Words of a Century: The Top 100 American Speeches, 1900-1999 [Paperback]

Boldly breaking the mold of previous anthologies,Words of a Century: The Top 100 American Speeches, 1900-1999contains the complete--and authentic--texts of the best American speeches of the twentieth century as delivered to their immediate audiences. It features a remarkable array of speakers, from Woodrow Wilson, Clarence Darrow, and Carrie Chapman Catt to Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, and Barbara Jordan.As diverse in type as they are in subject matter, the speeches open a unique window on the twentieth century, and many continue to resonate in our own time. Each is preceded by a headnote with background on the speaker, the occasion, and the impact of the speech. More than 2,000 annotations identify people, events, and textual references that help bring the speeches to life for today's readers.This exceptional anthology is ideal for courses in rhetoric, political communication, and twentieth century American history, as well as for anyone interested in the artistry and impact of the spoken word.Alternate Table of Contents: Speeches by RankIntroductionThe Century BeginsRussell Conwell, Acres of DiamondsWilliam Jennings Bryan, Against ImperialismTheodore Roosevelt, The Man with the MuckrakeEugene Debs, The IssueWoodrow Wilson, First Inaugural AddressWorld War I, Dissent, and Woman's SuffrageAnna Howard Shaw, The Fundamental Principle of a RepublicCarrie Chapman Catt, The CrisisWoodrow Wilson, War MessageEmma Goldman, Address to the JuryRobert La Follette, Free Speech in WartimeCarrie Chapman Catt, Address to the Congress of the United StatesWoodrow Wilson, The Fourteen PointsEugene Debs, Statement to the CourtWoodrow Wilson, For the League of NationsWoodrow Wilson, Final Address for the League of NationsCrystal Eastman, Now We Can BeginThe Roaring Twenties and the Great DepressionClarence Darrow, Plea for Leopold and LoebMargaret Sanger, The Children's lCÁ