*Illustrated with pictures of some of the orators and speakers
*Includes a Table of Contents linking to all 33 speeches
William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was a tour de force in American politics around the end of the 19th century. Bryan had a long, distinguished career in politics as a liberal in the Democratic Party, including serving as Secretary of State and presidential candidate. He advocated for democracy, sought peace, and embraced evolution even while opposing the idea of Social Darwinism. Bryan came to be known as "The Great Commoner.".
Bryan gave 500 speeches in his life and all but invented the idea of stumping for president, so who better than the brilliant, eloquent statesman to edit a compilation of the world’s most famous orations? Bryan covered the most famous speeches given by the most famous people in Western civilization from Ancient Greece to contemporary times. The World’s Famous Orations include speeches from the likes of Socrates, Cicero, Caesar, Antony, Sir Walter Raleigh, Oliver Cromwell, Tecumseh, Ben Franklin, Patrick Henry, Abraham Lincoln, and many more. In all, Bryan included 281 speeches by 213 speakers.
Chosen by the best orator of his age, these orations offer readers a glimpse into history’s turning points as well as being a fantastic reference point. This edition includes Volume VIII, which covers the speeches of America from 1761-1837, the beginning of the Revolutionary period through the growth of the new nation. This includes 33 speeches by Founding Fathers like Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton; orators like James Otis Jr., Patrick Henry and Edward Everett; Native American chiefs Black Hawk and Tecumseh; and others. It is specially formatted with a Table of Contents and includes pictures of some of the speakers.
