Help Menu
- Library Catalog This link opens in a new windowSearch our library catalog (aka OneSearch) for all types of sources. It combines results from many of our databases. (Ex Libris)
- OneSearch This link opens in a new windowUse this discovery tool to search most of the University Libraries' collections, including books, journal articles, newspapers, dissertations, music, and video recordings. (Ex Libris)
Finding Speeches & Addresses
- The American Presidency Project - Documents ArchiveFind the transcripts of Presidential Inaugural speeches, State of the Union addresses, radio speeches, new conferences and more, from George Washington to Barack Obama.
- American RhetoricProvides thousands of speeches in video, audio & transcript format to understand argumentation and presentation regarding public speaking.
- New York Times Historical Newspaper & Index This link opens in a new windowUntil recently, the NYT proclaimed itself the "newspaper of record" and often published the full text of speeches by a wide variety of persons. In addition, familiarizing yourself with the events and language of the times in which each president spoke can only improve your understanding of the factual context and rhetorical norms of their speeches.
- Vital Speeches of the DayCollection of the most important speeches during the time, covering 1934 to present. Before deciding the significance of a word or phrase in a presidential speech, you should find out whether it was part of the common rhetoric of the day or was characteristic of a particular social or political position.
- C-Span.orgProvides video access of the US political process, including speeches over policy from the executive and legislative branches.
Resources for Presidential Rhetoric
- Communication & Mass Media Complete This link opens in a new windowSearch for journal articles on topics related to communication, linguistics, mass media, and journalism. (EBSCO)
- Political Science Complete This link opens in a new windowSearch for journal articles on topics related to political science, political theory, political behavior, public policy, law, international relations, comparative politics, and non-governmental organizations. (EBSCO)
- American Presidency ProjectOnline archive of various documents, speeches, proclamations, executive orders of all the American Presidents.
- Congressional (ProQuest) This link opens in a new windowSearch for Congressional hearings, reports, testimony, bills, laws, and regulations from the first Congress to the current Congress. (ProQuest)
- Federal Digital System (FDSys)Updated government archive of the major congressional and executive branch documents.
- National Security ArchiveNon-governmental investigative journalism center, research institute on international affairs, library and archive of declassified U.S. documents based at GWU.
- HeinOnline This link opens in a new windowSearch for articles from legal journals and law reviews. Government documents from each branch are also available in this database. (HeinOnline)
- Academic Video Online This link opens in a new window
Access a massive collection of streaming videos, including documentaries, interviews, performances, newsreels, field recordings, commercials, and raw footage, among others. Most topics are represented in this database. (Alexander Street Press)
- Presidemtial Speech ArchiveFrom the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, this site offers recordings of famous speeches from many presidents.
Social Sciences & Humanities Librarian
Marcia Whitehead
Contact:
Boatwright Library
28 Westhampton Way
804-289-8823
28 Westhampton Way
804-289-8823
Subjects: American Studies, Biography, Book Reviews, Citing Sources, Classical Studies, E-Books, English & Literature, First Year Seminar, French, German, Humanities, International Education, Language and Linguistics, Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Latin American, Latino, and Iberian Studies, Master of Liberal Arts, Primary Resources, Reference Sources, Rhetoric & Communication Studies, Richmond Area , Russian, Scholarly Publications, Spanish, Special Topics
Useful Journals
- Rhetoric & Public AffairsThis journal covers the theory, critiques and history of public discourse.
- Presidential Studies QuarterlyA political science-oriented journal focusing on the wide array of presidential studies, including rhetoric.
- Philosophy & RhetoricThis journal focuses on the intersection between philosophy and rhetoric, including articles on historical figures and their use and philosophy regarding rhetoric.
