The Columbian Orator is a collection of political essays, poems, and dialogues collected and written by Caleb Bingham. First published in May 1797, it includes speeches by Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, some imagined speeches by historical figures such as Cato the Younger and Socrates, and writings by Hugh Blair, Paulus Emilius, David Everett, James Hervey, Jonathan Mason, Thomas Muir, Joseph Perkins, Philo and others. It was popularly used for recitation in American schoolrooms from 1790 to 1820 to teach pupils reading and speaking. Typical of many readers of that period, the anthology celebrated "republican virtues," promoting patriotism and questioning the ethics of slavery. The Columbian Orator is an example of progymnasmata, containing examples for students to copy and imitate.