# A Historic Speech Part of the Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge Digital Resource Guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/citizenship-in-the-nation/guide/index.md) *Citizenship in Action* > **6.** With your counselor's approval, choose a speech of national historical importance. Explain: > **6a.** Who the author was > **6b.** What the historical context was > **6c.** What difficulties the nation faced that the author wished to discuss > **6d.** What the author said > **6e.** Why the speech is important to the nation's history > **6f.** Choose a sentence or two from the speech that has significant meaning to you, and tell your counselor why. Throughout American history, leaders have used speeches to inspire, challenge, comfort, and unite the nation. The right words at the right moment can change the course of history. This requirement asks you to choose one of these speeches, study it deeply, and explain why it still matters. ### Choosing Your Speech First, get your counselor's approval for the speech you want to study. Pick one that genuinely interests you. Here are some well-known speeches to consider — but you are not limited to this list: - **George Washington's Farewell Address (1796)** — Warned against political parties and foreign entanglements as he left office after two terms. - **Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (1863)** — Redefined the meaning of the Civil War and the promise of equality in just 272 words. - **Frederick Douglass, "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" (1852)** — A powerful challenge to the nation to live up to its founding ideals. - **Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address (1933)** — "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" — spoken during the Great Depression. - **Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" Speech (1941)** — Asked Congress to declare war after the attack on Pearl Harbor. - **John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address (1961)** — "Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country." - **Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)** — Called for racial equality and justice at the March on Washington. - **Ronald Reagan's "Tear Down This Wall" Speech (1987)** — Called on the Soviet Union to open the Berlin Wall. > **Tip** > > Try to find a video or audio recording of your chosen speech. Hearing the words spoken aloud — with the speaker's voice, tone, and emotion — is a completely different experience from just reading them on a page. Many historic speeches are available on YouTube. ### How to Analyze Your Speech Once you have chosen a speech, work through each part of the requirement. Here is a framework to guide your research: ## Requirement 6a: The Speaker's Background and Role **Who the author was (6a):** This is more than just a name. Learn about the person's background. What was their role at the time? What experiences shaped their views? Why were they the person delivering this speech at this moment? ## Requirement 6b: The Moment in History **The historical context (6b):** What was happening in the country and the world when this speech was given? Was there a war, an economic crisis, a social movement, or a political turning point? Understanding the context helps you understand why the speech mattered so much. ## Requirement 6c: Challenges the Nation Faced **The nation's difficulties (6c):** What specific problems or challenges was the nation facing? Why did the speaker feel compelled to address the public? Was there a crisis of confidence, a threat to the nation's values, or a need to rally people to action? ## Requirement 6d: The Speech's Main Message **What the author said (6d):** Summarize the main message of the speech. What was the speaker's argument? What did they ask the audience to do, believe, or understand? You do not need to memorize the entire speech, but you should be able to explain its key points in your own words. ## Requirement 6e: Why the Speech Still Matters **Why the speech is important (6e):** How did this speech affect the nation? Did it change public opinion, lead to new policies, inspire a movement, or unify people during a crisis? Why do we still study it today? ## Requirement 6f: A Passage That Speaks to You **A personally meaningful passage (6f):** This is your chance to make a personal connection. Choose one or two sentences that really speak to you and explain why. There is no wrong answer — what matters is that you can articulate why those words resonate with you. **Speech Analysis Checklist** — Make sure you cover each point - [ ] The speaker: Who they were, their background, and their role at the time. - [ ] The context: What was happening in America and the world when the speech was given. - [ ] The challenge: What difficulties or crises the nation was facing. - [ ] The message: A clear summary of what the speaker said and argued. - [ ] The impact: Why the speech is historically important. - [ ] Your connection: A specific passage that is meaningful to you and why. ![A podium with an American flag and the presidential seal in a grand setting, evoking the gravitas of a nationally important speech](https://ik.imagekit.io/doulacoop/tr:w-800/mbu-assets/merit-badges/citizenship-in-the-nation/guide/historic-speech-podium?v=d5f16d89) > **Did You Know?** > > Lincoln's Gettysburg Address lasted only about two minutes. The featured speaker that day, Edward Everett, spoke for two hours before Lincoln. Afterward, Everett wrote to Lincoln: "I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes." ### Making Your Speech Come Alive When you discuss the speech with your counselor, think about how to make it vivid and engaging. Here are some ideas: - **Read a key passage aloud.** Let your counselor hear the words the way the audience heard them. - **Show a timeline.** Place the speech on a timeline with other events of the era to show the context. - **Compare it to today.** Are the issues the speech addressed still relevant? How have things changed — or not changed — since then? - **Explain your personal connection.** Why does this speech matter to you, specifically? Does it connect to your own values, experiences, or hopes for the country? > **Be Prepared! What If You Cannot Decide on a Speech?** > > If you are stuck choosing, try this approach: > > - **Think about a time period that interests you.** Revolutionary War? Civil War? Civil rights era? Space race? > - **Think about an issue you care about.** Freedom? Equality? Service? Courage? Find a speech that addresses that theme. > - **Ask your counselor.** They may have suggestions based on what they know about your interests. > - **Start with the short ones.** The Gettysburg Address is only 272 words. Kennedy's inaugural address is about 1,400 words. Shorter speeches are easier to study deeply. ### Explore More [American Rhetoric — Top 100 Speeches](https://www.americanrhetoric.com/top100speechesall.html): Browse the top 100 American speeches of the 20th century with full texts, audio, and video where available. [National Archives — Milestone Documents](https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents): Explore 100 milestone documents in American history, including many famous speeches and their historical context. ![A Scout wearing headphones at a computer, listening to a historic speech recording with a notebook open for notes](https://ik.imagekit.io/doulacoop/tr:w-800/mbu-assets/merit-badges/citizenship-in-the-nation/guide/scout-listening-speech?v=647676e3) --- - Previous: [Following the News](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/citizenship-in-the-nation/guide/req5/index.md) - Next: [Exploring National Sites](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/citizenship-in-the-nation/guide/req7/index.md)