Abraham Lincoln – Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, delivered on the 19th of November 1863 remains one of the most impactful speeches of all time. Perhaps the most impressive use of so few words the world has ever seen. “Four score and seven years ago our...
John F. Kennedy Speech (We choose to go to the moon)
This iconic speech is a beautiful display of oratory and leadership. “We choose to go to the moon” On a baking hot day in September 1962, President John F. Kennedy spoke to an assembled crowd at Rice Stadium in Houston Texas. His mission was...
Nelson Mandela Speech (An ideal for which I am prepared to die)
On the 20th of April 1964 Nelson Mandela delivered a powerful, restrained and poignant speech at his trial. “An ideal for which I am prepared to die” The words of Nelson Mandela’s speech made at his own trial on April 20th 1964 are...
Joe Biden Speech (A message of unity)
Joe Biden speaks at the 2020 Democratic National Convention The 2020 Democratic National Convention was the first to be delivered as a virtual event. There must have been hundreds of challenges to overcome – logistics, technology and participation. But the...
Michelle Obama Speech (Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country…)
This week, Michelle Obama delivered a keynote speech on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention. A convention like no other. In the new world of virtual delivery, Obama spoke to camera whilst seated. The speech was just over 18 minutes long and...
Theodore Roosevelt Speech (The Man in the Arena)
Words have power. This is the belief that has powered the Speech a Week series. There are many fine speeches that have captured the attention of the audience, inspired action and reverberated through the years. But few speeches punch quite so much power into every...
Malcolm X Speech (The Ballot or the Bullet)
The Ballot or the Bullet speech was delivered by American civil rights activist Malcolm X on 3rd April 1964 at Cory Methodist Church in Cleveland, Ohio. “Once you change your philosophy, you change your thought pattern. Once you change your thought pattern, you...
Franklin Roosevelt Speech (a day that will live in infamy)
The Franklin D Roosevelt speech on 8th December 1941 “It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has...
