Addresses include the following:
Democrats, responding to the 100-day mark of President Donald Trump’s second term, argued that the American public’s opinion of the White House and Republicans in Congress — as well as concern of high prices — give them an opening to flip the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026. Recent polls show approval ratings for Trump and congressional Republicans are underwater — although congressional Democrats have sometimes performed even worse. Republicans have argued that the budget blueprint does not and will not threaten any benefits or entitlements and that Democrats are causing undue fear. Some also blame actions by the previous White House under Democratic President Joe Biden or factors outside of anyone’s control have caused higher prices.
Speeches include:
Donald Trump’s tenure as the president of the United States began upon his inauguration as the 47th president on January 20, 2025. Within his first 100 days, he signed approximately 140 executive orders, including the Laken Riley Act-blocking asylum-seekers from entering the U.S.-reinstated the national emergency at the Mexico-U.S. border-designated drug cartels as terrorist organizations and initiated procedures for mass deportation of immigrants. Trump also established the task force “Department of Government Efficiency” (DODGE), led by businessman Elon Musk, which was tasked with cutting spending by the federal government and limiting bureaucracy. In international affairs, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate accords.
Kamala Harris, in full Kamala Devi Harris, (born Oct. 20, 1964, Oakland, Calif., U.S.), 49th vice president of the U.S. (2021–25). Her father, who was from Jamaica, and her mother, who was from India, met at the University of California, Berkeley in 1962. After attending Howard University (B.A., 1986) and Hastings College (J.D., 1989), Harris worked as deputy district attorney in Oakland, Calif. until 1998. She became district attorney in 2004, and in 2010 she was elected attorney general of California. In 2016 Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate as a Democrat. When she took office the following year, she became the first Indian American and second Black woman in the Senate, where she became known for her prosecutorial style of addressing witnesses during hearings. After she unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, Joe Biden chose her as his running mate, and the Biden-Harris ticket won the election. Harris was sworn in as vice president in 2021, making her the first woman, the first Black American, and the first Asian American to hold the office. She was tasked with issues connected to immigration, voting rights, and women’s access to abortion. When Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential campaign, he announced his support for Harris, who later became the Democratic nominee. She was defeated by Donald Trump.
The highest federal court in the country and the head of the judicial branch of government was established in 1789 by article three of the US Constitution. It was originally made up of six (now nine) justices who serve on the court until they die or retire. The Justices are nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed (or denied) by the US Senate. Included here are speeches given by eighteen past and present Supreme Court justices including: the first African-American Supreme Court justice, Thurgood Marshall who served from 1967 to 1991, and the first woman justice, Sandra Day O’Connor who sat on the bench from 1981 until her retirement in 2006. In addition to O’Connor there are an additional five women that are featured. All eighteen represent various ideologies and vary from strict Originalists to the Progressive “Living Document Constitutionalists.”
At 8:45 a.m. on September 11, 2001, an American Airlines Boeing 767 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City setting off a series of jet crashes, destruction, and lives lost. A tribute to that day includes memorable speeches by President George W. Bush announcing the attack to the American people and conveying his support with a bullhorn to rescuers, Mayor Rudy Giuliani addressing the UN, security advisor Condoleezza Rice before the 9/11 Commission, and more.
From civil rights lawyer to Illinois state senator to US senator, Barack Obama was to become the first African American president of the United States. Speeches include his nomination acceptance, the inauguration, the death of Osama bin Laden, military conflicts, national health care legislation, and more.
For decades climate scientists have been warning of the dangerous effects of the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. They have urged a variety of measures that might prevent some of those disasters they claim to foresee. Others deny the reality of human-caused climate change and believe that scientists’ warnings about the impact are exaggerated. Speeches are presented from both sides of the issue.
In this collection, African American leaders change history with the power of the spoken word.
Historic Moments in Speech 