Rhetorical Analysis Of Alfred M. Green's Speech

The Civil War remains one of the most devastating, horrific conflicts in American history. During this period of time, relationships with family and friends disintegrated as everyone decided whether they would side with the North’s cause, the South’s cause, or stay neutral. Men were being killed left and right, both on the Union and Confederate side; they urgently needed more men in their armies. In order to obtain a larger army, people must be persuaded that putting their lives on the line for this cause is what they truly want to do. Though that may seem like a rather arduous task, Alfred M. Green proved with his speech delivered to slaves in 1861 that persuasive words and tone is key. Green delivered this speech to recruit slaves willing

Green was tasked with the job to deliver a speech to the slaves that would encourage them to side with the North for their freedom; and he did just that by using the proper terms and strategies with his audience who were slaves. During this period of time, educating slaves was a major “no”; though some still managed to learn a few things, for the most part they were all rather uneducated. This persuader knew that he had to be cautious of the words and phrases he used to lure his audience in instead of them toning him out. Though this was a difficult concept, Green’s speech more than likely encouraged most of his audience to enlist to the Union’s army for their cause thanks to his rhetorical devices that he chose to use in this time of

Pathos is a rhetorical device that writers use as a persuasive language to appeal to readers or listeners using emotions. This speaker had to be sure to put enough emotion into his speech so that the slaves feel like they matter and are actually heard, hopefully leading to the slaves signing up for the Northern cause. If emotion was not put into this speech, then it would have been a lost cause, but Green knew exactly what emotions he had to use in order to get the slaves’ undivided attention. He said to the slaves that, “…the world today is on the side of freedom and universal equality…” to urge the salves to comprehend that the world is changing, allowing slaves to be equal with the whites and that their freedom will come if they are willing to pick up the gun and fight; thus leading the slaves to feel accepted. In another statement, Green says, “…the God of truth, justice and equality to all men” in an attempt to persuade them that God will be on their side of this fight because he would want them to have their justice and equality. Finally, Green also reflected on what they, their relatives and ancestors have gone through by stating that the “…aid in the dangers and difficulties of those days that tried men’s souls”, connecting with them on a saddening subject which would persuade them even more so to join this