American History Through Speech

United State of America historical speeches

    FEAR ITSELF

Franklin Delano Roosevelt March 4, 1933 "So first of all, let me exact my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed effort to convert retreat into advance"

Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office in the depth of the great depression. The worst economic crisis in American history.
A DATE WHICH WILL LIVE IN INFAMY 

 Franklin Delano Roosevelt December 8,1941 "Yesterday December 7, 1941 a date which will live in infamy, United State of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by navel and air forces of the Empire of Japan"
 Within an hour of the speech, Congress formally declared war on Japan, officially putting the United State against Hitler's Germany and the rest of the Axis power.
THE ATOMIC BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA

 Harry Truman August 6, 1945 "A short time ago, an American Airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima and destroyed it usefulness till the ending. That bomb has more power than 20000 tons of TNT. The Japanese began the war from the air at pearl harbor. They have been repaid many fold and the end is not yet. With this bomb, we have now added a new and revolutionary increase in destruction to supplement the growing power of our armed forces" 

 President Truman's decision to drop two atomic bombs on Japan forced their surrender in WWII. To this day, Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the only cities to suffer a nuclear attack.
THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Dwight D. Eisenhower  January 17, 1961 "We have been compelled to create a permanent armament industries of vast proportions. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwanted influence whether sort or unsort by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplace power exist and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or Democratic processes"

Eisenhower - the only military general to be elected president in the 20th century - chose to warn the American people of the dangerous influence of the military industrial complex in his final speech.

INAUGURATION OF JFK

John F. Kennedy January 20, 1961 "I do not believe that any of us will 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 but 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"

 At the inauguration, Kennedy, then 43, became the youngest elected president, replacing the oldest president (Eisenhower) who had held the office.
I'VE BEEN TO THE MOUNTAINTOP

Martin Luther King Jr April 3,1968 "All we say to America is be true to what you say it on paper. But somewhere I read of the freedom of assemble somewhere I read of the freedom of speech somewhere I read of the freedom of press somewhere i read that the greatness of America is the freedom of the right to protest for our right. And so just like I have said, we ain't going to let any dogs or world of whores turn us around we aren't going to let any injunctions turn us around. Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead but it really don't matter with me now because I have been to the mountain top. I don't mind, like anybody, I will like to live a long life longevity has it place. But am not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He has allowed me to go up to the mountain and I have looked over and I have seen the promise land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promise land. So am happy tonight. Am not worried about anything. Am not fearing any man. My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord"
Dr. King's passionate words proved prophetic. He was assassinated the very next evening.

RFK ON THE DEATH OF MARTIN LUTHER KING                       

Robert F, kennedy April 4, 1968 "I have some very sad news for all of you and I think sad news for all of our fellow citizens and people who love peace all over the world. And that is that, Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight. Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings. He died on the course of that effort. For those of you who are black and are tempted to be filled with hatred and distrust of the injustice of such an act against all white people. I can only say I can also feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my own family killed. But he was killed by a white man. But we have to make an effort in the United States. We have to make an effort to understand to get beyond or go beyond this difficult times. If There's a poem, my favorite poet was escalisth. He once wrote, even in our sleep, pain which can not forget falls drop by drop upon the heart. Until in our own despair against our will comes wisdom through the awful grace of God. What we need in the United States is not division, what we need in the United State is not hatred, what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness but is love and wisdom   and compassion toward one another, feeling of justice towards those who still suffer within our country whether they be white or whether they be black"

RFK - Brother of the slain president JFK - Delivered the news of n the Dr. King's Murder to a predominantly black crowd in Indianapolis while campaigning for the Democratic Presidential Nomination.
LBJ's VOTING RIGHT SPEECH

 Lyndon B. Johnson March 15, 1965 "There is no Constitutional issue here. The command of the Constitution is plain. There is no moral issue. It is wrong, deadly wrong to deny any of your fellow Americans the right to vote in this country"
Days after protesters organized by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King were brutally attacked in Selma, Alabama, President Johnson urged the full Congress to guarantee African American the right to vote.
I HAVE A DREAM

Martin's Luther King August 28,1963 "I have a dream, that my four(4) 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, let freedom rain and when it happen, when we allow freedom rain, when we let it rain from every village and every hamlet from every state and every city we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children black men and white men, Jews and gentiles, Palestine and Catholic will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old negroes spirit free at last free at last thank God Almighty we're free at last"
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's speech on the steps of the Lincoln memorial - To an audience of more than 200,000 was one of the best orations in the world history, cementing Dr. King's legacy as the father of the civil right movement.
VIETNAM

Lyndon B. Johnson January 12, 1966 "To know war is to know that there is still madness in this world. There are poor to be lifted up and there are cities to be build and there is a world to be  helped yet we do what we most. I am hopeful and I will try the best I can with everything have got to end this battle and to return our sons to their desires. Yet as long as others will challenge Americas security and test the dearness of our believe with fire and steel, then we must stand or see the promise of two centuries tremble"
Johnson stayed in Vietnam to prevent the Communist China from dominating Asia. By the end, more than 400,000 American troops would be on the ground. An unpopular decision that prevent his reelection.