Communication Studies: Rhetoric / Speech

This subject guide is a starting point for communication-related research, including mass media, speech communication, and more.

Reference Sources

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These library databases include publications that often print the transcripts of speeches.

Military & Government Collection This link opens in a new window
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Includes "Vital Speeches of the Day" publication

National Speakers Association
Use the Knowledge Bank and Resource Center links to find articles on public-speaking topics.

American Rhetoric
Includes full text, audio, and video versions of public speeches, movies, songs, and more.
Gifts of Speech: Women's Speeches from Around the World
This site preserves and provides access to speeches by "influential contemporary women" from around the world. Browse for speeches by speakers' name or by year and see a list of the "Top 100 American Speeches of the 20th century".
History Channel.com : Speeches
"Hear the words that changed the world. From Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech to Lou Gehrig's farewell to baseball, our vast collection is drawn from the most famous broadcasts and recordings of the twentieth century."
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project
In cooperation with Stanford University, the King Center, and the King Estate, the Project will publish a 14 volume edition of "King's most significant correspondence, sermons, speeches, published writings, and unpublished manuscripts." The web site includes a biography and chronology of King's life, sound recordings and transcripts of sermons, and speech transcripts.
Speeches and Speechmakers
Maintained by the University of Iowa Department of Communication Studies, this site provides links to information about analyzing and writing speeches, as well as to various online speech archives.