Episode 13- Susan B. Anthony’s Speech on Women's Right to Vote
In June of 1872, fifty years before women won the right to vote, Susan B. Anthony stood before a court that had just convicted her of the crime of voting in a presidential election. Instead of accepting her sentence in silence, she seized the moment to deliver one of the most defiant declarations for women's equality ever heard in an American courtroom.
Episode 14- Congresswoman Barbara Jordan’s Watergate Impeachment Hearings
On July 25, 1974, at the height of the Watergate impeachment hearings, a little-known Black freshman Congresswoman from Texas gave opening remarks before the House Judiciary Committee. Before a primetime television audience, Barbara Jordan called out political misconduct in the highest office in the land, while also reminding Americans of the fundamental values upon which this country was founded.
Episode 15- First Lady Barbara Bush’s Commencement Address at Wellesley College
In the spring of 1990, First Lady Barbara Bush arrived at Wellesley College to address the graduating class amidst campus protests, international media attention, and a raging debate about the role of women in modern America. What happened next, and who was by her side, became a masterclass in grace, wisdom, and how to handle protest in our democracy.
Episode 16- Frederick Douglass "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"
On July 5, 1852, in Rochester, New York, Frederick Douglass, a former slave who became one of the best orators of his time, stood before the Ladies Anti-Slavery Sewing Society, who were celebrating America's independence. After a tribute to the founders, he pivoted to deliver a searing indictment of a nation that proclaimed liberty while holding millions in chains.
Episode 17- The Road from Selma: President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “We Shall Overcome” Joint Session Address and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Our God is Marching On,” in Montgomery, Alabama (1965)
March of 1965 was a pivotal month in American history. Just eight days after protestors were beaten on "Bloody Sunday" in Selma, Alabama, President Lyndon B. Johnson entered the House Chamber on March 15 to deliver an address that would define his presidency. Johnson adopted the anthem of the Civil Rights movement itself, "We Shall Overcome," making the cause of voting rights not a Black cause or a Southern cause, but an American cause. Ten days later, on March 25, after a brutal 54-mile march from Selma to the state Capitol in Montgomery, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. quoted from the Battle Hymn of the Republic in one of his most moving addresses. His words that day transformed a long march into a movement that would change America forever.
Episode 18- Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s "I've Been to the Mountaintop" in Memphis, Tennessee, and Robert F. Kennedy’s speech in Indianapolis, Indiana
On April 3, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. arrived in Memphis to support striking sanitation workers. An exhausted King delivered what would become his final speech, known for its striking imagery and haunting tone. The next day, he was assassinated. That evening, Senator Robert F. Kennedy gave an eloquent, off-the-cuff speech announcing King’s death to a shocked audience in Indianapolis. Despite being given hundreds of miles apart, without any collaboration between the two men, these two speeches complemented each other beautifully, sharing the uplifting themes of non-violence and hope for our democracy.
Episode 19- President-elect Barack Obama’s "Yes We Can"
On November 4, 2008, the United States elected its first Black president: Barack Obama. That evening, he stepped into the Chicago cold to address over 200,000 supporters in Grant Park and millions watching television worldwide. His victory speech that night represented the culmination of the long struggle for civil rights in America.
Episode 20- President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s "A Date Which Will Live in Infamy"
On December 8, 1941, the day after Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt stood before Congress to transform news of the deadliest attack on American soil into a call for national unity. Join us as we examine how Franklin Roosevelt's words brought Americans together in their darkest hour.
Episode 21- President John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address
In January of 1961, the youngest elected president in American history took the oath of office and delivered an inaugural address that is considered one of the most significant. Through this speech, John F. Kennedy became a symbol of a new generation in American politics, echoing Abraham Lincoln and our founding values while exuding youth and idealism.
Episode 22- President Ronald Reagan’s "The Boys of Pointe du Hoc,” 40th Anniversary of D-Day, Normandy
On June 6, 1984, President Ronald Reagan stood on the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc in Normandy, France, where forty years earlier American Rangers had fought in a “giant undertaking unparalleled in human history.” Surrounded by world leaders and the surviving veterans who had performed that impossible feat, Reagan delivered a tribute that honored their sacrifice while drawing a parallel between the allies in World War II and the NATO alliance in the Cold War.
Episode 23- President George H.W. Bush’s 50th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1991, exactly fifty years after the attack that brought America into World War II, President George H.W. Bush – who had joined the Navy on his 18th birthday as a result of Pearl Harbor – marked the enormous consequences of the attack a half-century earlier, and put forth a new path forward for the United States at the end of the Cold War.
Episode 24- President John F. Kennedy’s "Moonshot”
In the fall of 1962, President John F. Kennedy stood before a crowd at Rice University in Houston, Texas, and issued one of the biggest challenges in human history: America would send a man to the Moon and return him safely to Earth before the decade's end. At the height of the Cold War, with the Soviet Union leading in the space race, Kennedy tied the exploration of space to the American Dream and all the freedoms we hold dear.
Episode 25- President Richard Nixon’s (Undelivered) “In Event of Moon Disaster”
In July of 1969, as Apollo 11 was about to land on the Moon, President Richard Nixon's speechwriter William Safire prepared for the President a eulogy in case the astronauts unexpectedly died while millions watched on television. The astronauts came home safely, and the speech was never delivered. But this tribute would have continued Kennedy’s message that America’s search for adventure will not be denied.
Episode 26- President Ronald Reagan’s Address After the Challenger Disaster
On January 28, 1986, millions of Americans, including countless schoolchildren, watched in horror as the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded just 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crew members, including teacher Christa McAuliffe. That evening, President Ronald Reagan set aside his planned State of the Union address and delivered a moving eulogy that honored the fallen astronauts while recommitting to the American adventure into space.
Episode 27- President Abraham Lincoln’s The Gettysburg Address
On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln traveled to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to dedicate a cemetery on the bloodiest battlefield of the Civil War. Lincoln spoke for just two minutes, and in the process reached back to the founding values of our Declaration and carried them forward to our present day. It’s the best summary of America’s enduring commitment to freedom ever written or delivered, and it’s the perfect finale to “Speaking of America.”
Collection B: Conversation with Mary Kate Cary and Scholars
Join Lifetime Learning for the Collection B, Capstone Conversation featuring Mary Kate Cary, instructor of Speaking of America and Assistant Vice President, Office of the President, University of Virginia. She and a panel of experts will discuss the historic speeches explored in Collection B, including those of Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, George H.W. Bush, Barack Obama, and more. The panel will address your questions.
MEET THE INSTRUCTOR
Mary Kate Cary
Assistant Vice President, Office of the President, University of Virginia
Speaking of America is presented as part of UVA250, with events all year-round celebrating the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Check out the upcoming 250 events happening at UVA!
Disclaimer: The information in this docuseries has been researched and shared by Mary Kate Cary and her team. Every attempt was made to ensure accuracy and completeness. The Office of Engagement assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions.
Ownership: This docuseries is the exclusive intellectual property of Mary Kate Cary. No portion of the content may be reproduced, copied, distributed, transmitted, or shared in any form or by any means without prior written authorization from Mary Kate Cary.
THOUGHTS FROM THE LAWN
The Thoughts From the Lawn blog features posts by UVA faculty related to upcoming lectures, books written, educational events, and research conducted on relevant topics. Join the discussion and share your thoughts.