Part I: Historical Studies in Persuasion and Demagoguery

Lesson 2: The American Tradition of Popular Speech

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Lesson Overview

Today we meet two of the towering figures in early twentieth century American politics, William Jennings Bryan and Theodore Roosevelt (TR). Both were successful politicians and effective speakers. At the time, Bryan was actually the more renowned orator, known for a rabble-rousing populist style that earned him the nickname “The Great Commoner.” Yet TR, in the long run, had a bigger impact on American politics and culture. As president, TR transformed the White House into the “bully pulpit” and he used that bully pulpit to champion a variety of causes, from the conservation of natural resources to the building of the Panama Canal. Today, both Bryan and TR are remembered for a handful of famous speeches, including the two we read for this week’s lesson. Both Bryan and TR were key figures in a fascinating and turbulent time in U.S. history—a time that historian Richard Hofstadter has labeled the “Age of Reform.”

Objectives

By the end of the lesson, you should be able to do the following:

• Explain why William Jennings Bryan and Theodore Roosevelt are counted among the greatest orators in U.S. history.
• Identify some of the key characteristics of both the "populist" and "muckraking" traditions of American popular rhetoric.
• Describe the persuasive strategies and stylistic characteristics of Bryan’s 1900 Acceptance Speech, "Against Imperialism."
• Summarize the larger principles underlying Theodore Roosevelt’s criticism of muckraking in his speech of April 14, 1906.
• Identify other speakers who might fit within the populist and muckraking traditions of popular speech.

Lesson Readings & Activities

Please begin by reading the Lesson Commentary. By the end of this lesson, make sure you have also completed the readings and activities found in the Lesson 02 Course Schedule.