The United States was not always united. In the 1860s, growing differences between the North and the South was cause enough for a war to begin, therefore urging both regions to build strong armies. African Americans, however, were not allowed to enlist in the war, but many aimed to join the Northern states in fighting to end slavery. Alfred M. Green, an abolitionist, delivered a speech hoping to implore African Americans to have a mindset of joining the Civil war. Green strived to accomplish this by instilling a sense of pride and patriotism, by appealing to credibility through the use of specific diction, and by exuding an empowering tone in his speech.
Green opens his speech by first praising the United States. He proclaims that the time has come for Americans to display “bravery and patriotism,” with hearts that burn, “the love of country.” These words serve to evoke pride from within the audience as it portrays America as a beacon of freedom and liberty. During
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This is demonstrated as he acknowledges the plight of African Americans and identifies himself as one of them. He discusses the fugitive slave act and the Dred Scott case which limited African-American rights. Nonetheless, the acknowledgement of these circumstances enables Green to convince his readers that he feels the heartache that they feel because he, too, is an African American who has suffered discrimination. Even so, Green relays a credible message by incorporating collective nouns when he states that, “our duty” and “let us,” which, enables him to establish credibility and a sense of unity among the African Americans. He does this as a way to prove that he is willing to work alongside his fellow race as they prepare to make a change. With this, African Americans will feel obliged to dream of fighting, knowing that they are understood and supported by a prominent member of the same