Oratory in the Age of Mass Communication

Although my students have been reading the text of speeches from the 20th century, being able to hear and sometimes see the speakers through recordings helps one to understand, and to a degree approximate, how those speeches felt and functioned in their day. So here are a few.

A compilation of speeches by Hitler (marred by a maudlin musical track, but capturing his oratorical style and the various settings in which he marshaled public opinion).

Winston Churchill's "Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat" speech (May 13, 1940):

Winston Churchill's "We Shall Fight on the Beaches..." speech (June 4, 1940) (The video is set to cue toward the end of the speech):

Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech (Aug 28, 1963)