CO 436: Rhetorical Criticism

Rhetorical Artifacts

Vital Speeches of the Day
The complete text of more than 15,000 speeches dating back to 1934. Available via the Business Source Premier database. (Click on a year and issue to browse or click on Search Within This Publication to look for a particular speech or speaker.)
Presidential Rhetoric at the American Presidency Project
An impressive collection of presidential rhetoric including: inaugural addresses, weekly Saturday radio addresses (from 1988 on), transcripts of news conferences; nomination acceptance speeches; transcripts of Presidential debates back, and more.

The Living Room Candidate
An online exhibition presenting more than 300 television commercials from every election year since 1952, when the first campaign TV ads aired.
More Advertising Sources
Ad*Access Project
Presents images and database information for over 7,000 advertisements printed in U.S. and Canadian newspapers and magazines between 1911 and 1955.

ARTstor This link opens in a new window
ARTstor is a database of more than 1.3 million digital images. It covers many time periods and cultures and represent architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, etc. Users are required to create a personal account to access this database off campus.

The Emergence of Advertising in America: 1850 - 1920
Presents over 9,000 images, with database information, that "illustrate the rise of consumer culture, especially after the American Civil War, and the birth of a professionalized advertising industry in the United States."

ProQuest Historical U.S. Newspapers This link opens in a new window
This database provides full coverage, including scanned images of articles, ads, and other content and full text searching of the following newspapers: New York Times (1851-2006); Washington Post (1877-1993); Boston Globe (1872-1979); Chicago Tribune (1849-1987); Atlanta Constitution (1867-1945); and Chicago Defender (1910-1975).
Ethnic NewsWatch This link opens in a new window
Full text of ethnic and minority newspapers, magazines, and journals in the United States. Includes articles in English and Spanish.
Alt-HealthWatch This link opens in a new window
Full-text coverage of more than 150 newspapers, magazines, academic and scholarly journals of the alternative and independent press.
Left Index This link opens in a new window
An index with some full text of to the diverse literature of the left, covering such topics as the labor movement, ecology & environment, race & ethnicity, social & cultural theory, sociology, history, education, law, and globalization.

GenderWatch
Full text of scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, regional publications that focus on how gender impacts a broad spectrum of subject areas.

LGBTQ+ Source This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive coverage of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies. This database indexes more than 120 core periodicals and has fulltext for 50 major GLBT journals and newspapers.
Chicago Defender (Historical Newspapers) This link opens in a new window
This database. provides the full text backfile, from 1905 to 1975, of the influential black newspaper The Chicago Defender.
African American Newspapers: The 19th Century This link opens in a new window
Provides the complete full texts of major 19th century African-American newspapers.

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O'Neill Library

Boston College

617-552-3221

Subjects: Communication, Criminal & Social Justice, Gender Studies, Sociology & Anthropology