25 Documents and Speeches Every American Should Own

What Does It Mean to Be An American?

In The Essential American: 25 Documents and Speeches Every American Should Own, Jackie Gingrich Cushman has compiled a guide to the great documents and speeches that have stood as beacons to successive generations, expressing what it is to be an American.

Starting with the crucial documents of our founding, Cushman introduces and explores each speech and document in its historical context, explaining why it belongs in the American canon. Some—like General Douglas MacArthur’s immortal “Duty, Honor, Country” speech or Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address—were obvious selections. Others are less well-known, like Captain Mosley Baker’s speech at San Jacinto, which urged Texans fighting for their lives to “Remember the Alamo!”

The Essential American: 25 Documents and Speeches Every American Should Own highlights different aspects of America’s character. Reflections on America’s origins, like Calvin Coolidge’s “Inspiration of the Declaration of Independence” and Daniel Webster’s “Discourse, Delivered at Plymouth” were delivered in times of peace and prosperity. General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s “Order of the Day” on D–Day, FDR’s address to Congress after Pearl Harbor was attacked, and President George W. Bush’s speech after 9/11 were the powerful responses of leadership to the crises of the hour.

Many of these documents and speeches were prepared for public dissemination while others, like Abigail Adams’ letter to her husband, began as the private thoughts of citizens meditating on the course of the nation. Some were instantly hailed as great, such as Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, while others like President Ronald Reagan’s speech at the Brandenburg Gate in West Germany required the passage of time to unveil their significance. All of them contain enduring lessons for Americans today and demand a place in our hearts and on our bookshelves.

With its handy lists of presidents and first ladies, vice presidents, and justices of the Supreme Court, a timeline of important events in American history, and a BONUS DVD of more than 1,200 documents*, The Essential American: 25 Documents and Speeches Every American Should Own is a vital resource for all Americans seeking to better understand the legacy they have inherited.

Free Chapter; Essential American

Edited by Jackie Gingrich Cushman; Foreword by Newt Gingrich

Specifications: Hardback, 252 pages

* For Mac users, once you have installed the software on the DVD, go to http://www.winehq.org/ to download free software which will allow you to run the DVD on your computer. To watch a video on how to install the compatibility software, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-fLmdzIHTM.