Speeches That Changed America

Words have power. These speeches helped to change the course of American history.

Shirley Chisholm – Equal Rights for Women Speech

Shirley Chisholm, the first African American Woman elected to Congress, addresses the US House of Representatives to argue in support of a controversial women’s rights bill; the Equal Rights Amendment.

Ronald Reagan – Tear Down This Wall

On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan delivers a speech to the people of West Berlin, calling upon the Soviet Union to tear down the wall that divides the city.