The history of the United States has been characterized by fervent idealism, intense struggle, and radical change. And for every critical, defining moment in American history, there were those whose impassioned voices rang out, clear and true, and whose words compelled the minds and hearts of all who heard them. When Patrick Henry declared, "Give me liberty, or give me death!", when Martin Luther King Jr. said, "I have a dream", Americans listened and were profoundly affected. These speeches stand today as testaments to this great nation made up of individuals with bold ideas and unshakeable convictions.

The American Heritage Book of Great American Speeches for Young People includes over 100 speeches by founding fathers, patriots, Native American and African American leaders, abolitionists, women's suffrage and labor activists, writers, athletes, and others from all walks of life, featuring inspiring and unforgettable speeches by such notable speakers as:

Patrick Henry * Thomas Jefferson * Tecumseh * Frederick Douglass * Sojourner Truth * Abraham Lincoln * Susan B. Anthony * Mother Jones * Lou Gehrig * Franklin D. Roosevelt * Albert Einstein * Pearl S. Buck * Langston Hughes * John F. Kennedy * Martin Luther King Jr.

These are the voices that shaped our history. They are powerful, moving, and, above all else, uniquely American.

81 Elizabeth Glaser - 1992 DNC Address

82 Eugene Victor Debs - "The Issue"

83 Margaret Higgins Sanger -     "The Children's Era"

84 Ursula Le Guin - "A Left-Handed Commencement Address"

85 Crystal Eastman - "Now We Can Begin"

86 Huey Pierce Long -"Share Our Wealth"

87 Gerald Rudolph Ford - Address on Taking the Oath of Office

88 Cesar Estrada Chavez - Speech on Ending His 25 Day Fast

89 Elizabeth Gurley Flynn - Statement at the Smith Act Trial

90 Jimmy Earl Carter - "A Crisis of Confidence"

71 Anita Faye Hill - Statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee

72 Thomas Woodrow Wilson - League of Nations Final Address

73 Henry Louis ("Lou") Gehrig - Farewell to Baseball Address

74 Richard Milhous Nixon - Cambodian Incursion Address

75 Carrie Chapman Catt - Address to the U.S. Congressv

76  Edward Moore Kennedy - 1980 DNC Address

77 Lyndon Baines Johnson - On Vietnam and Not Seeking Re-Election

78 Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Commonwealth Club Addressv

79 Thomas Woodrow Wilson - First Inaugural Address

80 Mario Savio - "Sproul Hall Sit-in Speech/An End to History"