Summary of Major U.S. Presidential Speeches (From Westward Expansion to 9/11 Attack) James K. Polk - War Message to Congress (1846) Justified the Mexican-American War and framed westward expansion as America's destiny under Manifest Destiny. Abraham Lincoln - Gettysburg Address (1863) Honored fallen soldiers; emphasized equality, democracy, and the Civil War as a test of the nation's survival. Abraham Lincoln - Second Inaugural Address (1865) Called for healing and reconciliation after the Civil War, urging forgiveness instead of revenge. Ulysses S. Grant - First Inaugural Address (1869) Supported equal rights for freed slaves and promoted justice and peace during Reconstruction. Theodore Roosevelt - "The New Nationalism" (1910) Advocated government regulation of corporations, worker protection, and fairness to all Americans. Woodrow Wilson - Fourteen Points (1918) Outlined a plan for lasting peace after WWI, including the League of Nations and national self-determination. Franklin D. Roosevelt - First Inaugural Address (1933) Addressed the Great Depression with optimism, stating 'the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.' Franklin D. Roosevelt - "Day of Infamy" Speech (1941) Declared war on Japan after the Pearl Harbor attack, uniting the nation for WWII. Harry S. Truman - Truman Doctrine (1947) Committed the U.S. to help nations resist communism, marking the start of the Cold War. John F. Kennedy - Inaugural Address (1961) Called for service, unity, and defending freedom during Cold War tensions ('Ask not what your country can do for you...'). Lyndon B. Johnson - "We Shall Overcome" (1965) Advocated for civil rights and voting rights during the Civil Rights Movement. Ronald Reagan - "Tear Down This Wall" (1987) Challenged Soviet leader Gorbachev to remove the Berlin Wall, symbolizing the end of the Cold War. George H. W. Bush - Gulf War Speech (1991) Explained the U.S.-led coalition to liberate Kuwait and uphold international law. Bill Clinton - First Inaugural Address (1993) Promised renewal, unity, responsibility, and opportunity in a changing global landscape.