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.
Presidential Oath of Office:. "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
Texts and Other Sources for Specific 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.
Biden, Joseph. State of the Union Address, 7 February 2023.
Biden, Joseph. Withdrawal Speech, 24 July 2024.
George W. Bush, 2001-2008.
George W. Bush Presidential Library
Bush, George W. First Inaugural, 20 January 2001.
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.
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum
Carter, Jimmy. Address to the Nation on Energy and National Goals, 15 July 1979.
William Jefferson Clinton, 1993-2001.
William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum
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.
LBJ Presidential Library
Johnson, Lyndon Baines. Let Us Continue, 27 November 1963.
Johnson, Lyndon Baines. Gulf of Tonkin Address, 04 August 1964.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 1961-1963.
Kennedy, John Fitzgerald. Inaugural Address, 20 January 1961.
Kennedy, John Fitzgerald. Civil Rights Address, 11 June 1963.
Kennedy, John Fitzgerald. Berlin Wall Address, 26 June 1963.
Abraham Lincoln, 1861-1865.
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
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
Richard M. Nixon, 1969-1974
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum.
Barack Obama, 2009-2016.
Barack Obama Presidential Library
The Obama Presidential Center
Obama, Barack. First Inaugural, 20 January 2009.
Obama, Barack. Aurora Speech, 20 July 2012
Obama, Barack. On Marriage Equality, 26 June 2015.
Obama, Barack. State of the Union 2015, 20 January 2015.
Obama, Barack. Second Inaugural, 21 January 2013.
Obama, Barack. President Obama-Farewell Speech
Ronald Reagan, 1981-1989.
See The Rhetorical Ronald Reagan
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1933-1945.
FDR Presidential Library and Museum
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano. First Inaugural Address, 4 March 1933.
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano. Fireside Chat 1: On the Banking Crisis, 12 March 1933.
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano. Pearl Harbor Address, 8 December 1941.
Zachary Taylor, 1849-1850.
Zachary Taylor Papers at the Library of Congress.
Taylor, Zachary. Inaugural, 5 March 1849.
Harry S. Truman, 1945-1953.
Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum.
Truman, Harry S. "Truman Doctrine", 12 March 1947.
Trump, Donald,
Trump, Donald. Donald Trump, Ellipse Speech, 06 January 2021.
Trump, Donald. Donald Trump, Message after Pro-Trump Mob Overruns Capitol, 07 January 2021.
George Washington, 1789-1791.
Washington Papers. University of Virginia.
Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington. Mount Vernon.
Washington, George. Washington, George. First Inaugural Address.
Washington, George. First Annual Address to Congress on the State of the Union.
Washington, George. Farewell Address.
Woodrow Wilson, 1913-1921.
Woodrow Wilson Papers at the Library of Congress.
Wilson, Woodrow. Address to a Joint Session of Congress Requesting a Declaration of War against Germany.