美國20世紀最偉大的100個演講
這是由100多位美國專家根據社會、政治影響以及文字的優美程度評選出的美國20世紀最偉大的100大經典演講。
黑人民權運動領袖馬丁路德·金的出色演講《我有一個夢》，當之無愧的入選為最偉大的演講之首，與那場浩浩蕩蕩的民權運動一起銘記入史冊。馬丁路德·金的演講造詣十分高，通篇絕無錯漏，善於運用循序漸進的排比句。不像其他民權領袖，馬丁路德·金更善於運用情感而不激進，他的個人魅力和親和力更能爭取更廣泛的中間團體的支持（如女權運動組織，宗教團體，自由主義者等）。馬丁路德·金同時入選100強的演講還包括《攀越巔峯》和反對越戰的《打破沉默》。馬丁路德·金的演講，不論是風格還是遣詞造句，不論是語調還是情感運用，方方面面都值得學習和借鑒。
約翰·肯尼迪的《總統就職演說》緊隨其後坐亞望冠。（我們也許更瞭解肯尼迪總統遇刺而不是肯尼迪總統本人）在大多數美國人心目中，肯尼迪總統的地位極高。肯尼迪總統正直，睿智，俊俏而有活力，他是一個天生的的領導，有一種使大家都願意跟隨他的神奇魅力。肯尼迪29歲當選參議員，並在其後的總統大選中擊敗當時已經兩任副總統的民主黨候選人尼克松，當選為美國史上最年輕的總統。肯尼迪總統努力尋求自由，和平的戰後新格局。儘管一上任便遭遇古巴導彈危機和太空危機，肯尼迪總統卻能成功地帶領美國人走出困境。
其《總統就職演說》中的一句「親愛的美國人民，不要去問國家能為你做點什麼，而應該問你自己能為國家做些什麼。」則成為經典中的經典。（「ask」在英語中既有「問」的意思，也有「要求」的意思，因此這是一語雙關句，另一種意思是「親愛的美國人民，不要去要求國家給與，而應該要求你自己為國家貢獻。」）
富蘭克林·羅斯福（註：美國史上有兩位羅斯福總統，兩位都有多篇演講入選。泰迪·羅斯福即大羅斯福總統，富蘭克林·羅斯福即小羅斯福總統）的《第一次總統就職演說》（主要針對當時的經濟危機）及《國會珍珠港事件演講：開戰宣言》則當選為第三及第四位。這位領導美國人走出經濟危機並戰勝法西斯主義，使美國成為世界霸主的唯一一位4任總統的輪椅上的鐵人，成為美國人心目中最偉大的總統。其入選的偉大演說也是最多的。
不知是否因為上述3位深受美國人的愛戴，《羅斯福總統辭世》《馬丁路德·金遇刺》《肯尼迪總統遇刺》這3篇演說也在100強中榜上有名。
100個偉大演說還收錄了許多經典之作。如馬歇爾的《馬歇爾計劃》，杜魯門總統的《杜魯門主義》，里根總統的《「挑戰者」號遇難演說》，卡特（總統）《國家能源計劃》。也包括諾貝爾得獎演說，聯合國關注艾滋病演說等等。
由於是由美國人投票選出，我們能從投票的結果看出一些有趣的現象。例如希拉里·羅翰·柯林頓的演說《女權也是人權》名理前茅，有這樣的支持度多少也反映了2008年總統大選的形勢。而比爾·柯林頓，這位以能言善辯著稱的總統，居然只有一篇《奧拉荷馬州炸彈慘劇追悼會演說》排在可憐的第92位，可見其在美國人心目中的「光輝」形象。喬治·布希（老布希）總統成為唯一一位沒有演說入選的總統（20世紀）。所謂有其父必有其子，所以我們對小布希總統錯漏百出的滑稽演說也應該見怪不怪了。
所有的演講都有其特定的社會歷史背景。聽演講能更深刻地瞭解當時社會環境。當然您首先需要對美國史略知一二。如果您不知道70年代的反戰浪潮，也就無法理解何為《沉默的大多數》，不知道「水門事件」，也就不清楚尼克松總統為何突然發布《辭職演說》。本人建議，聽演講的同時翻閱一下相關歷史資料，有助於更深刻的理解。
01. Dr Martin Luther King Jr.: I Have a Dream
02. John F. Kennedy: Inaugural Address
03. Franklin Delano Roosevelt: First Inaugural Address
04. Franklin D. Roosevelt: Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation War Message
05. Barbara Charline Jordan: 1976 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address
06. Richard M. Nixon: Checkers
07. Malcolm X: The Ballot or the Bullet
08. Ronald Reagan: The Space Shuttle Challenger Tragedy Address
09. John F. Kennedy: Address to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association
10. Lyndon Baines Johnson: Address to a Joint Session of Congress on Voting Legislation
11. Mario Matthew Cuomo: 1984 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address
12. Jesse Jackson: 1984 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address
13. Dwight D. Eisenhower: Farewell Address
14. Barbara Charline Jordan: Statement on the Articles of Impeachment
15. General Douglas MacArthur: Farewell Address to Congress
16. Martin Luther King, Jr.: I"ve been to the Mountaintop
17. Theodore Roosevelt: The Man with the Muck-rake
18. Robert F. Kennedy: Remarks on the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr
19. Woodrow Wilson: War Message
20. General Douglas MacArthur: Thayer Award Address Duty, Honor, Country
21. Richard M. Nixon: The Great Silent Majority
22. John F. Kennedy: I am a "Berliner"
23. Clarence Darrow: A Plea for Mercy
24. Russell Conwell: Acres of Diamonds
25. Ronald Reagan: A Time for Choosing
26. Huey P. Long: Every Man a King
27. Anna Howard Shaw: The Fundamental Principle of a Republic
28. Franklin Delano Roosevelt: The Great Arsenal of Democracy
29. Ronald Reagan: The Evil Empire
30. Ronald Reagan: First Inaugural Address
31. Franklin Delano Roosevelt: First Fireside Chat
32. Harry S. Truman: The Truman Doctrine
33. William Faulkner: Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
34. Eugene Victor Debs: 1918 Statement to the Court
35. Hillary Rodham Clinton: Remarks to the U.N. 4th World Conference on Women Plenary Session
36. Dwight D. Eisenhower: Atoms for Peace
37. John F. Kennedy: American University Commencement Address
38. Ann Richards: Democratic National Convention Keynote Address
39. Richard M. Nixon: Resignation Address to the Nation
40. Woodrow Wilson: The Fourteen Points
41. Margaret Chase Smith: Declaration of Conscience
42. Franklin D. Roosevelt: The Four Freedoms
43. Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Time to Break Silence
44. Mary Church Terrell: What It Means to be Colored in Capital of the U.S
45. William Jennings Bryan: Imperialism
46. Margaret Sanger: The Morality of Birth Control
47. Barbara Pierce Bush: Commencement Address at Wellesley College
48. John F. Kennedy: Civil Rights Address
49. John F. Kennedy: Cuban Missile Crisis Address to the Nation
50. Spiro Theodore Agnew: Television News Coverage
51. Jesse Jackson: 1988 Democratic National Convention Address
52. Mary Fisher: 1992 Republication National Convention Address
53. Lyndon Baines Johnson: The Great Society
54. George C. Marshall: The Marshall Plan
55. Edward M. Kennedy: Faith, Truth and Tolerance in America
56. Adlai E. Stevenson: Speech Accepting the Democratic Presidential Nomination
57. Eleanor Roosevelt: The Struggle for Human Rights
58. Geraldine Ferraro: Vice Presidential Nomination Acceptance Address
59. Robert M. La Follette: Free Speech in Wartime (Abridged)
60. Ronald Reagan: Remarks on the 40th Anniversary of D-Day
61. Mario Matthew Cuomo: Religious Belief and Public Morality
62. Edward M. Kennedy: Address to the People of Massachusetts on Chappaquiddick
63. John L. Lewis: Labor and the Nation
64. Barry Goldwater: Speech Accepting the Republican Presidential Nomination
65. Stokely Carmichael: Black Power
66. Hubert H. Humphrey: 1948 Democratic National Convention Address
67. Emma Goldman: Address to the Jury
68. Carrie Chapman Catt: The Crisis
69. Newton N. Minow: Television and the Public Interest
70. Edward M. Kennedy: Tribute to Senator Robert F. Kennedy
71. Anita Hill: Opening Stmt to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Clarence Thomas
72. Woodrow Wilson: Final Address in Support of the League of Nations
73. Lou Gehrig: Farewell to Baseball Address
74. Richard M. Nixon: Cambodian Incursion Address
75. Carrie Chapman Catt: Speech before Congress, 1917
76. Ted Kennedy: 1980 Democratic National Convention Address
77. Lyndon Baines Johnson: Renunciation Speech
78. Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Commonwealth Club Address
79. Woodrow Wilson: First Inaugural Address
80. Mario Savio: Sit-in Address on the Steps of Sproul Hall
81. Elizabeth Glaser: 1992 Democratic National Convention Address
82. Eugene Victor Debs: The Issue
83. Margaret Sanger: The Children"s Era
84. Ursula Le Guin: A LEFT-HANDED COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
85. Crystal Eastman: Now We Can Begin
86. Huey P. Long Share: Our Wealth (Text) and Barbecue Speech
87. Gerald R. Ford: Address on Taking the Oath of the U.S. Presidency
88. Cesar E. Chavez: The Mexican-American and the Church
89. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn: Statement at the Smith Act Trial
90. Jimmy Carter: Energy and the National Goals - A Crisis of Confidenc
91. Malcolm X: Message to the Grass Roots
92. Bill Clinton: Oklahoma Bombing Memorial Prayer Service Address
93. Shirley Anita St. Hill: Chisholm for the Equal Rights Amendment
94. Ronald Reagan: Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate
95. Elie Wiesel: The Perils of Indifference
96. Gerald R. Ford: Address to the Nation Pardoning Richard M. Nixon
97. Woodrow Wilson: The League of Nations
98. Lyndon Baines Johnson: Let Us Continue
99. McCarthy-Welch Exchange: Have You No Sense of Decency
100. Eleanor Roosevelt: Address to the United Nations General Assembly
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