I’ve often said that one of the best ways to get better at writing speeches is to read and listen to successful speeches of the past. You can find many of these speeches on the American Rhetoric website.
I received an email today from Amber Johnson, of the Accredited Online Colleges blog, letting me know that they had posted a list of “10 Historical Speeches Every Student Should Listen To”. Though I haven’t listed to every speech on the list, I think the list is solid. And although the list was created for students, I think anyone who writes and delivers speeches would benefit from it.
One of the speeches I was pleasantly surprised to see listed was “We Shall Overcome”, by Lyndon B. Johnson. LBJ was not known as an effective speaker, but his speech to Congress in March of 1965 is a great example of how a well-written speech can compensate for a less-than-stellar speaker.
What speech (or speeches) would you suggest everyone listen to?
