One of the best ways to become a better speaker is to study great speeches of the past. To help out, several websites have collected and published excellent speeches. AmericanRhetoric.com has texts of hundreds and hundreds of American public speeches, mostly speeches about public issues. A highlight is the list of 100 top American 20th-century speeches, selected by Stephen Lucas and Martin Medhurst. Video and audio recordings are linked when available. There is also a companion book.
Gifts of Speech, hosted by Sweet Briar College, is an excellent resource that collects women's speeches. This website is just one more reason to hope that Sweet Briar continues to operate as a great American institution.
Those of us who enjoy ancient history can read translations of Demosthenes' outstanding speeches. N.B.: if you think today's politicians are nasty, you should read Demosthenes!
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