American Eloquence, Volume 4

This final volume brings together a striking collection of mid‑nineteenth‑century American oratory, gathering the most consequential debates that shaped the nation’s destiny. Listeners will encounter speeches on the Civil War, Reconstruction, tariff policy, finance and civil‑service reform, all presented in their original, eloquent form. The anthology features portraits of the era’s leading voices, from Lincoln and Blaine to Breckenridge and Curtis, giving a vivid sense of the personalities behind the words.

The Civil War and Reconstruction section opens with the dramatic Senate exchange between John C. Breckenridge and William Baker as the Union’s first crisis unfolded at Fort Sumter. Their impassioned pleas capture the tension of a nation on the brink of war. Added to this are the contrasting addresses of Thaddeus Stevens and Henry J. Raymond, which illuminate the early battles over how the Union should be rebuilt.

Later chapters turn to the long‑standing tariff controversy, preserving the classic arguments of Henry Clay and William H. Hurd on free trade versus protectionism. A fresh selection of financial speeches by George W. Curtis and Alexander Schurz explores post‑war coinage debates and the push for civil‑service reform, revealing the economic currents that still echo today.