Boldly breaking the mold of previous anthologies, Words of a Century: The Top 100 American Speeches, 1900-1999 contains 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.

Stephen E. Lucas is Evjue-Bascom Professor in the Humanities, Department of Communication Arts, at University of Wisconsin.
Martin J. Medhurst is Distinguished Professor of Rhetoric and Communication at Baylor University.

Alternate Table of Contents: Speeches by Rank Introduction The Century Begins Russell Conwell, Acres of Diamonds William Jennings Bryan, Against Imperialism Theodore Roosevelt, The Man with the Muckrake Eugene Debs, The Issue Woodrow Wilson, First Inaugural Address World War I, Dissent, and Woman's Suffrage Anna Howard Shaw, The Fundamental Principle of a Republic Carrie Chapman Catt, The Crisis Woodrow Wilson, War Message Emma Goldman, Address to the Jury Robert La Follette, Free Speech in Wartime Carrie Chapman Catt, Address to the Congress of the United States Woodrow Wilson, The Fourteen Points Eugene Debs, Statement to the Court Woodrow Wilson, For the League of Nations Woodrow Wilson, Final Address for the League of Nations Crystal Eastman, Now We Can Begin The Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression Clarence Darrow, Plea for Leopold and Loeb Margaret Sanger, The Children's Era Franklin D. Roosevelt, Address to the Commonwealth Club Franklin D. Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address Franklin D. Roosevelt, The Banking Crisis Huey Long, Every Man a King Huey Long, Share Our Wealth John L. Lewis, Labor and the Nation Lou Gehrig, Farewell to Baseball World War II and the Emergence of the Cold War Franklin D. Roosevelt, The Arsenal of Democracy Franklin D. Roosevelt, The Four Freedoms Franklin D. Roosevelt, War Message Harry S. Truman, The Truman Doctrine George C. Marshall, The Marshall Plan Hubert H. Humphrey, The Sunshine of Human Rights Eleanor Roosevelt, The Struggle for Human Rights Eleanor Roosevelt, Adoption of the Declaration of Human Rights McCarthyism, Korea, and the Nuclear Era Margaret Chase Smith, Declaration of Conscience William Faulkner, Speech Accepting the Nobel Prize in Literature Douglas MacArthur, Old Soldiers Never Die Adlai Stevenson, Let's Talk Sense to the American People Richard M. Nixon, Checkers Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Statement at the Smith Act Trial Dwight D. Eisenhower, Atoms for Peace Joseph Welch, Defense of Fred Fisher at the Army-McCarthy Hearings The Age of Camelot John F. Kennedy, Speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association Dwight D. Eisenhower, Farewell Address John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address Newton W. Minow, Television and the Public Interest Douglas MacArthur, Duty, Honor, Country John F. Kennedy, Address on the Cuban Missile Crisis John F. Kennedy, Speech at American University John F. Kennedy, Civil Rights: A Moral Issue John F. Kennedy, Ich Bin ein Berliner Race, Poverty, and Dissension Martin Luther King, Jr., I Have a Dream Malcolm X, Message to the Grassroots Lyndon B. Johnson, Let Us Continue Malcolm X, The Ballot or the Bullet Lyndon B. Johnson, The Great Society Barry Goldwater, Speech Accepting the Republican Presidential Nomination Ronald Reagan, A Time for Choosing Mario Savio, An End to History Lyndon B. Johnson, We Shall Overcome Robert F. Kennedy, Day of Affirmation Stokely Carmichael, Black Power Vietnam and Other Discontents Martin Luther King, Jr., Speech at Riverside Church Cesar Chavez, Speech on Ending His Fast Lyndon B. Johnson, Address on Not Seeking Reelection Martin Luther K