Rhetorical Analysis Of Alfred M Green Speech

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Reagan Luecht
APEL: Period 2
Winn
16 February 2023
Alfred M. Green’s Speech Alfred M. Green has a strong belief that African Americans should be able to enlist to join the Union Army. In April of 1861, he gave a speech in Philadelphia to persuade African Americans to join. Green persuades that African Americans should join the Union Army and fight for the country that they love by using satire, religion, and metaphors.

Green uses satire to show how passionately he believes that African Americans should join the Union Army. He strongly states what people should believe if they love the country when he says, “My country, right or wrong. I love thee still!” Green is saying that no matter how bad or good my country may be I will still fight for it. He wanted African Americans to feel patriotic and remember why they …show more content…

He begins by saying, “whose heart burns the love of the country, of freedom, and of civil and religious toleration.” This means that the citizens that live in the United States are passionate about their country and will do what should be done to protect it. This will make African Americans feel that they should do what is right to end slavery and fight for what they believe in. Since Green knows African Americans’ main goal is to end slavery, showing them how passionate they are, will make them want to join the Union. Green brings up that, “the world today is on the side of freedom.” He says that people want to end slavery, but they have to fight for their rights. Saying African Americans have people who are on their side gives them an understanding that they should fight to gain their freedom. Alfred M. Green knows ending slavery is what African Americans want, telling them people are on their side gives them security in fighting in the war. Choosing to use metaphors in his speech makes African Americans more open to enlisting to join the Union