Lesson 2: The First Inaugural Address (1861)—Defending the American Union

Speech, speech! Analyzing speeches is no easy task. High schoolers learn the important process of annotation as they work together to analyze Lincoln's inaugural address. Then groups of four work to annotate a second speech at a more...

Get high school historians to step outside their own shoes by responding to JFK's inaugural address from the perspective of a civil rights activist, a soviet diplomat, or a Cuban exile. After a class discussion about the address,...

“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your. country.” Did you know that John Kenneth Galbraith, Adlai Stevenson, and Theodore Sorensen helped John F. Kennedy craft his 1961...

Young historians will learn not to fear primary source materials (or fear itself, for that matter) thanks to this resource that uses Franklin D. Roosevelt's March 4, 1933 Inaugural Address to model how to conduct a close reading of such...

Richard Nixon, newly sworn in as the 37th president of the United States, reflects on the decades between his January 20, 1969 inaugural address and the beginning of the next millennium. Emphasizing the American dream, peace...

The strong, direct words of President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address provided a philosophical turning point to 20th century American democracy. For 13 poignant minutes, the 35th president cautioned his fellow citizens...

An inaugural address represents the first moments of a new beginning. Using John F. Kennedy's speech as a model for guided practice, groups examine the ingredients of an inaugural address. Individuals then repeat the analysis...

The complete text of Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural address where he attempts to reach out the states that have seceded and assure them that his first priority is preservation of the Union.

A transcription of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address delivered on March 4, 1933.

Text of Franklin D. Roosevelt's first Inaugural address. In this speech, he outlines the world crisis facing the country in 1933. He also outlines the aims of government programs and his primary goal, which was to relieve unemployment by...