Docuseries Collection A

Episode 1- Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”  

In March of 1775, the American colonies stood on the brink of war. This speech was the one that started it all: Patrick Henry’s words that sparked the American Revolution–when we went from being British colonies to what Abraham Lincoln later called “the last best hope of Earth.”

Episode 2- Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” 

At the March on Washington in 1963, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and delivered words so moving they would live on for generations. "I Have a Dream” is remembered as a soaring vision of hope and justice, but it was also a carefully constructed argument, rooted in America’s founding promises.   

Episode 3- Ronald Reagan’s “A Time for Choosing”  

Former Hollywood star Ronald Reagan stepped onto the national stage in the fall of 1964 to give a televised address that would reshape American politics. Watch as Reagan asks Americans to decide what kind of country they want to live in–a question that has resonated through every era of American politics.  

Episode 4- Harvey Milk’s “That’s What America Is”  

In 1978, Harvey Milk stood on the steps of San Francisco’s City Hall and spoke at California’s Gay Freedom Day. In his speech known as “That’s What America Is,” you’ll see how Milk showed that gay and lesbian Americans, like all Americans, have the same inalienable rights that our nation was founded upon: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  

Episode 5- Thomas Jefferson’s 1801 Inaugural Address 

On March 4, 1801, at the new U.S. Capitol building, Thomas Jefferson delivered his first Inaugural address to a young nation bitterly divided after one of the most polarized elections in American history. Instead of throwing verbal bombs at his rival, John Adams, he gracefully offered a hand across the aisle – setting a precedent for future inaugural addresses, and the peaceful transfer of power between political parties ever since. 

Episode 6- President Teddy Roosevelt’s “The Man with the Muck Rake” 

In the spring of 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt used what he called “the bully pulpit” to highlight the excesses of professional journalists – and coined a new phrase, “muckrakers.” By speaking out against pessimism and doomsday attitudes, he delivered a speech that urged Americans to see the good in life and go after it.   

Episode 7- Senator Margaret Chase Smith’s “A Declaration of Conscience” 

In the summer of 1950, at the height of the anti-communist “Red Scare,” one Senator had the courage to speak up. Margaret Chase Smith, a freshman Republican from Maine and the only woman in the U.S. Senate at the time, gave a fearless speech that shocked the Senate. She did something no one else was willing to do, and it became a turning point in the fight against McCarthyism in America. 

Episode 8 - Senator Ted Kennedy’s Speech at Liberty Baptist College  

Senator Ted Kennedy gave a speech in late 1983 that called for an end to religious intolerance in political debate. He did it in an arena filled with a very hostile audience, and it became one of the most impressive examples of modern political discourse that stayed civil — and brought together two of the most powerful men in America from opposite sides of the political spectrum. 

Episode 9- President Teddy Roosevelt’s “The Man in the Arena” 

On a grand tour of Europe in 1910, former President Teddy Roosevelt stepped onto the stage at the Sorbonne University in Paris and delivered a speech that would become one of the most enduring reflections on why courage, skill, and grit are essential to citizenship in our Republic. His call to face life’s challenges squarely has resonated deeply with the American public ever since. 

Episode 10- President Franklin Roosevelt’s “Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself”  

At his first inaugural in 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt stood on the steps of the United States Capitol and addressed a nation shattered by the Great Depression. Unemployment had soared, banks had failed, and Americans were desperate. This speech tells the story of one American who stood up, both literally and figuratively, to bravely lead our nation forward out of the Great Depression. 

Episode 11- Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s Speech at West Point “Duty, Honor, Country” 

In 1962, near the end of his public life, General Douglas MacArthur returned to West Point to deliver what would become his farewell address. “Duty, Honor, Country,” the speech title and the motto of West Point, was a reflection on character, sacrifice, and service. In it, he outlined the leadership skills that young soldiers need if our democracy is to survive. 

Episode 12- President George W. Bush’s National Cathedral Service after 9/11  

September 11, 2001, was a day that changed the world. After speaking briefly to the nation on the night of the worst peacetime loss of life in American history, President George W. Bush called for a national day of prayer on September 14th. Addressing the American people that day from the pulpit of the National Cathedral, he brought a sense of resolve to the nation. Bush later called this speech “the most important of my young presidency.” 

Collection A: Conversation with Mary Kate Cary and Scholars

Join Lifetime Learning for the Collection A, Capstone Conversation featuring Mary Kate Cary, instructor of Speaking of America and Assistant Vice President, Office of the President, University of Virginia. Mary Kate will be joined by scholars and experts for a dynamic discussion of the historic speeches you explored in Collection A, including notables like Patrick Henry, Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, Martin Luther King, Jr., and more. Together, they will dive into the context, craftsmanship, and lasting impact of these powerful speeches and answer your questions.

MEET THE INSTRUCTOR

Mary Kate Cary

Assistant Vice President, Office of the President, University of Virginia

Full Bio