Landmark Speeches of the American Conservative Movement

by Schweizer, Peter

• ISBN13: 9781585445844
• ISBN10: 1585445843
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-04-30
• Publisher: Texas A & M Univ Pr

Summary

As Ronald Reagan declared, the conservative banner is one of bold, unmistakable colors, not "pastel shades." Since World War II, the American conservative movement has changed the colors of the national political landscape. Here, in its own words, is the body of thought and rhetoric that has painted the movement's banner. Award-winning authors Peter Schweizer and Wynton C. Hall have gathered an authoritative collection of speeches representing the modern conservative movement. Beginning with Whittaker Chambers's 1948 testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee and continuing through the speeches of such conservative icons as Barry Goldwater, Bill Buckley, Phyllis Schlafly, Ronald Reagan, and Barbara Bush, the editors assemble an all-star line-up of conservative thought. Newt Gingrich, champion of conservatism, said that, in this volume, "Peter Schweizer and Wynton Hall have captured the key moments in the emergence of modern conservatism." Steve Forbes also praised this work as a "timely, much-needed reminder of what the movement is truly about." Without a doubt,Landmark Speeches of the American Conservative Movementis a book that will interest anyone with a passion for politics, the spoken word, or history. The thirteen speeches in this volume powerfully capture the principles, images, and causes that constitute modern American conservatism. Drawing on such thinkers as Russell Kirk and Richard M. Weaver, Schweizer and Hall vividly illustrate the ideas that have moved the conservative movement from the margins of society to the citadels of power. An introduction to each speech explains the context in which it was first delivered and notes the impact of each statement on the movement and the nation. The perfect gift for those who value conservatism or seek to understand it,Landmark Speeches of the American Conservative Movementoffers food for thought and action. For historians, political scientists, and students of public communication, the book is an essential source for the ideas that have shaped American society since 1945.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Whittaker Chambers (1948): "I Broke Away from the Communist Party"	p. 9
William F. Buckley Jr. (1950): "Today We Are Educated Men"	p. 14
Everett Dirksen (1964): "The Time Has Come"	p. 20
Barry Goldwater (1964): "Extremism in the Defense of Liberty Is No Vice"	p. 30
Ronald Reagan (1964): "A Time for Choosing"	p. 41
Clare Boothe Luce (1978): "Is the New Morality Destroying America?"	p. 55
Ronald Reagan (1981): "The First Inaugural"	p. 73
Ronald Reagan (1983): "Evil Empire"	p. 81
Phyllis Schlafly (1987): "Child Abuse in the Classroom"	p. 94
Barbara Bush (1990): "The Controversy Ends Here"	p. 105
Newt Gingrich (1995): "The Contract with America"	p. 111
George W. Bush (2001): "Our Mission and Our Moment"	p. 128
Charles Krauthammer (2004): "A Unipolar World"	p. 139
Acknowledgments	p. 161
Index	p. 163
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