This page organizes notes, texts, web resources and bibliographies on presidential rhetoric. For other political rhetoric see Political Rhetoric and Communication. For the Constitution and other founding documents see Founding Documents.
General Resources
Web Resources
The American Presidency Project.
American Presidents: Life Portraits. C-Span.
Commission on Presidential Debates.
Compilation of Presidential Documents. GPO.
Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
The Miller Center.
Presidential Libraries. National Archives.
Public Papers of the Presidents. Federal Register Publications and National Archives.
Bibliographies
Presidential Debates
Presidential Inaugurals
Presidential Nomination Acceptance Speech
Presidential Rhetoric: General and Comparative Sources
Presidents A to Z
Sources on the Rhetorical Reagan
Speechwriting (Presidential)
Presidential Genres
Impeachment Rhetorics
The State of the Union Address
Mandela, Nelson. First Inaugural Address as President of South Africa.
Texts and Other Sources for Presidents A to Z
Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2020- .
Biden, Joseph R. "Remarks on the Continued Battle for the Soul of the Nation, 01 September 2022.
George W. Bush, 2001-2008.
Bush, George W. "An Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People", 20 September 2001.
Bush, George W. "Address to the Nation on the September 11 Attacks", 11 September 2001.
Jimmy Carter, 1977-1980.
Carter, Jimmy. Address to the Nation on Energy and National Goals, 15 July 1979.
William Jefferson Clinton, 1993-2001.
Clinton, William Jefferson "Address to Rwanda Genocide Survivors", 25 March 1998.
Clinton, William Jefferson. "Remarks to the Columbine High School Community," 20 May 1999.
Clinton, William Jefferson. "I Have Sinned"
Clinton, William Jefferson. State of the Union, 1999.
Hayes, Rutherford B.
Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library.
Lyndon Baines Johnson, 1963-1969.
Johnson, Lyndon Baines. Gulf of Tonkin Address.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 1961-1963.
Kennedy, John Fitzgerald. Address to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, 12 September 1960
Kennedy, John Fitzgerald. Berlin Wall Address.
Kennedy, John Fitzgerald. Civil Rights Address, 11 June 1963.
Kennedy, John Fitzgerald. Inaugural Address.
Abraham Lincoln, 1861-1865.
The Rhetorical Lincoln
Sources on the Rhetorical Lincoln
Lincoln, Abraham. First Inaugural Address
Lincoln, Abraham. Gettysburg Address.
Lincoln, Abraham. Sanitary Fair Address.
Lincoln, Abraham. Second Inaugural Address
Barack Obama, 2009-2016.
Obama, Barack. First Inaugural
Obama, Barack. Marriage Equality Ruling.
Obama, Barack. State of the Union 2015.
Obama, Barack. Victory Speech, 4 November 2008
Obama, Barack. Second Inaugural, 21 January 2013.
Obama, Barack. President Obama-Farewell Speech
Ronald Reagan, 1981-1989.
The Rhetorical Ronald Reagan
Reagan, Ronald. Challenger Address.
Reagan, Ronald. First Inaugural Address.
Reagan, Ronald. "A Time for Choosing".
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1933-1945.
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano. First Inaugural Address.
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano. Pearl Harbor Address.
Zachary Taylor, 1849-1850.
Taylor, Zachary. Inaugural, 5 March 1849.
Harry S. Truman, 1945-1953.
Truman, Harry S. "Truman Doctrine", 12 March 1947.
George Washington, 1789-1791.
Washington, George. Washington, George. First Inaugural Address.
Washington, George. First Annual Address to Congress on the State of the Union.
Washington, George. Farewell Address.
Washington Papers. University of Virginia.
Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington. Mount Vernon.
Woodrow Wilson, 1913-1921.
Wilson, Woodrow. Address to a Joint Session of Congress Requesting a Declaration of War against Germany.
Woodrow Wilson Papers at the Library of Congress.