The American Reader: Words That Moved a NationThe American Reader is a stirring and memorable anthology that captures the many facets of American culture and history in prose and verse. The 200 poems, speeches, songs, essays, letters, and documents were chosen both for their readability and for their significance. These are the words that have inspired, enraged, delighted, chastened, and comforted Americans in days gone by. Gathered here are the writings that illuminate -- with wit, eloquence, and sometimes sharp words -- significant aspects of national conciousness. They reflect the part that all Americans -- black and white, native born and immigrant, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American, poor and wealthy -- have played in creating the nation's character. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 11
... became an enduring part of American culture and that deserve to be recalled , even recited out loud . As choices were made first in 1990 and then again in 2000 , the guiding principle for selection of entries was suggested by these ...
... became the governing body of the Plymouth colony , with the power to elect officers , pass laws , and admit new voting members . The covenant entered into on that November day on a ship at anchor in the wilderness harbor established the ...
... became a prominent attorney . Ma ay it please your honors , I agree with Mr. Attorney [ Richard Bradley ] that government is a sacred thing , but I differ very widely from him when he would insinuate that the just complaints of a number ...
... became a leading political activist after these events . In May 1761 , Otis was elected to the legislature of Massachusetts and was chosen as speaker of the house in 1766 ; however , the royal governor of the province blocked his ...
... became active in colonial politics in 1765 , when he published articles in the Boston Gazette denouncing the Stamp Act . These articles , published together as A Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law , are excerpted below . Although ...