Rhetorical Analysis Of Alfred M Green Speech

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Alfred M. Green, an African-American living in 1861, believes that “the world today is on the side of freedom and universal political equality.” Although African-Americans had been wronged in the past by people, Green decides to look past that time. In his speech, he urges the fellow African-Americans to join the Union forces through addressing possible counterpoints strengthening his argument, mentioning religion and moral sides making them feel guilty, and appealing to their sense of nationalism. As a way to persuade them further, he introduces all the possible counterarguments the citizens may have by saying “it is true” (line 9). By addressing these types of counterpoints, he is able to portray to the Americans that although in the past, they have been wronged but that they need to look towards the future. Also, he tells his fellow African- Americans that their “duty… is not to cavil over past grievances” but that their actual duty is to join the Union forces and fight against the South (line 23-24). Green prompts his fellow citizens to not dwell on the past and to fight against the South because that’s the duty that they were called to do. …show more content…

the God of truth, justice, and equality to all men” (line 49-50). Not only does it bring religion into his argument, the people not fighting and being against everything that Green brought up would be hypocritical. African-Americans had to fight for their freedom and the abolition of slavery so not joining would make them hypocrites. Also, since most of the African-Americans at that time were Christian by saying that “let us… trusting in God” go to war, he appeals to their sense of religion by implying that this was God’s will for