His ability to cover songs like 'How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)' and 'Handy Man' has further cemented his reputation as a versatile artist .

Additionally, Taylor's collaborations with orchestras, including the Boston Pops , highlight his skill in blending folk music with orchestral arrangements, making his performances unique. Moreover, his work with other prominent musicians, such as Linda Ronstadt and Yo-Yo Ma, has expanded his reach and solidified his status as a respected figure in the music industry.

All these collaborations and performances contribute greatly to Taylor's legacy and financial success .

Current Updates or Main Focus

You might be excited to hear about James Taylor's recent announcement of a new album , which marks a fresh change into Americana music.

Alongside this musical shift, he's also launched a new charity initiative aimed at supporting aspiring musicians.

These updates not only highlight his evolving artistry but also his commitment to giving back.

New Album Release Announcement

James Taylor's upcoming album , his first in several years, is set to release in early 2024 and promises a blend of original tracks and reimagined classics . With his signature folk-rock sound, this new album release is generating significant excitement among fans and critics alike. Taylor has already teased listeners with a lead single that's received positive feedback, hinting at the quality of the new music to come.

This album marks a significant milestone in Taylor's storied career, reinforcing his status as one of the best-selling musicians in history. To complement the album, he's planning a nationwide tour to promote it, ensuring fans can experience his music live. Given Taylor's enduring popularity and the buzz surrounding this project, tickets for the tour are expected to sell out quickly .

This new endeavor isn't just a creative venture but also a strategic move that could contribute to his financial success. As Taylor continues to evolve as an artist, fans can look forward to an invigorating mix of nostalgia and innovation in his latest work.

Transition to Americana Music

Embracing his deep roots in American folk traditions , Taylor's change to Americana music showcases a distinct sound that resonates with a diverse audience. You can see how this transformation has evolved through his albums since the late 1990s, including 'Hourglass' and 'October Road,' which highlight a more introspective and storytelling approach .

James Taylor's 2015 album, ' Before This World ,' marked a significant milestone, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. This achievement not only reflects his financial success but also solidifies his connection to the Americana genre. The lyrical themes in his music often explore personal and societal narratives, aligning perfectly with the genre's emphasis on emotional authenticity and storytelling.

Collaborations with contemporary Americana artists have further enriched his sound and helped maintain his relevance in an ever-evolving music landscape. These partnerships appeal to both new listeners and long-time fans alike, showcasing how Taylor's artistry continues to flourish within the Americana genre.

His journey illustrates that embracing one's roots can lead to profound creative and financial success in today's music industry.

New Charity Initiative Launch

A new charity initiative has been launched to support mental health awareness and treatment , reflecting James Taylor's personal experiences with depression. This initiative aims to provide essential funding for mental health programs and resources, specifically targeting underserved communities that often lack support.

Taylor has teamed up with various organizations to enhance the initiative's impact and raise awareness around mental health issues. As a part of this effort, he's releasing a new single , with a portion of the proceeds directed toward the charity. This not only helps fund critical programs but also emphasizes the importance of mental health advocacy .

James encourages his fans to get involved by making donations and participating in upcoming fundraising events . By rallying together, you can help amplify the message and resources needed for mental health support. His commitment to this cause highlights the significance of mental health awareness and the need for accessible treatment options.

With your support, this charity initiative can make a substantial difference in countless lives, ensuring that everyone has access to the mental health resources they deserve. Join in to help spread the word and foster a more understanding community .

Detailed Analysis

Now, let's break down some key points about James Taylor's impact beyond his financial success.

You'll see how his recent charity concerts not only boost his reputation but also reflect his musical influences that shaped his career.

Understanding these elements gives you a fuller picture of what contributes to his net worth.

Recent Charity Concert Highlights

While many artists focus solely on their music, James Taylor consistently leverages his performances to champion significant causes through recent charity concerts .

He's actively engaged in philanthropic endeavors , using his platform to raise awareness and funds for critical issues. For instance, his participation in the ' Concert for America ' series helped support civil rights and social justice organizations, showcasing his commitment to these essential causes.

In 2020, Taylor held a virtual concert to benefit COVID-19 relief efforts , demonstrating his responsiveness to the challenges faced by many during the pandemic. This event not only provided financial aid but also uplifted spirits, highlighting the importance of community engagement in tough times.

Additionally, Taylor's involvement in the ' All for the Hall ' concert series supports the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, further illustrating his dedication to charitable work. His concerts often generate significant funds for local charities , creating a positive impact in the communities he performs in.

Charity Work Enhancing Reputation

James Taylor's commitment to charity not only amplifies his impact on pressing social issues but also greatly enhances his reputation as a compassionate and socially conscious artist. His philanthropic efforts, particularly in mental health advocacy , resonate deeply with fans and the broader community.

Having faced his own struggles with depression and hospitalization , Taylor's involvement with organizations like McLean Hospital demonstrates his dedication to raising awareness and providing support for mental health initiatives.

Participating in benefit concerts , such as ' A Concert for Hope ,' he effectively utilizes his platform to advocate for social change. These events not only raise funds but also promote awareness around mental health issues, showing that he genuinely cares.

Beyond mental health, Taylor addresses environmental causes, supporting groups like the Natural Resources Defense Council , which underscores his commitment to preserving the planet .

Through his charity work, Taylor cultivates a reputation that goes beyond that of a traditional musician. He's seen as an artist who leverages his influence for good, inspiring others to engage with important social issues.

This multifaceted approach to philanthropy solidifies his legacy as not just a singer, but a true champion for change .

Musical Influences Shaped His Career

How did the tranquil environment of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, shape the musical journey of this iconic singer-songwriter ? For James Taylor, this serene setting fostered a profound connection to folk and acoustic music , which became the foundation of his career. Early exposure to classical music through cello lessons and his mother's opera aspirations greatly influenced his musical sensibilities.

During his formative years on Martha's Vineyard, collaborations with fellow musicians helped him hone his songwriting and performance skills . This creative environment led to the formation of his band, Flying Machine, solidifying his place in the music scene.

Taylor's mental health struggles and addiction in the 1960s deeply impacted his songwriting. Tracks like “Fire and Rain” poignantly reflect his personal experiences , resonating with many listeners. The diverse musical styles he embraced, including folk, blues, and pop, contributed to his unique sound, which captivated audiences and propelled his success as a singer-songwriter.

Through these musical influences, James Taylor not only crafted his artistic identity but also transformed his challenges into heartfelt music that continues to inspire generations.

Public Reaction or Expert Opinions

As you explore the public's reaction to James Taylor's latest album, you'll notice trending conversations on Twitter that highlight his enduring impact.

Album reviews often praise his lyrical depth and soothing melodies, showcasing expert opinions that reinforce his legendary status .

It's fascinating to see how both fans and industry professionals continue to celebrate his contributions to music.

Twitter Trends During Album Release

During album releases , fans enthusiastically take to Twitter , sharing their excitement and insights on James Taylor's latest music, creating a vibrant buzz around his work. You'll notice how fans flood the platform with their favorite tracks, especially during significant launches like 'Before This World' in 2015. The emotional storytelling in Taylor's lyrics resonates deeply, prompting many to tweet memorable quotes from classics like 'Fire and Rain.'

Expert opinions often highlight Taylor's lasting influence within the singer-songwriter genre, commending his ability to connect through relatable themes. You can see this reflected in the trending hashtags , such as #JamesTaylor and #NewAlbum, which facilitate discussions and allow fans to share their thoughts on his new material.

Additionally, Taylor's collaborations with various artists often spark conversations on Twitter, showcasing his enduring relevance in the music industry . As a fan, engaging in these discussions not only enhances your appreciation of his work but also connects you with a community that shares your passion for his music.

Album Review Highlights

Following the excitement on Twitter during album releases, fans and critics alike have provided insightful reactions to James Taylor 's latest works, highlighting his continued relevance in the music scene.

His iconic album, *Sweet Baby James *, remains a touchstone, with its emotional depth resonating strongly with listeners. Critics often reference how this album, which sold over 3 million copies, set the stage for his future success.

Taylor's ability to craft songs with profound emotional resonance is evident in his Grammy Award-winning single , ' You've Got a Friend ,' from *Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon*. This track, alongside his biggest hit singles, showcases how he effortlessly blends folk and pop influences while connecting with audiences on a personal level.

His *Greatest Hits * album, certified Diamond for selling 11 million copies, is a reflection of his lasting impact on the music industry. Album review highlights consistently celebrate his storytelling prowess and the authenticity of his performances, solidifying his position as a pivotal figure in American music.

With each release, Taylor continues to enchant fans and critics, proving his artistry is as crucial today as it was decades ago.

Industry Experts Weigh In

Industry experts agree that James Taylor's enduring popularity stems from his unique ability to connect with audiences through heartfelt lyrics and powerful melodies .

His estimated net worth of $80 million is a reflection of his financial success as a five-time Grammy Award-winning artist. With over 100 million records sold globally, Taylor's consistent album sales have solidified his position as one of the best-selling musicians of all time.

Experts also highlight the impact of lucrative concert tours and significant royalties from his timeless hits, such as “You've Got a Friend” and “Fire and Rain.” These revenue streams contribute substantially to his wealth.

In addition, Taylor's savvy real estate investments , including a 145-acre estate on Martha's Vineyard valued at $10-$20 million, showcase his financial acumen.

Analysts note that Taylor's ability to maintain popularity over five decades, combined with his philanthropic efforts , enhances his marketability and earning potential.

In comparison to other influential artists, Taylor ranks alongside Carly Simon, each with an estimated net worth of $80 million, while Joni Mitchell leads with $150 million. This enduring legacy underscores the lasting impact of James Taylor in the music industry.

Broader Implications

When you think about James Taylor's impact , it's clear he shaped the singer-songwriter genre in ways that still resonate today.

His upcoming documentary promises to shed light on his life and career, offering insights into his cultural influence on songwriting.

Understanding these aspects not only highlights his legacy but also underscores the broader significance of his work in music history.

Impact on Singer-Songwriter Genre

James Taylor's profound influence on the singer-songwriter genre reshaped the musical landscape, inspiring a generation of artists to explore personal storytelling through their music.

His breakthrough album, *Sweet Baby James *, released in 1970, played a pivotal role in popularizing the soft rock style that became synonymous with the singer-songwriter movement. Taylor's introspective lyricism and soothing melodies set a standard that many aspiring musicians sought to emulate.

The Grammy-winning single 'You've Got a Friend' not only showcased his talent but also established a template for emotional and relatable songwriting .

With over 100 million records sold globally, Taylor's commercial success proved that the singer-songwriter format could thrive in the music industry, prompting record labels to invest in similar artists.

His induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 further cements his legacy, highlighting the lasting impact he'd on the genre.

Upcoming Documentary on His Life

An upcoming documentary on the legendary musician promises to explore the complexities of his life, revealing both his triumphs and struggles in an engaging narrative that resonates with fans and newcomers alike. This film investigates deep into James Taylor's journey, addressing his battles with addiction and mental health while celebrating his musical achievements.

As a Grammy-winning artist , Taylor's impact on the music industry is undeniable. With over 100 million album sales worldwide , he's not just a musician; he's a cultural icon. The documentary will highlight key milestones in his career, showcasing how his songs have influenced generations.

What makes this film particularly compelling is its intimate look at Taylor's relationships . Through interviews with family members, collaborators, and fellow musicians, you'll gain personal insights into his creative process and the dynamics that shaped his legacy.

Cultural Influence on Songwriting

Throughout his career, Taylor's deeply personal songwriting hasn't only resonated with listeners but also shaped the landscape of contemporary American music. His songs, like 'Fire and Rain' and 'You've Got a Friend,' showcase emotional authenticity that speaks to universal experiences. You can see how his struggles with depression and addiction have influenced his lyrics, allowing listeners to connect on a profound level.

James Taylor's ability to weave cultural themes into his music has paved the way for countless musicians. By blending folk, blues , and pop styles, he established a template for singer-songwriters that emphasizes storytelling and emotional depth . His collaboration on 'You've Got a Friend' with Carole King exemplifies the spirit of the music industry, intertwining their legacies and showcasing the power of friendship and support.

As you explore Taylor's body of work, you can appreciate how his influence extends beyond his own career. He's inspired artists like Carole King and Joni Mitchell, demonstrating the lasting impact of his songwriting. Taylor's exploration of relationships and human connection continues to reflect broader societal sentiments, contributing to his enduring relevance in the music landscape.

How Much Money Does James Taylor Make?

You'll find that James Taylor makes significant money from concert tours, album sales, and royalties. His performances can net over $1 million each, while his albums have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.

Did James Taylor Serve in Vietnam?

No, James Taylor didn't serve in Vietnam. He was exempted from the draft due to mental health issues and a history of depression, which greatly influenced his life and music throughout the years.

What Does James Taylor's Daughter Do?

Sally Taylor, James Taylor's daughter, creates music and visual art, co-founding 'Sally Taylor's Music' to promote community engagement. She's passionate about her artistic identity and actively supports mental health awareness through her philanthropic efforts.

Did James Taylor Serve in the Military?

No, James Taylor didn't serve in the military. He was classified as 4-F during the Vietnam War due to mental health struggles, which influenced his music and shaped his advocacy for mental health awareness.

To sum up, James Taylor's financial success reflects not just his musical talent but also his ability to connect with audiences over decades.

As you explore his journey, you can see how his authenticity and passion resonate deeply with fans.

This connection not only boosts his net worth but also solidifies his legacy in the music industry.

Ultimately, Taylor's story inspires aspiring artists to chase their dreams while reminding us of the value of heartfelt songwriting .

Renting Furniture: A Smart College Choice

Make your college living stylish and affordable with furniture rentals—discover how this choice can transform your experience without breaking the bank!

Financial Benefits of Renting

Simplified Moving Process

Quality and style of rentals.

Flexibility for Student Life

• Easily switch styles : Whether you want a modern vibe or a cozy atmosphere, you can choose furniture that matches your evolving taste.
• Adjust to new spaces : Different dorms or apartments come with unique layouts, and renting lets you configure your furniture to fit any environment.
• Commit short-term : With no long-term obligations, you can focus on your studies and enjoy your college experience without worrying about furniture ownership.

Modern Alternatives to Ownership

What Happens if I Accidentally Damage Rented Furniture?

Can i rent furniture for less than a month?, are there delivery fees for renting furniture?, can i purchase rented furniture later?, what furniture items are typically included in rental packages?, why should college students consider renting furniture for their apartments, accepted! your next steps in med school.

Learn essential steps to prepare for med school acceptance and discover how to navigate this exciting journey ahead!

Estimate a Budget

Find a Place to Live

Enjoy your last summer.

Get Into a New Routine

Moving with cort.

What Should I Pack for My First Week of Medical School?

How can i manage stress during my first semester?, are there scholarships available specifically for medical students?, what resources are available for academic support in med school?, how do i build a study group effectively?, what are the next steps for med school graduates looking to move to a new location.

Affiliate disclaimer

As an affiliate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. We get commissions for purchases made through links on this website from Amazon and other third parties.

Book Review: “The Creative Spark: Unleashing Your Inner Artist”

Igniting Creativity in the Digital Era In an age where digital distractions often stifle our innate creativity, “The Creative Spark:...

“Survival Guide for New Dads”: A Game-Changer for Modern Fathers

Becoming a dad is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. That’s where “Survival Guide for New Dads: The Ultimate...

15 Best Father's Day Gifts for Husband From Kids That Will Make His Day Special

Hunt for the perfect Father's Day gift for your husband from the kids with these 15 heartwarming and unique ideas...

13 Best Unique Father's Day Gifts for Your Husband – Show Him Love and Appreciation

Wondering how to surprise your husband this Father's Day? Discover unique gifts like a mobile phone stand with Bluetooth, a...

12 Best Tech-Fan Dad Gifts to Wow Him on Father's Day

Curious about the perfect Father's Day gift for your tech-loving dad?

13 Best Tech-Fan Dad Father's Day Gifts to Wow Him This Year

Impress your tech-loving dad this Father's Day with these 13 innovative gifts that will leave him speechless and grateful.

12 Best Tech Gifts for the Ultimate Tech-Fan Dad

Uncover the top tech gifts for the ultimate tech-fan dad, from Georgia Tech signs to Texas Tech emblems, and find...

15 Best Tech-Dad Gifts That Will Make Him Feel Like a Tech Savvy Superhero

Curate the ultimate gift list for tech-savvy dads with gadgets that will leave them feeling like superheroes—find out what awaits!

13 Best Tech-Dad Father's Day Gifts to Wow Your Dad This Year

Get ready to surprise Dad with the coolest tech gifts this Father's Day, including LED Flashlight Gloves, Smart Heated Coffee...

11 Best Tech Gifts for Dads Who Love Gadgets and Gizmos

For tech-savvy dads who love gadgets, discover the perfect Father's Day gifts starting with the letter 'F' in this exciting...

14 Best Tech Gifts He'll Love in 2024 – Perfect Presents for Every Budget

Prepare to surprise him with the 14 best tech gifts in 2024 - perfect presents for every budget that'll leave...

9 Best Gifts for the Sports Fanatic Dad in Your Life

Hunting for the perfect gift for a sports fanatic dad?

Avoiding Life’s Pitfalls: The 12 Most Common Mistakes

15 TED Talks that will Motivate you to Self Improvement

Top Motivating Speakers to Inspire You in 2024

10 "Best Motivational Speeches of All Time" That Will Inspire You to Achieve Greatness

Fun Facts About the Olympics You Didn't Know

The Importance of Kindness: Why It Matters

Spirit Animals of Growth: Symbolism in Self-Improvement

Famous Christian Athletes: Stories of Faith and Perseverance

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

The Two-Way

Nelson mandela, 1918-2013, listen: two mandela speeches that made history.

Eyder Peralta

South African National Congress President Nelson Mandela delivers an address in 1990. Trevor Samson/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

South African National Congress President Nelson Mandela delivers an address in 1990.

There were two speeches Nelson Mandela delivered that changed the course of history and cemented his legacy as one of the most revered leaders of our time.

The first happened in 1964, when Mandela was put on trial for sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the state. The second is the speech Mandela gave in 1994 when he was inaugurated as president.

As The New York Times explains it , Mandela along with other members of the South African National Congress (ANC) decided to admit they tried to bring down the regime, but while doing so, they would also put on trial the systematic racism put in place by the white regime.

During the nearly four-hour speech to open the trial that would see him sentenced to 27 years in prison, Mandela laid out the plight of blacks in South Africa. But he also spoke of how blacks and whites had shared dreams. The Times quotes Mandela's biographer as saying that the speech — "the most eloquent of his life" — established Mandela not just as a leader of the ANC, but as the leader of the "international movement against apartheid."

We've isolated the final 10 minutes of the speech, which are the most emotional part. It ends with the coda that Mandela is best remembered for:

The lack of human dignity experienced by Africans is the direct result of the policy of white supremacy. White supremacy implies black inferiority. Legislation designed to preserve white supremacy entrenches this notion. Menial tasks in South Africa are invariably performed by Africans. When anything has to be carried or cleaned the white man will look around for an African to do it for him, whether the African is employed by him or not. Because of this sort of attitude, whites tend to regard Africans as a separate breed. They do not look upon them as people with families of their own; they do not realise that we have emotions — that we fall in love like white people do; that we want to be with their wives and children like white people want to be with theirs; that we want to earn money, enough money to support our families properly, to feed and clothe them and send them to school. And what 'house-boy' or 'garden-boy' or labourer can ever hope to do this? Pass laws, which to the Africans are among the most hated bits of legislation in South Africa, render any African liable to police surveillance at any time. I doubt whether there is a single African male in South Africa who has not at some stage had a brush with the police over his pass. Hundreds and thousands of Africans are thrown into jail each year under pass laws. Even worse than this is the fact that pass laws keep husband and wife apart and lead to the breakdown of family life. Poverty and the breakdown of family life have secondary effects. Children wander about the streets of the townships because they have no schools to go to, or no money to enable them to go to school, or no parents at home to see that they go to school, because both parents, if there be two, have to work to keep the family alive. This leads to a breakdown in moral standards, to an alarming rise in illegitimacy, and to growing violence which erupts not only politically, but everywhere. Life in the townships is dangerous. There is not a day that goes by without somebody being stabbed or assaulted. And violence is carried out of the townships into the white living areas. People are afraid to walk alone in the streets after dark. Housebreakings and robberies are increasing, despite the fact that the death sentence can now be imposed for such offences. Death sentences cannot cure the festering sore. The only cure is to alter the conditions under which Africans are forced to live and to meet their legitimate grievances. Africans want to be paid a living wage. Africans want to perform work which they are capable of doing, and not work which the Government declares them to be capable of. We want to be allowed to live where we obtain work, and not be endorsed out of an area because we were not born there. We want to be allowed and not to be obliged to live in rented houses which we can never call our own. We want to be part of the general population, and not confined to living in our ghettoes. African men want to have their wives and children to live with them where they work, and not to be forced into an unnatural existence in men's hostels. Our women want to be with their men folk and not to be left permanently widowed in the reserves. We want to be allowed out after eleven o'clock at night and not to be confined to our rooms like little children. We want to be allowed to travel in our own country and to seek work where we want to, where we want to and not where the Labour Bureau tells us to. We want a just share in the whole of South Africa; we want security and a stake in society. Above all, My Lord, we want equal political rights, because without them our disabilities will be permanent. I know this sounds revolutionary to the whites in this country, because the majority of voters will be Africans. This makes the white man fear democracy. But this fear cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the only solution which will guarantee racial harmony and freedom for all. It is not true that the enfranchisement of all will result in racial domination. Political division, based on colour, is entirely artificial and, when it disappears, so will the domination of one colour group by another. The ANC has spent half a century fighting against racialism. When it triumphs as it certainly must, it will not change that policy. This then is what the ANC is fighting. Our struggle is a truly national one. It is a struggle of the African people, inspired by our own suffering and our own experience. It is a struggle for the right to live. [someone coughs] During my lifetime I have dedicated my life to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal for which I hope to live for and to see realised. But, My Lord, if it needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.

As we know, Mandela did make it out of Robben Island. Remarkably, he went from being an accused terrorist to leading the country through its first free elections and becoming its first black president.

In 1994, he delivered his inaugural address , and instead of launching accusations at the white regime that had incarcerated him and oppressed his people for hundreds of years, he preached reconciliation.

"The time for the healing of the wounds has come," he said. "The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come. The time to build is upon us."

He concluded:

"Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world. "The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement "Let freedom reign. God bless Africa."

• Nelson Mandela

10 of the Most Famous and Inspirational Speeches from History

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

What makes a great and iconic speech? There are numerous examples of brilliant orators and speechmakers throughout history, from classical times to the present day. What the best speeches tend to have in common are more than just a solid intellectual argument: they have emotive power, or, for want of a more scholarly word, ‘heart’. Great speeches rouse us to action, or move us to tears – or both.

But of course, historic speeches are often also associated with landmark, or watershed, moments in a nation’s history: when Churchill delivered his series of wartime speeches to Britain in 1940, it was against the backdrop of a war which was still in its early, uncertain stages. And when Martin Luther King stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963, he was addressing a crowd who, like him, were marching for justice, freedom, and civil rights for African Americans.

Let’s take a closer look at ten of the best and most famous speeches from great moments in history.

Abraham Lincoln, ‘ Gettysburg Address ’ (1863).

The Gettysburg Address is one of the most famous speeches in American history, yet it was extremely short – just 268 words, or less than a page of text – and Abraham Lincoln, who gave the address, wasn’t even the top billing .

The US President Abraham Lincoln gave this short address at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on 19 November 1863. At the time, the American Civil War was still raging, and the Battle of Gettysburg had been the bloodiest battle in the war, with an estimated 23,000 casualties.

Lincoln’s speech has been remembered while Edward Everett’s – the main speech delivered on that day – has long been forgotten because Lincoln eschewed the high-flown allusions and wordy style of most political orators of the nineteenth century. Instead, he addresses his audience in plain, homespun English that is immediately relatable and accessible.

Sojourner Truth, ‘ Ain’t I a Woman? ’ (1851).

Sometimes known as ‘Ar’n’t I a Woman?’, this is a speech which Sojourner Truth, a freed African slave living in the United States, delivered in 1851 at the Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio. The women in attendance were being challenged to call for the right to vote.

In her speech, Sojourner Truth attempts to persuade the audience to give women the vote . As both an ex-slave and a woman, Sojourner Truth knew about the plight of both groups of people in the United States. Her speech shows her audience the times: change is coming, and it is time to give women the rights that should be theirs.

John Ball, ‘ Cast off the Yoke of Bondage ’ (1381).

The summer of 1381 was a time of unrest in England. The so-called ‘Peasants’ Revolt’, led by Wat Tyler (in actual fact, many of the leaders of the revolt were more well-to-do than your average peasant), gathered force until the rebels stormed London, executing a number of high-ranking officials, including the Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor, Simon Sudbury.

Alongside Tyler, the priest John Ball was an important leading figure of the rebellion. His famous couplet, ‘When Adam delved and Eve span, / Who was then the gentleman?’ sums up the ethos of the Peasants’ Revolt: social inequality was unheard of until men created it.

Winston Churchill, ‘ We Shall Fight on the Beaches ’ (1940).

Winston Churchill had only recently assumed the role of UK Prime Minister when he gave the trio of wartime speeches which have gone down in history for their rhetorical skill and emotive power. This, for our money, is the best of the three.

Churchill gave this speech in the House of Commons on 4 June 1940. Having brought his listeners up to speed with what has happened, Churchill comes to the peroration of his speech : by far the most famous part. He reassures them that if nothing is neglected and all arrangements are made, he sees no reason why Britain cannot once more defend itself against invasion: something which, as an island nation, it has always been susceptible to by sea, and now by air.

Even if it takes years, and even if Britain must defend itself alone without any help from its allies, this is what must happen. Capitulation to the Nazis is not an option. The line ‘if necessary for years; if necessary, alone’ is sure to send a shiver down the spine, as is the way Churchill barks ‘we shall never surrender!’ in the post-war recording of the speech he made several years later.

William Faulkner, ‘ The Agony and the Sweat ’ (1950).

This is the title sometimes given to one of the most memorable Nobel Prize acceptance speeches: the American novelist William Faulkner’s acceptance of the Nobel Prize for Literature at Stockholm in 1950.

In his speech, Faulkner makes his famous statement about the ‘duty’ of writers: that they should write about ‘the human heart in conflict with itself’, as well as emotions and themes such as compassion, sacrifice, courage, and hope. He also emphasises that being a writer is hard work, and involves understanding human nature in all its complexity. But good writing should also remind readers what humankind is capable of.

Emmeline Pankhurst, ‘ The Plight of Women ’ (1908).

Pankhurst (1858-1928) was the leader of the British suffragettes, campaigning – and protesting – for votes for women. After she realised that Asquith’s Liberal government were unlikely to grand women the vote, the Women’s Social and Political Union, founded by Pankhurst with her daughter Christabel, turned to more militant tactics to shift public and parliamentary opinion.

Her emphasis in this speech is on the unhappy lot most women could face, in marriage and in motherhood. She also shows how ‘man-made’ the laws of England are, when they are biased in favour of men to the detriment of women’s rights.

This speech was given at the Portman Rooms in London in 1908; ten years later, towards the end of the First World War, women over 30 were finally given the vote. But it would be another ten years, in 1928 – the year of Pankhurst’s death – before the voting age for women was equal to that for men (21 years).

Franklin Roosevelt, ‘ The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself ’ (1933).

This is the title by which Roosevelt’s speech at his inauguration in 1933 has commonly become known, and it has attained the status of a proverb. Roosevelt was elected only a few years after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 which ushered in the Great Depression.

Roosevelt’s famous line in the speech, which offered hope to millions of Americans dealing with unemployment and poverty, was probably inspired by a line from Henry David Thoreau, a copy of whose writings FDR had been gifted shortly before his inauguration. The line about having nothing to fear except fear itself was, in fact, only added into the speech the day before the inauguration took place, but it ensured that the speech went down in history.

Marcus Tullius Cicero, ‘ Among Us You Can Dwell No Longer ’ (63 BC).

Of all of the great classical orators, perhaps the greatest of all was the Roman statesman, philosopher, and speechmaker, Cicero (whose name literally means ‘chickpea’).

This is probably his best-known speech. At the Temple of Jupiter in Rome, Cicero addressed the crowd, but specifically directed his comments towards Lucius Catiline, who was accused of plotting a conspiracy to set fire to the capital and stage and insurrection. The speech was considered such a fine example of Roman rhetoric that it was a favourite in classrooms for centuries after, as Brian MacArthur notes in The Penguin Book of Historic Speeches .

Queen Elizabeth I, ‘ The Heart and Stomach of a King ’ (1588).

Queen Elizabeth I’s speech to the troops at Tilbury is among the most famous and iconic speeches in English history. On 9 August 1588, Elizabeth addressed the land forces which had been mobilised at the port of Tilbury in Essex, in preparation for the expected invasion of England by the Spanish Armada.

When she gave this speech, Elizabeth was in her mid-fifties and her youthful beauty had faded. But she had learned rhetoric as a young princess, and this training served her well when she wrote and delivered this speech (she was also a fairly accomplished poet ).

She famously tells her troops: ‘I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too’. She acknowledged the fact that her body was naturally less masculine and strong than the average man’s, but it is not mere physical strength that will win the day. It is courage that matters.

Martin Luther King, ‘ I Have a Dream ’ (1963).

Let’s conclude this selection of the best inspirational speeches with the best-known of all of Martin Luther King’s speeches. The occasion for this piece of oratorical grandeur was the march on Washington , which saw some 210,000 men, women, and children gather at the Washington Monument in August 1963, before marching to the Lincoln Memorial. King reportedly stayed up until 4am the night before he was due to give the speech, writing it out.

King’s speech imagines a collective vision of a better and more equal America which is not only shared by many Black Americans, but by anyone who identifies with their fight against racial injustice, segregation, and discrimination.

Discover more from Interesting Literature

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Type your email…

1 thought on “10 of the Most Famous and Inspirational Speeches from History”

• Pingback: Top Motivational Speeches That Shook the World - Kiiky

Comments are closed.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Biography Online

Famous speeches that changed the world

A list of famous speeches that changed the world.

Ten Commandments by Moses – 14th century BC – I [am] the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. – Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

King James Bible, Exodus Chapter 20.

Socrates Apology, 399 BC “And now, O men who have condemned me, I would fain prophesy to you; for I am about to die, and in the hour of death men are gifted with prophetic power. And I prophesy to you who are my murderers, that immediately after my departure punishment far heavier than you have inflicted on me will surely await you…If you think that by killing men you can prevent some one from censuring your evil lives, you are mistaken; that is not a way of escape which is either possible or honourable; the easiest and the noblest way is not to be disabling others, but to be improving yourselves. This is the prophecy which I utter before my departure to the judges who have condemned me.”

Socrates ‘ Apology according to Plato, delivered at Athens, Greece – 399 BC.

Muhammad’s Farewell Sermon AD 632 “O people! Listen to what I say, and take it to heart. I leave you with the Book of Allah, and the sunnah of His Prophet. If you follow them, you will never go astray. You must know that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. You are equal. You are members of one common brotherhood. It is forbidden for any of you to take from his brother save what the latter should willingly give. Do not oppress your people.”

Muhammad Mecca in the year AD 632

The Sermon on the Mount – Jesus Christ (AD 30.) “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” Read more

The Sermon on the Mount is considered the heart of Jesus’s teachings which emphasise the role of compassion, forgiveness and those who dedicate their life to God.

Speech before Spanish Amarda – Queen Elizabeth I (1588) “I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king – and of a King of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which, rather than any dishonor should grow by me, I myself will take up arms – I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field.”

Speech delivered by Queen Elizabeth I at Tilbury, Essex, England – 1588. It was given as the Spanish Armada threatened invasion of Britain. Read more

Call to the first Crusade Pope Urban II 1095

In 1095, Pope Urban II gave a very influential speech where he called on all Christians to reclaim the Holy Lands for Christians. It united Christians in Europe with a sense of purpose, but led to two centuries of bitter conflict and lasting division.

“I, or rather the Lord, beseech you as Christ’s heralds to publish this everywhere and to persuade all people of whatever rank, foot-soldiers and knights, poor and rich, to carry aid promptly to those Christians and to destroy that vile race from the lands of our friends. I say this to those who are present, it is meant also for those who are absent. Moreover, Christ commands it… ”

Fulcher of Chartres version of Pope Urban II ’s speech.

Address to Federal Convention – Benjamin Franklin 1787 “Much of the strength and efficiency of any Government in procuring and securing happiness to the people, depends. on opinion, on the general opinion of the goodness of the Government, as well as well as of the wisdom and integrity of its Governors. I hope therefore that for our own sakes as a part of the people, and for the sake of posterity, we shall act heartily and unanimously in recommending this Constitution (if approved by Congress and confirmed by the Conventions) wherever our influence may extend, and turn our future thoughts and endeavors to the means of having it well administered.”

Benjamin Franklin , Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – September 17, 1787.

First Inaugural Address – Thomas Jefferson 1801 “Still one thing more, fellow-citizens — a wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government, and this is necessary to close the circle of our felicities”

Thomas Jefferson ‘s First Inaugural Address, delivered at Washington D.C. – March 4, 1801

Monroe Doctrine 1823 on US Foreign policy “It is still the true policy of the United States to leave the parties to themselves, in the hope that other powers will pursue the same course.”

President James Monroe’s Seventh Annual Message to Congress, delivered at Washington D.C. — December 2, 1823.

Let him who loves his country follow me – Giuseppe Garibaldi, July 2, 1849 “Soldiers, I am going out from Rome. Let those who wish to continue the war against the stranger, come with me. I offer neither pay, nor quarters, nor provisions. I offer hunger, thirst, forced marches, battles, and death. Let him who loves his country follow me.”

Giuseppe Garibaldi – Italian Revolutionary who united Italy. The speech was given, whilst injured, in Rome, 1849. A United Kingdom of Italy was officially established on March 17, 1861.

Ain’t I a Woman? – Soujourner Truth 1851 “Then that little man in black there, he says women can’t have as much rights as men, ’cause Christ wasn’t a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him. If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them. Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain’t got nothing more to say.”

Sojourner Truth – Ain’t I a Woman speech, given at the Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio – May 28, 1851

The Meaning of the Fourth of July to a Negro (1852) – Frederick Douglass “Fellow-citizens, above your national, tumultuous joy, I hear the mournful wail of millions! whose chains, heavy and grievous yesterday, are, to-day, rendered more intolerable by the jubilee shouts that reach them. If I do forget, if I do not faithfully remember those bleeding children of sorrow this day, “may my right hand forget her cunning, and may my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth!” To forget them, to pass lightly over their wrongs, and to chime in with the popular theme, would be treason most scandalous and shocking, and would make me a reproach before God and the world. My subject, then, fellow-citizens, is American slavery.”

Frederick Douglass, escaped slave who was a noted abolitionist activist. The speech was made nine years before the start of the American Civil War and eleven years before the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Gettysburg Address – A. Lincoln (1863) “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. …that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government: of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

– Abraham Lincoln  19th November 1863. Read more

Solitude of Self (1892) – Elizabeth Cady Stanton “The strongest reason why we ask for woman a voice in the government under which she lives; in the religion she is asked to believe; equality in social life, where she is the chief factor; a place in the trades and professions, where she may earn her bread, is because of her birthright to self-sovereignty; because, as an individual, she must rely on herself.”

– Speech delivered to US Congress by  Elizabeth Cady Stanton making a passionate case for equal rights for women.

Address to the World Parliament of Religions (1893) – Swami Vivekananda “I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and nations of the earth.”

–  Speech by Swami Vivekananda , 11th September 1893. A call for religious tolerance and religious harmony was a highlight of the Inaugural World Parliament of Religions in Chicago (1893). It raised the possibility of interfaith harmony and tolerance.

Freedom or Death (1913) – Emily Pankhurst – Call for Women’s suffrage. “We women see so clearly the fact that the only way to deal with this thing is to raise the status of women; first the political status, then the industrial and the social status of women. You must make women count as much as men; you must have an equal standard of morals; and the only way to enforce that is through giving women political power so that you can get that equal moral standard registered in the laws of the country.”

– Call for Women’s suffrage by British suffragette Emily Pankhurst

Power to the Soviets – (September 1917). – Vladimir I. Lenin “Democracy is the rule of the majority. As long as the will of the majority was not clear, as long as it was possible to make it out to be unclear, at least with a grain of plausibility, the people were offered a counter-revolutionary bourgeois government disguised as “democratic.” But this delay could not last long. During the several months that have passed since February 27 the will of the majority of the workers and peasants, of the overwhelming majority of the country’s population, has become clear in more than a general sense. Their will has found expression in mass organisations—the Soviet’s of Workers’, Soldiers’ and Peasants’ Deputies.”

– Lenin makes the call for Bolsheviks to cease power during the Russian revolution and the triumph of Communism over Tsarist Russia.

The World Must be made safe for Democracy 2nd April 1917. – Woodrow Wilson “The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquest, no dominion. We seek no indemnities for ourselves, no material compensation for the sacrifices we shall freely make. We are but one of the champions of the rights of mankind. We shall be satisfied when those rights have been made as secure as the faith and the freedom of nations can make them.”

In this speech by  Woodrow Wilson , he announced the US entry into the First World War, but also maintained the ideals of international friendship and the hope for a future League of Nations, the forerunner of the United Nations and the ideal of international cooperation. Read more.

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself – (March 4th 1933) – Franklin D. Roosevelt “This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.”

– First Inaugural address of F.D. Roosevelt 1933 at the height of the Great Depression in America. Roosevelt went on to be president for the next 12 years. Read more

I have nothing to offer but blood, sweat, toil and tears – Winston Churchill, 13th May 1940. “I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined this government: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.”

Winston Churchill   speaking to the Houses of Parliament on accepting the job of Prime Minister in Britain’s darkest hour. Firmly rejecting a deal with Nazi Germany, Churchill resolved to carry on the fight.

The Flame of French Resistance – Charles De Gaulle June 18th 1940 “Must we abandon all hope? Is our defeat final and irremediable? To those questions I answer – No! Speaking in full knowledge of the facts, I ask you to believe me when I say that the cause of France is not lost. The very factors that brought about our defeat may one day lead us to victory. For, remember this, France does not stand alone. She is not isolated. ”

– Flame of French Resistance speech, delivered by Charles De Gaulle at BBC London, UK – June 18, 1940. With the rapid capitulation of France to the Nazi invasion. Charles de Gaulle maintained French pride and sowed the seeds of the French resistance movement.

Speech to United Nations on UN declaration of Human Rights (1947) – Eleanor Roosevelt “At a time when there are so many issues on which we find it difficult to reach a common basis of agreement, it is a significant fact that 58 states have found such a large measure of agreement in the complex field of human rights. This must be taken as testimony of our common aspiration first voiced in the Charter of the United Nations to lift men everywhere to a higher standard of life and to a greater enjoyment of freedom. Man’s desire for peace lies behind this Declaration.”

Delivered by Eleanor Roosevelt on 9 December 1948 in Paris, France. It marked the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations.

A Tryst with destiny – Jawaharlal Nehru, August 14th 1947 “Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long supressed, finds utterance. ”

On the eve of India’s historic independence, Jawaharlal Nehru speaks on the challenges and aspirations of the world’s largest democracy.

The Cult of the Individual   – Nikita Khrushchev, – December 5th 1956. “At present, we are concerned with how the cult of Stalin has been gradually growing, the cult which became the source of a whole series of exceedingly serious perversions of party principles, of party democracy, of revolutionary legality.”

For decades Stalin’s repressive dictatorship had tyrannised the Soviet Union. Khrushchev spoke the unspeakable and implicitly criticised the excesses of the Stalin era.

The Winds of Change Harold MacMillan – February 3rd 1960. “The wind of change is blowing through this continent. Whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact.”

Harold MacMillan, British Prime Minister speaking on South Africa’s need to reform its apartheid system.

Ask not what your country can do for you – John F Kennedy, (January 20th 1961) “In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility — I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavour will light our country and all who serve it — and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”

– Inaugural Address of John F Kennedy offering a new vision for America. His youthful exuberance set the tone for the radical decade of change which epitomised the 1960s.

I Have a Dream – Martin Luther King – 28th, August 1963 “Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

– Martin Luther King gave this speech at the Lincoln Memorial in the summer of 1963. It was a rallying call for the Civil Rights Movement and helped bolster the liberal Civil Rights Movement. King drew on the mythical foundations of America but pointed out how far there was still to go for the dream of equality to be realised. After highlighting the injustices of the current age, King offered a vision of how society and race relations could be transformed

An Idea for which I am prepared to die   – Nelson Mandela. April 20th 1964 “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Speech given by Nelson Mandela – at his trial in 1964. He spent the next 20 years of his life in prison for opposing apartheid, but this speech helped to galvanise opinion against the unfairness of apartheid.

Love Begins at Home – Mother Teresa – 1979 “Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do. It is to God Almighty. How much we do it does not matter, because He is infinite, but how much love we put in that action. How much we do to Him in the person that we are serving.”

Speech by Mother Teresa – on receiving the Nobel Prize in 1979

Free at Last – Nelson Mandela – 2 May 1994 “You have shown such a calm, patient determination to reclaim this country as your own. And joy that we can loudly proclaim from the rooftops – Free at Last! I stand before you humbled by your courage, with a heart full of love for all of you. I regard it as the highest honor to lead the ANC at this moment in our history, and that we have been chosen to lead our country into the new century.

– Nelson Mandela   after winning first democratic election in South Africa, Johannesburg 2 May 1994.

Freedom of choice – Mikhail Gorbachev, 7 December 1988. “Freedom of choice is a universal principle to which there should be no exceptions…. Relations between the Soviet Union and the United States of America span 5 1/2 decades. The world has changed, and so have the nature, role, and place of these relations in world politics. For too long they were built under the banner of confrontation, and sometimes of hostility, either open or concealed. But in the last few years, throughout the world people were able to heave a sigh of relief, thanks to the changes for the better in the substance and atmosphere of the relations between Moscow and Washington.”

Speech to UN General Assembly by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1988. It marked the transition of the USSR to non-Communist state and a thaw in Cold War tensions.

Page citation: Tejvan Pettinger , www.biographyonline.net 11th July 2014, “ Speeches that changed the world “. Oxford, UK. Last updated 5th March 2019

Speeches That Changed the World

Speeches That Changed the World at Amazon

Related pages

Inventions that changed the world – Famous inventions that made a great difference to the progress of the world, including aluminium, the telephone and the printing press.

Improve your practice.

Enhance your soft skills with a range of award-winning courses.

3 Speeches that Changed the World

March 5, 2021 - Dom Barnard

These are 3 speeches that changed the world in very different ways. We describe the background to the speech and what we can learn from each one.

1. Martin Luther King, Jr. (‘I Have A Dream’)

Martin Luther King’s speech I Have a Dream was delivered during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, and is our number one for speeches that changed the world.

King was the sixteenth out of eighteen people to speak that day, and calls for an end to racism in the United States and called for civil and economic rights. Delivered to over 250,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the speech was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement.

The following day, the New York Times writer James Reston wrote: “Dr. King touched all the themes of the day, only better than anybody else. He was full of the symbolism of Lincoln and Gandhi, and the cadences of the Bible.

He was both militant and sad, and he sent the crowd away feeling that the long journey had been worthwhile”. You can read further analysis of the speech from  The New York Times .

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

“It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of colour are concerned. Instead of honouring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check that has come back marked insufficient funds.”

What can we learn?

• King uses a  literary device technique  of constant repetition of key phrases, including the famous “I have a dream”, which is used 8 times throughout his speech.
• The careful choice of wording – create urgency for the listener. The phrase “Now is the time” is used four times in a row to urge the audience to take immediate action.
• Quoting important events, mentioning the Declaration of Independence and other decrees.

2. Winston Churchill (‘We shall fight on the beaches’)

We Shall Fight on the Beaches speech was given by Winston Churchill to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 4 June 1940. This was the second of three major speeches given around the period of the Battle of France.

Churchill had taken over as the British Prime Minister on 10 May, eight months after the outbreak of World War II in Europe. He had done so as the head of a multiparty coalition government, which had replaced the previous government as a result of dissatisfaction with the conduct of the war.

In this speech, Churchill had to describe a great military disaster, and warn of a possible invasion attempt by Nazi Germany, without casting doubt on eventual victory.

He also had to prepare his domestic audience for France’s falling out of the war without in any way releasing the French Republic to do so, and wished to reiterate a policy and an aim unchanged from his speech of 13 May, in which he had declared the goal of “victory, however long and hard the road may be”.  Full transcript . Watch the clip below to understand why we’ve selected this as one of the speeches that changed the world.

“We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender”

“We shall prove ourselves once more able to defend our island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone”

• Repetition on key phrase ‘We shall fight’ is mentioned 7 times in the same section of his speech.
• Many pauses and  slow delivery , listen to the way he pauses before a key message.
• One hard hitting sentence delivered towards the end of the speech to leave people feeling motivated and captivated.

3. John F. Kennedy (Inaugural Address)

The inauguration speech by John F. Kennedy as the 35th President of the United States, held on Friday, January 20, 1961 at Washington, D.C. Immediately after reciting the oath of office, President Kennedy turned to address the crowd gathered at the Capitol.

His inaugural address, the first delivered to a televised audience in colour, is considered among the best presidential inaugural speeches in American history and one of the finest speeches that changed the world.

As a president coming into power at the height of the Cold War, President Kennedy’s duty of representing the United States as a force to be reckoned with while maintaining peaceful international relations was daunting.

Kennedy highlights the newly discovered dangers of nuclear power coupled with the accelerating arms race, saying these efforts should be replaced with a focus on maintenance of international relations and helping the impoverished in the world.  Full transcript .

“The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life”

“The torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans – born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage – and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed”

“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate”

• Use of juxtaposition, by grouping phrases such as “United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided there is little we can do”
• The speech has an abundance of contrast, such as “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”.
• Kennedy uses the  power of three  to great effect, “Where the strong are just, and the weak secure and the peace preserved”
• Combinations of contrasts and lists “Not because the communists are doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right”
• Use of alliteration to highlight important points “Let us go forth to lead the land we love”

This site uses cookies to improve user experience. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies.

10 Famous Speeches That Shaped History

These powerful speeches continue to linger in the public imagination.

• Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The best speeches have left a mark on society for generations. They reshaped our world, held us accountable, and inspired us to rise against all odds and achieve great things. These speeches transcend time and place, offering wisdom that stirs souls long after the original speakers have been silenced.

A speech can be charismatic and still lack true meaning, but truly great oratories appeal to the audience's hearts, minds, and values. These speeches rise above the rest both because of the passion with which they were delivered, and the very words themselves. Here, we’ve rounded up eight powerful speeches that captured important historical moments and have proven unforgettable.

Dust off exclusive book deals and tales from the past when you join The Archive 's newsletter.

“ain’t i a woman”, sojourner truth, 1851.

Born into slavery in 1797, Sojourner Truth became a well-known abolitionist and women’s rights activist. She delivered this powerful speech at the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention held in Akron, Ohio. In it, she laid bare the double standards facing Black women, who were often pushed to the side when it came to conversations about racism and sexism. Her speech received greater publicity during the Civil War, when several different versions were circulated by feminists and abolitionists.

Related: Deepen Your Knowledge of the Past With 8 of the Most Influential Books in History

“That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman?”

“When They Go Low, We Go High”

Michelle obama, 2016.

Michelle Obama uttered her now-famous catchphrase at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, when speaking in support of Hillary Clinton’s bid for the presidency. She was referring to the importance of setting a good example for your children and the next generation by staying true to your values and not stooping to the level of those who would demean you. It's a message that's more important than ever in the age of Internet mud-slinging.

“Our motto is: when they go low, we go high. With every word we utter, with every action we take, we know our kids are watching us. We as parents are their most important role models. Let me tell you, Barack and I take that same approach to our jobs as President and First Lady because we know that our words and actions matter, not just to our girls but the children across this country.”

"I Have a Dream"

Dr. martin luther king jr., 1963.

One of the greatest speeches in American history is Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, which was delivered on August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. In it, he advocated for an end to racism in prose that continues to strike people’s hearts to this day.

Related: 16 Books About MLK That Reveal the Man Behind the Civil Rights Icon

King—a staunch social activist and Baptist minister—was arguably the most prominent leader of the American Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and 60s. King's speech brought into focus the injustice of racial inequality and police brutality in America. He delivered this speech to over 250,000 civil rights supporters. By the mid-1960s, both the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act were enacted in part due to King's words and actions.

"I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

The Farewell Address

George washington, 1796.

During George Washington’s time as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, and later as the first president of the United States, he wielded a lot of power. He could have managed to overtake control of the nation, much like the king from whom the fledgling nation was determined to break free, and the world was watching to see what would happen.

Related: General George Washington: Before the Presidency

Instead, his modest resignation from his post as the commander-in-chief of the American military in 1783 strengthened the foundation of the republic, and his refusal to accept a third term as president of the nation established a precedent that was later enshrined into law. In the now-famous farewell address that he penned when he stepped down from the presidency, Washington discussed the importance of unity and checks and balances, and warned against the dangers of political factions and despotism.

"However [political factions] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government..."

"Tear down this wall!"

Ronald reagan, 1987.

The Berlin Wall divided East and West Germany into two different nations; one ruled by democracy and one by communism. Echoing many leaders in the international community, President Ronald Reagan demanded that General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev aid in reunifying Germany.

Related: The Best Presidential Biographies For History Buffs

Reagan delivered his speech when the Cold War was at its peak, and his advisors feared his address would anger the Soviet leader. But the President gave his speech nonetheless. Reagan’s words received little attention at the time, but when the Cold War ended a few years later it became one of the most well-known speeches by an American president.

“General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

"I Am Prepared to Die"

Nelson mandela, 1964.

Nelson Mandela is one of the most controversial and loved figures in history. His speech " I Am Prepared to Die" defined South African democracy. Mandela delivered his three-hour-long address from the defendant dock to testify while addressing the charges that faced him as a result of his fight against South Africa's apartheid. Although his words did not save him from being convicted, his powerful speech struck the minds of the people listening, and it stimulated unrest in the South African people. 

Related: Recharge with 10 Books About Inspirational People

Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years, but his speech and courage were vital in demolishing the apartheid system in his country. He was later released in 1990, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, and became the country's first black head of state and the first leader to be elected in a fully representative democratic election.

"I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Address to The United Nations On the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Eleanor roosevelt, 1948.

As the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt was America's First Lady for 12 years. She was described as a dedicated humanitarian and activist throughout her life. After the death of her husband, she was appointed the first U.S delegate to the United Nations by President Harry S. Truman. Eleanor Roosevelt achieved her life's most remarkable work when she drafted and presented the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 

Related: The Fascinating Platforms of 10 First Ladies

The cruelties of World War II inspired the declaration, whose purpose was to ensure that such tragic human rights abuses would not happen again. The most translated document globally, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights lays out the rights and freedoms of all human beings. Roosevelt was instrumental in the adoption of the document, and she explained its significance in a passionate 1948 address to the United Nations.

“At a time when there are so many issues on which we find it difficult to reach a common basis of agreement, it is a significant fact that 58 states have found such a large measure of agreement in the complex field of human rights. This must be taken as testimony of our common aspiration...to lift men everywhere to a higher standard of life and to a greater enjoyment of freedom. Man’s desire for peace lies behind this Declaration.”

Inaugural Address

John f. kennedy, 1961.

On January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th president of the United States. His pithy inaugural address on that day was well-written and meaningful, and it has become one of the most famous speeches by an American leader. JFK's speech was a call to service for the "new generation Americans - born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage." He issued a direct appeal to American citizens to stand up for their nation at the height of the Cold War and a time of great social change.

"And so, my fellow Americans: Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

"We Shall Fight On The Beaches"

Winston churchill, 1940.

"We shall fight on the beaches" is the popular title given to the speech delivered by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to the House of Commons of the UK’s Parliament on June 4, 1940. He gave this speech around the time when Nazi Germany was invading many countries in Europe. In it, Churchill declared that British troops “shall go on to the end” in the face of Nazi aggression.

Related: Inspiring Winston Churchill Quotes That Will Help You Maintain a Stiff Upper Lip

With the threat of a Nazi invasion forthcoming, Churchill promised his nation would fight, alone if need be, and remain resilient. His words were designed to prompt a sense of security in the British people and inspire British troops, without which history would have been different. This strong speech was not just crucial for Churchill but also for the international stage, with America yet to enter the war.

“We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender...”

Democratic National Convention Keynote Address

Barack obama, 2004.

Rising political star Barack Obama was just a candidate for the United States Senate when he gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention on July 27, 2004. However, his speech left a mark in the history of America. At the time, Obama was an upcoming politician gaining popularity in the state of Illinois.  His speech that day paved the way for him to become the first Black President of the United States. But why did his address have so much significance?

First of all, it was the quality of the writing, which Obama himself handled. Secondly, it was the message of the keynote address; he reminded Americans of what they had in common rather than their differences.

"Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us...Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America; there's the United States of America. There's not a Black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America."

Get historic book deals and news delivered to your inbox

© 2024 OPEN ROAD MEDIA

• We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your web browser.

Influential Speeches

• CommonLit is a nonprofit that has everything teachers and schools need for top-notch literacy instruction: a full-year ELA curriculum, benchmark assessments, and formative data. Browse Content Who We Are About

HIGHER ED SOLUTIONS

BY DEPARTMENT

• Teacher Education
• Nursing Education
• Behavioral Health
• Sign & Foreign Languages
• Performing Arts

Communication

• Any Skill You Teach

NEW FEATURE

The AI Assistant is Here

Meet your new teaching ally.

Developed with coaching as a priority.

• Professional Ed
• Workforce Training

CONTENT TYPE

• Case Studies
• Product Demos

Meet your new ally

The AI Assistant in GoReact is here.

• CONTACT SALES EXPLORE GOREACT TRY FOR FREE CONTACT SALES

7 Famous Speeches that Changed the World

What’s Inside

• 1 Queen Elizabeth I—Speech to the Troops at Tilbury
• 2 Patrick Henry—Speech at the Second Virginia Convention
• 3 Mahatma Gandhi—Quit India Speeches
• 4 Eleanor Roosevelt—Address to the United Nations on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• 5 Martin Luther King Jr.—“I Have a Dream”
• 6 Nelson Mandela—Speech at the Rivonia Trial
• 7 Ronald Reagan—Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate
• 8 How Video Helps Speakers

Throughout history, the human voice has always been a powerful weapon for change.

Many great leaders, great orators, and people with vision have given speeches that made their way into the history books. But at the end of the day, every great speech is just words and ideas, right?

Or is it . . .

A lot of speeches can inspire people to do better and be better, but then there are the speeches that inspire entire nations to make history. Bolstering the resolve of even a small group of listeners can bring about world-altering changes.

So we set out to track down some of those special speeches. Every speech on this list led to direct and lasting changes throughout the world, and even to this day, many lines of these speeches might just sound familiar to you.

Download a copy of all 7 speeches .

Queen Elizabeth I—Speech to the Troops at Tilbury

In the 1500s, Spain was considered the most powerful country in the world. When the English became their rivals on the trade routes to the New World, King Phillip II responded by building the Spanish Armada, a fleet of 122 ships .

When the armada launched to invade Britain, the English were sorely outnumbered in both troops and ships. But one thing they had that Spain didn’t was Queen Elizabeth I.

As the Spanish Armada was sailing up the English Channel in 1588, the English land troops gathered at Tilbury, Essex. The queen made a public appearance to boost morale and delivered her iconic Tilbury speech . She was famously wearing a white velvet dress and a breastplate, presenting herself not as a queen but as a war leader of mythological proportions.

To put it lightly, her speech landed. After a nine-day battle, the Spaniards suffered a humiliating defeat and Britain was secured as a world power. Historians are still unclear whether the victory happened thanks to superior war tactics or just a series of very lucky breaks , but there’s no doubt that the English troops’ faith in their queen allowed them to secure victory against incredible odds.

Patrick Henry—Speech at the Second Virginia Convention

Patrick Henry was both a great orator and a Virginian statesman of colonial America. When George III passed the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts , imposing unreasonable taxes on the colonists, Henry was one of the first voices to demand liberty of the American people.

War was brewing, but the vast majority of the colonists weren’t sure if it was worth it to engage in the conflict. What chance did they have against the British? While Massachusetts was preparing for war, Virginia was still on the fence. A delegation of Virginian patriots came together at the Second Virginia Convention to vote on how to proceed in the coming conflict.

This convention became the backdrop for Patrick Henry’s famous speech “ Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death ,” in which he radically proposed that Virginia organize a militia and prepare for war. Thanks to Henry’s speech, his resolutions narrowly passed the assembly, and Virginia joined the Revolutionary War.

This was a huge step toward American independence. Beyond that, young Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were both in attendance to hear Patrick Henry’s speech. These men went on to play key roles in the formation of America and to become U.S. presidents.

Mahatma Gandhi—Quit India Speeches

In history, Mahatma Gandhi is widely recognized as a non-violent revolutionary and a seeker of truth.

Perhaps one of Gandhi’s greatest victories is also linked to one of his greatest addresses ever given. In 1942 virtually the entire world was embroiled in conflicts, and India was no exception. The country had lived under British rule for over a century , and the Indian people were tired of the economic disadvantages and high taxation of the arrangement.

This unrest escalated when Great Britain joined World War II and began dragging India into the conflict as well. In August of 1942, Gandhi delivered his famous “ Quit India ” speeches, entreating the British to grant the Indian population immediate independence. This speech also called the Indian populace to passive resistance against their British rulers.

The same day of Gandhi’s speech, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) passed the Quit India Resolution . The road ahead was long and filled with political turmoil, but eventually in the summer of 1947, India was declared an independent country at last.

Eleanor Roosevelt—Address to the United Nations on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Married to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt was America’s first lady for twelve years. Most historical sources describe her as shy and retiring , but she was a dedicated politician, humanitarian, and activist for the better part of her life.

After President Roosevelt’s death, President Harry S. Truman appointed Ms. Roosevelt to be the U.S. delegate to the United Nations (UN). In this role she accomplished her life’s greatest work by drafting and presenting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Inspired by the atrocities of World War II , the declaration’s purpose was to define universal human liberties and ensure that the tragedies of WWII would never happen again. Ms. Roosevelt worked tirelessly for nearly two years to create a draft and resolve numerous stalemates amongst her fellow delegates.

On December 9, 1948, Ms. Roosevelt attended the United Nations General Assembly in Paris to deliver an impassioned speech , urging the assembly to adopt the finished declaration. At 3:00 am the very next day , the UN unanimously accepted the document.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has since influenced national constitutions and human rights agreements all around the world. The Guinness Book of World Records recognizes it as the most translated document in the world —translated into 370 languages and dialects.

Martin Luther King Jr.—“I Have a Dream”

If you’ve heard of any speech on this list, it’s probably this one. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “ I Have a Dream ” speech is considered one of the greatest speeches in American history and was indeed a battering ram for change.

A Baptist minister and staunch social activist , King was the face of the American civil rights movement during the 1950s and 60s. During this era, just about every part of American life was segregated by skin color: buses, restaurants, schools, even restrooms and water fountains.

King used his oratory talents as a pastor to deliver rousing speeches to his followers and the nation on the importance of equality. He was also involved in many famous protests, including the 1963 March on Washington .

That march culminated in a gathering at the Lincoln Memorial where King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech to a crowd of 250,000 people. Key sections of the speech hearkened back to Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address, and it’s believed that the final section of King’s speech was actually improvised .

This speech was a manifesto for the American civil rights movement and truly became the rallying cry for supporters of equality. By the mid 1960s, both the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act were passed in Congress thanks in large part to King’s words and his influence.

Nelson Mandela—Speech at the Rivonia Trial

In 1948, South African leadership began enforcing official policies of racial segregation. This apartheid segregation restricted who black Africans could marry, where they could live, and what professions they could work.

As the leader of the African National Congress (ANC), Nelson Mandela and his comrades spent years fighting against apartheid. He was arrested several times for treason and sabotage, and when the government raided an ANC hideout in Rivonia, they finally had enough evidence to charge 11 ANC leaders —including Mandela—to life imprisonment.

At the Rivonia Trial in 1964, Mandela stood before the South African Supreme Court. Instead of testifying for himself, he delivered the speech that even today defines him as a leader. In it he expressed his passion for the freedoms of the African people and his hatred for apartheid. The address held the court spellbound for nearly four hours .

Although his words did not save Mandela from being convicted, the speech struck a chord in the hearts of his audience and stirred up unrest in the South African people.

Mandela served 27 years in prison for his beliefs, but his words and his bravery were instrumental in dismantling the apartheid system in his country. He was eventually released from prison in 1990, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 , and became the country’s first black head of state and the first to be elected democratically.

Ronald Reagan—Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate

After World War II, the Berlin Wall divided eastern and western Germany into two separate nations: one that was free and one that wasn’t. In his address at the Brandenburg Gate , President Ronald Reagan challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to finally put an end to the divide and unite Berlin once again.

This address was delivered during the height of the Cold War, and even the president’s own advisors feared that his remarks were crossing a line. Reagan gave the speech anyway.

There’s still a fair amount of debate on just how much influence Reagan’s words had in ending the Cold War, but there’s no doubt that his bold declaration, made right next to the most visible symbol of the Iron Curtain, certainly made an impression.

The very next year, Gorbachev himself gave his famous “ Freedom of Choice ” speech to the UN General Assembly, marking the beginning of the Cold War’s thaw. On November 9, 1989 , the head of the East German Communist Party announced that his citizens were free to cross the border. Crowds showed up with picks and hammers to knock down the edifice, and after 28 years the Berlin Wall finally fell.

How Video Helps Speakers

Video is a powerful tool for developing speech presentation skills. Video helps speakers self-reflect and become aware of their skills as presenters. Video captures the authentic experience of the speech, providing an irrefutable and easily reviewable recording of the speech for evaluation. Discover how GoReact delivers video + feedback for any skill development.

Personalize Your GoReact Experience

Choose your use case.

Find the images you need to make standout work. If it’s in your head, it’s on our site.

• Images home
• Curated collections
• AI image generator
• Offset images
• Backgrounds/Textures
• Business/Finance
• Sports/Recreation
• Animals/Wildlife
• Beauty/Fashion
• Celebrities
• Food and Drink
• Illustrations/Clip-Art
• Miscellaneous
• Parks/Outdoor
• Buildings/Landmarks
• Healthcare/Medical
• Signs/Symbols
• Transportation
• All categories
• Editorial video
• Shutterstock Select
• Shutterstock Elements
• Health Care
• PremiumBeat
• Templates Home
• Instagram all
• Highlight covers
• Facebook all
• Carousel ads
• Cover photos
• Event covers
• Youtube all
• Channel Art
• Etsy big banner
• Etsy mini banner
• Etsy shop icon
• Pinterest all
• Pinterest pins
• Twitter all
• Twitter Banner
• Infographics
• Zoom backgrounds
• Announcements
• Certificates
• Gift Certificates
• Real Estate Flyer
• Travel Brochures
• Anniversary
• Baby Shower
• Mother’s Day
• Thanksgiving
• All Invitations
• Party invitations
• Wedding invitations
• Book Covers
• Editorial home
• Entertainment
• About Creative Flow
• Create editor
• Content calendar
• Photo editor
• Background remover
• Collage maker
• Resize image
• Color palettes
• Color palette generator
• Image converter
• Contributors
• PremiumBeat blog
• Invitations
• Design Inspiration
• Design Resources
• Design Elements & Principles
• Contributor Support
• Marketing Assets
• Cards and Invitations
• Social Media Designs
• Print Projects
• Organizational Tools
• Case Studies
• Platform Solutions
• Generative AI
• Computer Vision
• Free Downloads
• Create Fund

7 Powerful Speeches That Have Changed the World

In honor of this summer’s “i have a dream” anniversary, we’ve curated images of the speeches that remain embedded in our memory — and the people who delivered them..

This August marks the anniversary of “I Have a Dream,” the unforgettable speech by Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lincoln Memorial, during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Even then, Dr. King anticipated that that day would “go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation” — and fifty-seven years later, it has.

For generations, great speeches — whether made by political leaders, activists, or citizens — have helped reshape our societies. They’ve held us accountable, inspired us to do better, and motivated us to overcome the odds. Sometimes they’ve changed the world, drawing lines on the map and recharting the course of history.

Over the last century and a half, we’ve been able to relive some of these historic moments through illustrations and photographs. In honor of this summer’s anniversary of “I Have a Dream,” we’ve curated a selection of images that illuminate seven powerful speeches that remain embedded in our collective memory — and the people who delivered them.

1. “Ain’t I a Woman,” Sojourner Truth, 1851

Delivered at the Women’s Rights Convention in Ohio, this speech by the American abolitionist, feminist, and former slave, exists today in two different versions — one published by the Reverend Marius Robinson in 1851 and another relayed by the abolitionist Frances Gage in 1863.

During the 1951 convention, discussions of women’s rights were met with arguments, some based on passages from the Bible, about why men were “superior” to women. Though she hadn’t prepared official remarks beforehand, Truth — a preacher herself — was moved to stand up and voice her thoughts about equality. Even those who disagreed were left in silence following her words. As Harriet Beecher Stowe once put it, “I never knew a person who possessed so much of that subtle, controlling power called presence as Sojourner Truth.”

Truth would continue advocating for human rights for the rest of her life. She met with Abraham Lincoln on the eve of the Civil War and made visits to the White House thereafter to ask for help in the war effort. During the bloody conflict, she treated wounded soldiers and provided care to formerly enslaved people from around the country.

2. “The Gettysburg Address,” Abraham Lincoln, 1863

The American President delivered this now-iconic speech on a battlefield in Pennsylvania during the Civil War, following the Battle of Gettysburg and marking the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery. Though it was not scheduled to be the main address of the day, this brief, 272-word speech has become one of the most enduring in American history.

Even in the three minutes it took the President to make his remarks, he left a strong impression. According to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Garry Wills, he was interrupted five times by applause. Today, five copies of the speech exist, written in Lincoln’s hand. Though they differ slightly from one another, they all underscore the importance of liberty, equality, and unity in the aftermath of one of history’s bloodiest battles.

Although Lincoln remarked at the time that “the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here,” his words have endured. Later, the speech would form part of the legacy that inspired Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. If “Gettysburg” referenced and expanded the meaning of the Declaration of Independence , “I Have a Dream” referenced and expanded upon “Gettysburg.”

3. “Freedom or Death,” Emmeline Pankhurst, 1913

Delivered by British activist Emmeline Pankhurst in Hartford, Connecticut, this address brought together suffragists and suffragettes from both nations, joined in the battle for voting rights. In it, she described herself as a soldier in a civil war waged by women, and she underscored the fact that while male revolutionaries had long been heard and understood, women had been overlooked and cast aside.

During the speech, Pankhurst also addressed her sometimes controversial use of militant methods, comparing them with the Boston Tea Party during the American Revolution. She passionately spoke about the injustice of denying the vote to half of the population, whether in the United States or her homeland.

Pankhurst also spoke of the hunger strikes that women across the Atlantic had endured — and the ways in which they had refused to give in to authorities. She alluded to her time in prison overseas, and asked for help from America in the fight for suffrage. She promised, “If we win it, this hardest of all fights, then, to be sure, in the future it is going to be made easier for women all over the world to win their fight, when their time comes.”

4. “We Shall Fight on the Beaches,” Winston Churchill, 1940

The British Prime Minister delivered this speech, one of several historic addresses during the Second World War, to the House of Commons on June 4th, 1940, following the Battle of Dunkirk. With the threat of a Nazi invasion looming — along with the possible fall of France — Churchill made the promise to fight, alone if need be, and to never surrender his nation.

The speech — and the iconic lines, “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills” — was addressed, in part, to the British as a show of strength amid painful and demoralizing circumstances. However, it should also be read as an appeal to the United States to join the fight against Nazi Germany.

In the end, it wasn’t only Churchill’s fortitude but also his honesty that made the speech one for the ages. “He has always been able to look at the facts without flinching,” The New York Times declared the next day. “This was gloomy, but it was magnificent.”

5. The Second Bill of Rights, Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1944

During his State of the Union Address in January of 1944, delivered as a fireside chat from the White House, President Roosevelt introduced the idea of a “second Bill of Rights” — one that would ensure the economic security and independence of all Americans, including the right to employment, housing, medical care, education, social security, and more.

While the Bill of Rights had promised political rights, he felt that, as the nation grew, more steps were needed to protect equality in the pursuit of happiness. The eight rights in the proposed bill would, in his words, “spell security.” Without security, he argued, Americans could not be truly free.

Though sick with the flu, Roosevelt spoke passionately: “After this war is won, we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.” The second Bill of Rights was not adopted, but even now, it serves as a reminder and point of departure for those advocating for economic equality and justice.

6. “I Have a Dream,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1963

This historic speech from the American civil rights activist Dr. King, made a hundred years after the “Gettysburg Address” and the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States, brought into focus the injustices of racial segregation, inequality, discrimination, and police brutality. It was delivered on a sweltering hot summer day, and 250,000 people, having traveled from around the country, were in attendance.

Dr. King drew inspiration from the Bible, history, literature, and music. Perhaps the most famous line — and the one from which the speech gets its name — was inspired midway through the address when the singer Mahalia Jackson cried out from the stands, “Tell ’em about the ‘Dream,’ Martin, tell ’em about the ‘Dream!’” It was a reference to earlier speeches, and Dr. King understood immediately, setting aside the prepared words and improvising some of the most important words in American history. 

In his address, Dr. King spoke of what he called “the fierce urgency of now,” declaring, “Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.” Decades have passed, but that sense of urgency still resonates today. As the great activist himself put it, “1963 is not an end, but a beginning.”

7. “I Am Prepared to Die,” Nelson Mandela, 1964

During the proceedings at the Rivonia Trial, the anti-apartheid revolutionary and political leader Nelson Mandela delivered this three-hour speech from the defendant’s dock in lieu of testifying, addressing the charges he faced and the realities of apartheid in South Africa. At the time, he was accused of sabotage, and if convicted, he could face the death penalty.

In those pivotal three hours, addressing the judge in a segregated courtroom, Mandela spoke about the exploitation and oppression of Black people in South Africa. He discussed the many ways in which the struggle for equality had (thus far) been blocked by legislation and government violence. He also laid bare the injustices of poverty and alluded to the fundamental human right to live in dignity.

In his Rivonia speech, Mandela also spoke about the right to vote, describing the ANC’s (African National Congress) mission as “a struggle for the right to live.” He closed the address with the now-famous passage, “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to see realized. But, my lord, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Two months after the legendary speech, Mandela and seven other members of the ANC were convicted of sabotage and sentenced to life imprisonment. Mandela was released in 1990, following twenty-seven years of imprisonment at Robben Island. While these photographs don’t depict the speech inside the courtroom, they do capture that moment in national and international history.

Cover image via AP/​Shutterstock .

• Designing for Change: The Role of Protest Art in Social Movements
• Celebrating Teachers and Their Impact with 9 Famous Educators
• Editorial Photographers on Documenting the Black Lives Matter Protests
• How Celebrities Use Their Influence for a Cause — Then and Now
• LGBTQ+ Rights Movement: Take a Walk Through History

Recently viewed

Related Posts

What Feminism Looks Like: A History in Photographs

Feminists have been fighting for equality of the sexes for nearly 200 years—take a look back at the movement in photographs.

US Open Highlights: Top Shots from the 2023 Tennis Tournament

Game on! Catch the biggest US Open highlights straight from the sidelines of the 2023 Grand Slam tournament.

New York Fashion Week Photos Spring 2024: Take a Front Row Seat

Get your front row seat to New York Fashion Week Spring 2024 with Shutterstock Editorial’s all-access coverage.

Show all content for ...

• Schools & teachers
• Creative & cultural sector
• Young people
• Training and CPD
• Cultural Sector Masterclasses
• Best Practice Network
• Creative Teaching Community
• I Am Network
• Local Partnerships Forum
• In Schools Touring Creative Treasure Chest
• Primary Arts In-School Touring Booklist
• Radical Self Care Journal
• Local Insiders: Digital Jobs
• Staff INSET Resource
• Space for Change
• Inclusive Progression Routes 
• Dreamachine Teacher CPD
• Dreamachine Lesson Plans
• Teaching for Creativity Webinar
• Create Jobs
• Newham Trackside Wall Learning Guide
• Principles into Practice
• Elevating the Arts in Your School
• Reset Digital Facilitation Toolkit
• Making Dance Possible for All
• Teaching for Creativity
• Bridging the Digital Divide
• Reset Collaboration Plan
• Resource Archive
• Reset Recovery Curriculum Resource
• Creative Wellbeing at Home
• Powerful Partnerships Resource Library
• Arts Award Resources
• The Arts in Schools: Foundations for the Future
• Place Strategy 2022
• Challenge London: End of Programme Reports
• Disruptive Futures
• Research Archive
• Arts Enrichment with Young People in Care
• Reflections on the Year 3 Project
• Listening Projects
• Arts Award in Museums
• Arts Award Gold Pilot
• Building the Creative Workforce of the Future
• Place-Based Approaches: Characteristics & Learning
• Culture, Creativity and Narrowing the Gap
• Artsmark in SEND settings
• The Cultural (Re)Generation
• Artsmark & Virtual Schools
• SEND Research
• Creative Ecosystems

Speeches That Changed the World

Explore key historic figures through their speeches & help students step into their shoes (drama/history, ks2-3).

History is shaped by individuals in particular times and places, tolerating uncertainty, daring to be different, sticking with difficulty and speaking up for making change. In these three learning sequences, pupils will explore key historic figures through their speeches that shaped and are shaping history: Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Mary Prince, and Malala Yousafzai.

Increasingly, we've come to know these historical figures through portrayals on stage and screen. These learning sequences – created by Butterfly Theatre Company – use the approaches of an actor to inhabit the life of a character. In exploring these figures and the powerful speeches they made, pupils will be fuelled to explore their own sense of justice, what they feel strongly about, and what speech they will create for themselves.

Key Stage 2

A study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066.

Key Stage 3

• Ideas, political power, industry, and empire: Britain, 1745-1901
• Challenges for Britain, Europe, and the wider world, 1901 to the present day
• Understand how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
• Gain a historically grounded understanding of ‘segregation’, ‘abolition’, and ‘civil and human rights’
• Gain historical perspective by placing young people’s growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between national and international history; between cultural, political, religious and social history
• I can understand how history and social change can be affected through the efforts of individuals
• I can understand how historic figures have persuaded others to see their point of view and gain confidence in using these skills myself
• KS2 – I can give informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information
• KS3 – I can create relevant, structured evidentially supported accounts in response to an enquiry
• I have shown persistence and tenacity by sticking with something I found difficult in order to come up with a good idea
• I have been able to learn from and empathise with other people’s experiences

As teachers, we all know that young people benefit from learning about their own learning.

These sequences focus on the skill of persistence : learning to articulate it as part of a growth mindset, to assess it in self-reflection and, in turn, to link this creative capacity to the historic figures they are exploring.

Download the resource

Download the resource appendices

• more resources in this series

Which Me Do You See?

Crafting Conversations

Culture, Community & Activism

Nature Inspired Design

What Are the Links Between Colonialism & the Environment?

The Wellbeing Playlist

Being With Me

Consent and Healthy Relationships

• Find out more about the programme
• you may also be interested in

Teaching for Creativity Taster Cards

• Subscribe to our Schools Newsletter

CPD modules

Aileen Gonsalves & Tracy Irish from Butterfly Theatre Company demonstrate activities from the resource & shares tips for supporting students

Author's notes

Aileen gives a deep dive into the topics explored in the resource

More Teaching for Creativity resources

How can we empower young people to value themselves and support their own mental wellbeing? (RSE, KS3)

Exploring Black British history in London (History, KS3)

Bring nature into the classroom & change your students' perception of the natural world (DT & Science, KS2-3)

Tap into the power of music & help students explore their emotions (Music/Drama/PSHE, KS3)

Uncover the impacts of colonialism on biodiversity & encourage students to imagine new ways of living (Geography, KS3)

How can we support our pupils to celebrate and respect difference within a wider world context? (RSE, KS2-3)

Use poetry to help students explore permission, consent & personal boundaries (RSE/PSHE, KS2)

Use poetry to help students explore what healthy relationships mean to them (RSE/ RHE, KS3)

Additional resources, further reading & appendices

Some suggested external articles & resources related to topics covered by the Teaching for Creativity resources

Quick & playful activities designed to help develop creative habits with your students

Be the first to hear when new resources are released! Sign up to our Schools Newsletter.

Schools newsletter form.

Show content for ...

Site Navigation

Latest stories.

Our content is fact checked by our senior editorial staff to reflect accuracy and ensure our readers get sound information and advice to make the smartest, healthiest choices.

We adhere to structured guidelines for sourcing information and linking to other resources, including scientific studies and medical journals.

If you have any concerns about the accuracy of our content, please reach out to our editors by e-mailing [email protected] .

8 Timeless Speeches That Will Make You Rethink Everything

These speeches changed the world..

Throughout history, public figures such as leaders, activists, and politicians have made speeches so inspiring they changed the course of history, and are still quoted to this day. Who can forget Martin Luther King Jr.’s words, or Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address? The following speeches are famous and infamous because they perfectly represent the time in which they were made, and appeal to the best in human nature. Here are 8 timeless speeches that will make you rethink everything.

RELATED: 7 Best U.S. Road Trips for history Buffs .

1. “We Choose To Go to the Moon” – John F. Kennedy

Wikimedia Commons

John F. Kennedy gave this historical speech on September 12, 1962 at Rice University. “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”

2. “I Have a Dream” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. gave this searing speech on Aug. 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.”

3. “Luckiest Man” – Lou Gehrig

Lou Gehrig gave his moving farewell speech on July 4, 1939. “Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.”

4. Tilbury Speech – Queen Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I gave a speech that echoes through the ages on August 9, 1588. “I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm: to which rather than any dishonor shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field.”

RELATED: 26 American History Facts Everyone Gets Wrong .

5. “Their Finest Hour” – Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill gave this moving wartime speech on June 18, 1940 at the House of Commons. “But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest hour.”

6. The Gettysburg Address – Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln gave his famous speech on November 19, 1863 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

“The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

7. Freedom or Death – Emmeline Pankhurst

Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst gave her rousing speech on November 13, 1913 in Hartford, Connecticut. “Women are very slow to rouse, but once they are aroused, once they are determined, nothing on earth and nothing in heaven will make women give way; it is impossible. And so this ‘Cat and Mouse Act’ which is being used against women today has failed. There are women lying at death's door, recovering enough strength to undergo operations who have not given in and won't give in, and who will be prepared, as soon as they get up from their sick beds, to go on as before.”

8. First Inaugural Speech – Franklin D Roosevelt

Franklin D Roosevelt gave his first inaugural speech on March 4, 1933. “This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself--nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.”

30 Quotes to Sound Like a Genius

• This Day In History
• History Classics
• HISTORY Podcasts
• HISTORY Vault
• Link HISTORY on facebook
• Link HISTORY on twitter
• Link HISTORY on youtube
• Link HISTORY on instagram
• Link HISTORY on tiktok

Speeches & Audio

Most popular.

Barack Obama Elected President

The Truman Doctrine

MacArthur Gives Farewell Address

Eleanor Roosevelt Commemorates World Children's Day

Influential women, browse tags, create a profile to add this show to your list.

Politics latest: End to council tax discount for singles not ruled out - as new pet cat welcomed to No 10

Today's the first day of the political term, with MPs back in Westminster after the summer recess. Angela Rayner, has faced questions about the government's plans for housing, including on tax, while her boss Sir Keir Starmer has been batting away criticism from Tory leadership hopefuls.

Monday 2 September 2024 19:38, UK

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

• Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge is live - watch in stream above 
• UK to suspend some arms sales to Israel
• Tory councillor's wife pleads guilty over riots
• Starmers welcome another cat into Number 10
• Rayner won't rule out ditching council tax discount
• Jon Craig: Hard to believe Labour are united as problems mount

Explained: Our latest guides to British politics

• Who's running to be Tory leader
• Taxes that could rise in the budget
• How council tax could be changed

Chief political correspondent Jon Craig is up to his usual mischief, taking the temperature of MPs inside parliament.

Currently, the parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) is meeting in a committee room - with ministers being grilled on early policy decisions, for example means testing the winter fuel payment.

As Jon says, it is "day one" of MPs being back and already there are "problems piling up for Sir Keir Starmer".

Earlier today, one newly elected Labour MP said they would be tabling a motion against the change to the winter fuel payment.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is at the meeting trying to defend the decision.

Elsewhere, the government announced it would be revoking 30 licences for arms exports to Israel.

Jon says the announcement has led to calls for greater action from those on the left of the Labour Party - and if the announcement was supposed to placate them, "it's not really working".

Back to the committee room meeting, Jon says he saw Chancellor Rachel Reeves leaving the meeting and asked her how the party was doing.

"Rachel Reeves told me as she left the meeting the party was united - not sure many people will believe that."

Andrew Mitchell, the Conservative shadow foreign secretary, has had some time to digest David Lammy's announcement to suspend some arms sales to Israel ( see 16.31 post ).

Posting on social media, he said: "Announcing an arms embargo on the day when Israel is burying its murdered hostages, and within weeks of British military personnel and arms defending Israel from Iranian attack, is not easy to swallow."

He said it looked "designed to satisfy Labour's backbenches, while at the same time not offending Israel".

"I fear it will fail on both counts," he added.

He is joined in his condemnation by Robert Jenrick, the Conservative leadership hopeful, who described it as "shameful gesture politics to appease the hard left".

He added: "Britain should be standing with our ally Israel as it defends itself, and the world, against Iran's war of state-sponsored terrorism."

Our weeknight politics show  Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge  is live.

You can watch on Sky News, in the stream at the top of this page, and follow live updates here in the Politics Hub.

Joining Sophy tonight is former Tory minister David Davis .

And on her panel are:

• Richard Tice , Reform MP;
• Jonathan Ashworth , former Labour shadow minister.

Watch  Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge  from Monday to Thursday on Sky channel 501, Virgin channel 602, Freeview channel 233, on the  Sky News website  and  app  or on  YouTube .

We promised you the return of Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge at 7pm.

But events in the Middle East have disrupted our planned programming for the time being, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a news conference from Jerusalem.

He's facing large protests after the deaths of six hostages in Gaza, who were taken by Hamas during the 7 October attacks.

Follow live coverage in our Middle East blog:

And then there were three.

Larry the cat has been a fixture of 10 Downing Street for years now, outlasting several prime ministers in the process.

He's regularly seen patrolling outside the famous black door, accepting strokes and affection from passers-by, and has been a beacon of stability during some tumultuous times.

But since Sir Keir Starmer and his family moved in, he's had feline company via their own moggy named Jojo.

And now there's another one.

Bombproof door proving difficult

Sir Keir has revealed his family have taken in a Siberian kitten.

It comes after "a long summer of negotiations" which saw his children curtail their demands for a German Shepherd.

But there is a problem, the PM told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"The problem we've got, which is the same for Jojo the cat, is the only door out of our new flat is bombproof," he said.

Installing a cat flap on the door is therefore "proving a little bit difficult".

'Larry bridges'

It comes a week after reports suggested government officials had a plan for when the time comes to announce Larry's death.

There's no indication he's unwell, but the tabby is now 17.

The Times newspaper said officials will say "Larry bridges" when he dies, evoking the plan for when Queen Elizabeth II passed away dubbed Operation London Bridge.

One source said it would have to be handled "sensitively".

Sir Keir's spokesperson wouldn't comment on the reports last week.

Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, is speaking in the House of Commons about this summer's unrest following the knife attack in Southport that left three young girls dead.

Ms Cooper says she has asked His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services to carry out a review.

The watchdog will work alongside the National Police Chiefs' Council.

This will look at ensuring "strong coordination" and "intelligence systems" are in place, and sufficient public order policing for the future.

The home secretary says she has also ordered a rapid review into extremism - mentioning both the far-right and Islamist extremism.

Ms Cooper says Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is also overseeing cross-government work to "consider how we support our communities and address issues of cohesion in the longer term".

She also mentions that the technology secretary is speaking with social media companies to help tackle "poison" posted online.

Earlier today, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner was answering questions from MPs.

She was challenged on Labour's plans for council tax.

Asked directly if she has "has no plans to increase council tax as they assured us before the election", the deputy prime minister confirmed this was the case.

However, she did not directly answer whether the government has plans to scrap the single person discount to council tax - which is worth 25%.

What could the government be planning on council tax?

Ahead of the budget in late October, Sky News had a look at what changes the new government could make to council tax.

You can read that below:

It's been quite a busy day in Westminster as MPs made their return from the summer recess.

Here's what you need to know, and what's still to come.

• The UK will suspend some arms sales to Israel , the foreign secretary has announced after receiving fresh legal advice;
• David Lammy said there was a "clear risk" some exports could contribute to the "serious violation of international humanitarian law in Gaza" ;
• The suspension covers 30 of around 350 total licences, including components for things like helicopters and drones .
• Sir Keir Starmer  has said he  "won't take lectures"  from Conservative leadership candidates who he says left the country  "in a real state" ;
• His broadside came as Kemi Badenoch and James Cleverly made campaign speeches days before Tory MPs cast their first votes on who they want to replace Rishi Sunak;
• The other four candidates are Priti Patel , Tom Tugendhat , Mel Stride , and Robert Jenrick .
• Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge is back from 7pm , with ex-Labour MP Jonathan Ashworth and Reform's Richard Tice on the panel;
• Sophy's main interview is with former Tory minister David Davis , who reveals he's written to the markets regulator about Ticketmaster following uproar over the sale of Oasis tickets in recent days .

That's all for now - stay with us for more news and analysis.

The UK will impose a partial ban on export licences to Israel, the foreign secretary has announced.

David Lammy said following independent legal advice, there exists a "clear risk" some UK exports to Israel could be used to commit a "serious violation of international humanitarian law" in Gaza.

'No equivalence' between Israel and Hamas

Some 30 of a total of around 350 export licences will now be suspended - these include important components that go into military aircraft like helicopters and drones.

Speaking in the House of Commons, the foreign secretary acknowledges the UK government is not an international court, but does have a legal duty to review licences.

Mr Lammy notes the ban is not "blanket", and will not have a "material impact on Israel's security".

He also stresses there is "no equivalence between Hamas terrorists and Israel's democratic government".

Middle East conflict 'could go two ways'

The foreign secretary goes on to announce sanctions on four Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets who have supported Iranian proxies in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.

Andrew Mitchell, the shadow foreign secretary, responds by saying he will "look carefully" at the limited embargo that has been announced.

He says the conflict has reached the point where it could go two ways - either to further "conflagration", or towards a peaceful solution.

The Conservative leadership competition is heating up.

The first round of voting among MPs takes place this Wednesday, reducing the field of candidates from six to four.

Here's a reminder if you need it of those vying for the job:

James Cleverly

Mr Cleverly became the first to officially enter the contest with a post on social media, saying he wanted to "re-establish our reputation as the party who, in government, helps grow the economy".

The Essex MP, who was home secretary until the last election, is one of the Tories' most experienced former cabinet ministers, having also been foreign secretary, education secretary and party chairman.

Tom Tugendhat

Mr Tugendhat was the second Tory to put himself forward, just moments after nominations opened.

The former security minister is regarded highly among the One Nation group of moderate Tory MPs.

Robert Jenrick

The former immigration minister was the third to announce he was running after Mr Cleverly and Mr Tugendhat.

Mr Jenrick held several ministerial roles, including communities secretary - a position he lost in one of Mr Johnson's reshuffles.

Mr Stride became the fourth Tory to enter the race, telling Sky News there was a "huge job to do".

A long-standing ally of Mr Sunak, he was dubbed "the minister for the morning round" during the general election campaign, facing the media more than any of his colleagues.

Priti Patel

The former home secretary was the key torch-bearer for the right before she was eclipsed by Ms Braverman following the demise of Mr Johnson.

Dame Priti is seen as one of the more traditional right-wing MPs in the party, compared with her successor Ms Braverman, who holds appeal with some Tory MPs elected in 2019.

Kemi Badenoch

Ms Badenoch, the ex-business secretary, was the final Tory to announce she was standing.

She is seen as a darling of the right and has impressed some in the party with her no-nonsense approach.

What happens next?

The six candidates will be whittled down to four in a vote on Wednesday.

After this, a hustings will be held during the party conference later in September, when MPs will vote again to narrow the field to two candidates.

The party's wider membership will then vote with the winner announced on 2 November.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free