How to Find Speeches
On the Internet:
Library Databases
LexisNexis Academic is
an excellent source for texts of speeches, especially political
speeches. Follow these directions:
Open the
Guided News Search
(not the Quick News Search) of LexisNexis.
1.
Select a News Category: Choose
News Transcripts
2.
Select a News Source: Choose
Political Transcripts
3.
Enter Search Terms:
Example: clinton and
democratic national convention
4. Narrow to a specific data
range: Adjust the date coverage for your topic.
Web Sites
You can search each of these web sites individually, or you can use this search box to search them simultaneously.
American Leaders Speak (Library of
Congress)
"...fifty-nine sound recordings of speeches by American
leaders from 1918-1920. The speeches focus on issues and
events surrounding the First World War and the subsequent
presidential election of 1920. Speakers include: Warren G.
Harding, James Cox, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin D. Roosevelt,
Samuel Gompers, Henry Cabot Lodge, and John J. Pershing.
Speeches range from one to five minutes."
American Rhetoric
(Michael E. Eidenmuller)
Indexes and provides full-text of political, religious,
historical, and entertainment speeches. Some include
audio and/or streaming video.
Douglass: Archives of American Public Address
(Northwestern University)
Electronic archive of American oratory and related
documents. Browse by speaker, title, chronologically,
or by keyword.
Earliest Voices : A Gallery from the Vincent Voice
Library.
Includes William Jennings Bryan, Eugene V. Debs, Thomas
Edison, Samuel Gompers, William McKinley, William Taft,
and Booker T. Washington.
Gifts
of Speech: Women's Speeches from around the World
(Sweet Briar College)
"Gifts of Speech is dedicated to preserving and
creating access to speeches by influential
contemporary, women from around the world."
History and
Politics Out Loud
(Jerry Goldman &
Northwestern University)
"HPOL is a searchable multimedia
database documenting and delivering
authoritative audio relevant to American
history and politics."
History Channel Speech Archives
"Hear the words that changed the world."
Presidential Speech Archive
Texas A&M University site "intended to be a
resource for people interested in presidential
rhetoric."
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You can also search all of
Google
to find a speech by a specific person:
In the search box, type the name of
the person in quotes and add the word speech.
Example:
"helen keller"
speech
If you are looking for a specific speech you can
add other keywords to help identify it.
Example:
"martin luther
king" speech dream
In the Library:
Search the
Library Catalog.
Use a keyword search with the word speeches and the author's name.
For example:
speeches and churchill
speeches and kennedy
If Pickler Memorial Library doesn't have what you want, try your
search in MOBIUS to
find books in other libraries in Missouri. You can order books
online, and they will be delivered usually within 3-4 working days.
This service is available to current Truman students, faculty, and
staff.
Some important print collections and guides
American
Orators before 1900: Critical studies and sources.
Reference PN 4055 U5 A4 1987
American
Orators of the Twentieth Century: Critical studies and sources.
Reference PN 4193 P6 A44 1987
Historic
Documents of [year]. 1972+. Reference E
839.5 H57
Index to
American Women Speakers, 1828-1978.
Reference PS 400 M3
We Shall be
Heard: An index to Speeches by American Women, 1978 to 1985.
Reference PS 408 M35 1988
Representative American Speeches. 1937+
General Collection PS 668 B3
Speech Index: An index to collections of world famous
orations and speeches for various occasions. Reference AI 3
S85
Public
Papers of the Presidents. 1929+ General
Collection J 80 A283
Available online 1993+
from GPO
Access
Vital
Speeches of the Day. 1934+ Periodicals PN 6121 V52
Available online 1985+ full text on
EBSCO's Academic Search Elite
Voices of
Multicultural America: Notable speeches delivered by African,
Asian, Hispanic, and Native Americans, 1790-1995.
Reference PS 663 M55 V64 1996
Weekly
Compilation of Presidential Documents. 1965-2000
Periodicals J 80 A284.
Available online 2000+
from FDsys - Federal Digital
System
Available online 1995+ full
text on
EBSCO's Academic Search Elite
Newspapers are also a good source for speeches. Check either the same day or a day or two after the speech is delivered in various newspapers in the Periodicals/Microforms Department. The New York Times often prints speeches in their entirety. Library has 1851+
Video/Audio
Click here for a list of speeches on video or DVD which are available in the Library.
The Library has two sets which are collections
of videos of famous speeches:
Great
American speeches: 80 Years of Political Oratory.
1912-1984.
Media Video PS 668 G74 1997 (6 videocassettes)
Great
Speeches. 1985+
Media Video PN 6121 G73 1985 (12 videocassettes)
Click here for a list of speeches on audio cassette which are
available in the Library.
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