Wth growing historical perspective, scholars study timely occasions when an enlightened, persuasive speaker makes a distinctive contribution to human progress. Nichols considered great speeches as reponses from thoughtful men standing before intellectual crossroads. Examining Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speaking, Alonzo described his generation as “a creative, critical moment bursting with possibilities for great things when a decision has to be made; and if the right decision is not made, time may be set back many years.” Studying Robert G. Ingersoll, Fischer discovered that the august agnostic believed that “great orators are the products of their times, of great events, and marvelous achievements; they are disciples of the thoughts and aspirations of the age in which they live.” Inspired by the times which characterize an historic generation, great speeches frequently reflect intellectual ferment and social development.
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