Presidential speeches have always played an important part in our history. Many have become ingrained in the memories of the entire nation,
such as Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, while others have become long forgotten. Unfortunately, there were no devices around to record Washington, Jefferson or Lincoln.
However, from the time of Benjamin Harrison in 1889 and on, recordings have been preserved for posterity.
This page contains sample recordings of these Presidents. You must have 'RealPlayer' in order to hear them. The background is a picture of President Warren Harding recording his voice.
The picture is courtesy of The Library of Congress.