The conscious mind of most Americans recalls but a handful of powerful speeches. Short as the list is, these addresses are part of the nation's common lexicon: Abraham Lincoln recalling "four score and seven years ago" at Gettysburg; Franklin Delano Roosevelt imparting "a date which will live in infamy"; Martin Luther King's ringing "I Have a Dream"; and, John F. Kennedy imploring us to "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Beyond these standouts, the balance of American oratory is largely the province of the history cognoscenti. . . . [for full article click the PDF below]