The Columbian Orator, a collection of political essays, poems, and dialogues first published in 1797, was widely used in American schoolrooms in the first quarter of the 19th century to teach reading and speaking. Typical of many readers of that period, the anthology included many speeches celebrating "republican virtues" and promoting patriotism. The Columbian Orator is an example of progymnasmata, containing examples for students to copy and imitate. In his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, former slave and abolitionist writer Douglass describes how he "got hold" of a copy of the Columbian Orator at the age of twelve, with far-reaching consequences for his life. - Summary by Wikipedia Some of the sections were done as Dramas instead of solos. The readers for these Dramas are: Kalynda, MaryAnnS, Algy Pug, Linette Geisel, David Olson, progressingamerica, Chuck Williamson, A LibriVox Volunteer, Larry Wilson, Sonia, Craig Franklin, Nemo, Leanne Yau, Tomas Peter, Jim Locke, April6090, and CarinaStarr7. The dramas were edited and proof listened by Linette Geisel and A LibriVox Volunteer.