Great Speakers and Speeches in American Democracy

Catalog description

This course explores the many perspectives that have shaped American culture and identity through speech and the rhetorical situations of those speeches. Students will examine factors that contribute to the amplification of some voices and barriers to other voices. Students will analyze historical and contemporary texts to address the questions, what makes a great American speech and what makes a great American speaker? By studying landmark speeches and rhetorical strategies, students will develop their own persuasive abilities to participate in the public sphere.