ipl-logo

Plot Summary Of 'Our American Cousin'

565 Words3 Pages

Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln walked into the presidential booth late at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. on Good Friday, April 14, 1865. They sat next to two of their friends, Henry Rathbone and his fiancé, Clara Harris. The four of them and the audience watched “Our American Cousin” in the theatre. Oh, how unaware they all were of their unknown companion as they laughed at the humour in the performance! Abraham Lincoln smiled proudly as he watched, relieved that the union was one again. Four years of that dreadful Civil War and now he finally was able to relax. John Wilkes Booth, a very well known stage-actor, waited silently and patiently behind the presidential booth, a single-shot .44 caliber derringer in his hand. The …show more content…

And Lincoln fell forward, a bullet in the back of his head. The audience was unaware that their president was severely injured until Mary Todd Lincoln’s screams told them. Henry Rathbone attacked John Wilkes Booth, seeking revenge. John Wilkes Booth fought back, injuring Henry Rathbone in the process of escape. He jumped from the high booth, falling into the audience and breaking his left ankle. “Sic semper tyrannis! The South is avenged!” John Wilkes said as he ran. The audience looked around confused. They realized their president was shot and on death row. Some shouted, “Stop that man!” While others shouted, “Murderer!” The guards rushed into Ford’s Theatre, some attending to Lincoln while others ran after John Wilkes Booth. But he was already gone. John Wilkes Booth had planned his escape. He had his horse waiting in the back. John got onto his horse and trotted away. He was later joined by his partners. They trotted on and on, reaching a doctor to heal Booth’s ankle. The city screamed in chaos. “The President was shot!” “No, The Secretary of State was

Show More
Related
323 Words | 2 Pages

Five days after the Confederacy’s surrender, John Wilkes Booth had successfully killed one of the most influential presidents in American history to do what he believed would redeem power to the southern states. Booth’s main goal was to tear down the Union’s government by taking down their leader and his successors, but the original plan did not involve the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Historian Christopher Hammer explained in his article "Booth's Reason for Assassination", the former actor had created a group of co conspirators and designed "a ploy on March 17 to capture Lincoln as he traveled in his carriage [and had] collapsed when the president changed his itinerary—and several of Booth’s conspirators ultimately left the group.” (Teaching History). Since the failed capture of the president, Booth hatred towards Lincoln grew after hearing the president’s goal to officially abolish slavery in his Second Presidential

Read More
947 Words | 4 Pages

Oakes’ masterful command of the broad literature of slavery, race, and the Civil War era allows him to trace the parallel journeys of two iconic American leaders. Oakes tells an absorbing and didactic story, shifting between accounts of Lincoln and Douglas and ending with their meetings in the White House. By portraying Douglas as a character of equal significance as Lincoln, Oakes not only provides insight into Douglas’s life but also enriches the study of Lincoln. The convergence of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas during the nation’s greatest crisis reveals “what can happen when progressive reformers and savvy politicians make common cause”

Read More
1092 Words | 5 Pages

Austin King Ms. Den Otter A.P. English Language and Composition President Obama Speech Analysis     On the morning of September 11th, terrorists hijacked 4 planes, 2 of which were crashed into the World Trade Center Buildings, another hit the Pentagon, and one was crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. This tragic morning in American history caused the death of almost 3000 people, and the leader of Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, was behind it. After planning a mission for around 4 years to execute Osama bin Laden, on May 2, 2011, he was killed by US special forces. President Obama follows this event with a speech, its goal being to inform the American people of the death of the man who had caused the death of so many loved ones, and achieves this by using rhetorical devices such as parallel structure and appeals to emotion.     In the beginning of President Obama’s speech announcing the death of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, he reminds the American people of the tragic events that took place on the morning of 9/11, when “nearly 3,000 citizens were taken from us.”

Read More
642 Words | 3 Pages

During the history of the United States there have been very respectable speakers Martin Luther King Jr. John F. Kennedy but perhaps no greater leader in American history came to addressing the country like Abraham Lincoln. In his Second Inaugural Address, Lincoln gave a short speech concerning the effect of the Civil War and his own personal vision for the future of the nation. In this speech Lincoln uses many different rhetorical strategies to convey his views of the Civil War to his audience.

Read More
601 Words | 3 Pages

As stated here, "But he also wanted to initiate the uneasy task of bringing the all but defeated South back into the new, more improved Union" ("Abraham Lincoln Biography"). The South hardly had any stamina left. They were hanging on, but barely. Nothing was going to help them. Booth shooting Lincoln didn't help, because even though the South hadn't admitted defeat, they had done everything but.

Read More
1659 Words | 7 Pages

One of the closest witnesses "thought [she] saw some men in plain clothes shooting back," which certainly didn 't happen, "but everything was such a blur." Early press bulletins reported that a Secret Service agent had been killed at the

Read More
697 Words | 3 Pages

This is the first terrorist attack that we have experienced in the 21st century. President Bush spoke out to the American people to empower and soothe them in a vulnerable time. President Bush reassures citizens and the victim’s families that America and its people are not only strong but are safe and will rise up again. Bush effectively executes his 9/11 speech and uses rhetorical devices to catch the citizens attention, calm the America people and unite them together again.

Read More
1441 Words | 6 Pages

He was faced with the difficult task that evenings of letting the world know what took place that day, and help the American people through a day of shock and disbelief. In a time of unspeakable evil, George W bush addresses that nation using rhetorical appeals; together with the history of American ideas to reassure and untie not only Americans, but the world to stand together and fight back on the war of terrorism.

Read More
313 Words | 2 Pages

It was well known that both Douglas’ and Lincoln’s birthdays were celebrated widely in the United States. Woodson was aware of the celebration for both men’s lives. It is well-known that he wanted to expand on these celebrations to include dialogues about other

Read More
828 Words | 4 Pages

He questions his audience of the significance of Independence Day to slaves, and he answers it in an extremely contrasting way: “your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; … your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery,” that the celebration is “a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.” Douglass dismisses the national pride, characterizing it as a mere expression of people’s ignorance. The antithesis, with “greatness” being “vanity,” “sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless,” and “shouts of liberty and equality” being “hollow mockery,” provokes shock and anger from the audience, who have just been part of it and are now degraded as “savages.” However, Douglass was not trying to be inflammatory but provocative, witnessing the pathetic enthusiasm in the anniversary, that people feel exuberant about themselves while ignoring the saddening

Read More
464 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout Douglass's speech, he exceeds expectations by adding excellent examples of ethos, pathos, and unique tone. These examples help the audience see his viewpoints and helps him connect with them. The literary devices used in his speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”, aided in his fight against

Read More
1025 Words | 5 Pages

This shows the audience that they cannot be obdurate by eschewing the truth of slavery and that they should not be celebrating. They feel driven to want to correct themselves -- stop celebrating -- by

Read More
636 Words | 3 Pages

he uses bold words and biting criticism to call attention to the gross injustices and hypocrisy of slavery in the United States. In the opening remarks of his speech, Douglas provides heart-wrenching descriptions to pull his audience into the lives of their fellow

Read More
432 Words | 2 Pages

I was standing right close. I could hear him gasping for breath.' ' Uh-huh, but he don't feel nothing. Wouldn't be humane if he did'" (340). Furthermore, Capote includes the amount of time before Lowell Lee Andrews and Dick Hickock died.

Read More
1053 Words | 5 Pages

Ross’ story is told in a structurally unique way through Kennedy’s pen and with the theme of courage resonating throughout. Ross makes the decision to sacrifice his political career for the sake of saving the country of what ironically the Anti-Slavery radical Republicans were fighting so hard to vote against; freedom. Without his descriptive detail in his use of words, phrases and quotes, it’s message would be difficult to replicate. Without his subtle but significant use of rhetorical devices, he would never have able to persuade the audience to join Ross’ cause without even telling them his motives. Kennedy writes in a way which keeps the reader on the edge of confusion and enthrallment for Edmund G. Ross.

Read More

More about Plot Summary Of 'Our American Cousin'

Related Topics

Open Document