Historic Addresses

Select an inaugural address or farewell address from any president in American history. Then, in a thoughtfully composed essay, explain the relevance of the selected address in modern society. You must also directly refer to at least one current event through a related news article.

Here are a few suggested addresses:

Eisenhower's farewell address (regarded as a landmark relating to American military & industrial capabilities.)

George Washington's farewell address (he never actually spoke it—it was printed in the newspapers. This one is famous for themes and references to political factions, foreign alliances, and religion/morality)

Lincoln's second inaugural address (the Civil War and slavery were almost over; Lincoln spoke of sadness, the Divine will and more. This is one of the most famous speeches in American history)

Franklin Delano Roosevelt's first inaugural address (the Depression was starting, FDR proposed wartime powers to approach crises; "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself")

John F. Kennedy's inaugural address ("ask not what your country can do for you..." the link has the video for this one w/full text)

Don't feel limited by those! Check out Lincoln's first inaugural, check out Teddy Roosevelt, or Ronald Reagan or any other that interests you.

This blog entry will be worth up to 40 points, according to the following guidelines:

Clarity: Complete, elegant thesis that answers the question and lays out the organization of the essay? Does the writing act as an efficient & thoughtful guide through the author's points and to a powerful conclusion?

Evidence: Does the author thoughtfully select relevant pieces of direct evidence to support his/her thesis and topic sentences?

Structure: Is all of the writing logically and systematically structured? Does the author use topic sentences to frame paragraphs? Does the structure support the overall message of the writing?

Citations: Does the author use professional citations whenever necessary?

This blog entry is due at 3:30 on 1/23/09.