Showing results by narrator "Michael Jerod Smith" in All Categories

A man treks through the frigid Yukon with his dog. When night falls, the temperature drops to negative 75, and they struggle to keep warm.

Thomas Horn Jr. was an infamous figure in the 19th-century American Old West. Cowboy, soldier, government scout, translator, and gunman, Horn’s storied life has become an important part of western folklore. In 1902, he was convicted for murdering a 14-year-old boy after a run-in during a feud with a cattle rancher. The Life of Tom Horn is his life story in his own words, written from prison before he met his fate at the gallows the following year.

Daniel Webster gave this speech in honor of George Washington on the centennial of the first US president’s birth. In it, he praises Washington’s attributes and recounts his service to America. He states that Washington is a man “whose name is intimately blended with whatever belongs most essentially to the prosperity, the liberty, and the renown of our country”. In recounting the life and work of Washington, however, Webster’s speech also serves as a reflection on the past 100 years in American history and the birth of a great nation.

The public mourns when a beloved magistrate dies, a man of upstanding character who had a reputation for bringing criminals to justice. Yet when our tale’s narrator stumbles upon the man’s diary, he discovers another side to this public servant. One entry reads: “It must be a pleasure, unique and full of zest, to kill.”

In times of turmoil, the American people often turn to the president of the US for clarification. One such time of turmoil came during the Spanish occupation of Cuba, when growing resentment toward the Spanish-fueled pro-Cuban sentiments on domestic soil. Opting to take a more neutral standpoint, President Cleveland said that Americans were to remain neutral during this time of crisis in his historic address. Refusing to aid the Cuban resurgents in any way, he instead focused on the state of the nation over the interests of Cuba.

One of the first things that Grover Cleveland addressed after a whole term away from office was the financial crisis that America seemed to be heading toward. In this message regarding the financial crisis, President Cleveland addressed the concerns of the nation, but focused especially on the American people. He addresses that the looming depression would impact every person in the country, and that he was going to find a way to turn the country around. Throwing around many ideas, including the reintroduction of gold and other precious minerals, President Cleveland eased fears and called to action his fellow Americans in this address.

The horror of war repeats itself from one generation to the next. That’s why modern listeners will empathize with the struggle of the Civil War soldiers depicted in this gritty short story by Stephen Crane, The Upturned Face. As they scramble to give their comrade a proper burial while the war rages on around them, their feelings of confusion and inadequacy could not be clearer. The story paints a stark and enduring contrast between war’s tender sadness and its relentless brutality.