Rhetorical Analysis Of Speech Before Congress

Three Years after “Speech before Congress” was delivered by Carrie Chapman Catt a well-known leader of the women suffragist movement were women granted the right to vote and receive all rights as citizens. Catt’s speech was a major stepping stone for Congress to pass the 19th amendment. She was able to deliver her speech in a manner, which was persuasive to congress and encompassed all the rhetorical appeals. Not only did she describe benefits to enfranchising women, but she played to the patriotism of her audience to further her cause. During her speech she established herself as a woman of credibility by the eloquence she presented throughout it, also she used the logical appeal by referring historical precedence, and she created sympathy

Catt begins her approach to her audience through the logical appeal by exampling from the nation’s historical precedence. She uses the words of the great men that built this country to what it is today. “Taxation without representation is tyranny,” American colonists first realized this when the British did not allow them government representation, yet charged them unfair taxes. (64) Catt used the same approach except with Uncle Sam a great national personality used since 1812; she states “seizing the billions of dollars paid in taxes by women to whom he refuses “representation.” (65) That would resonate with her audience because as men of congress they know what is like to be heard in the government and make decisions about their tax dollars. Women though paying billions in taxes did not see any fruits of it, because they were technically not seen as citizens. This would create the same double standard the colonists fought decades ago. Without women’s consent of government action or government authority how can they truly lead the nation, was the point Catt was trying to make when she states, “Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.” (64) When to constitution was written the more perfect union was meant not to have these types of injustices. “How can our nation escape that logic it has never failed to follow”

That was an obstacle Catt had to overcome while delivering this speech to the men in congress. Her approach had to create sympathy in her audience while maintaining that women can be just as calm and collected as men. During her speech Catt intended to derive her sympathy by having guilt for not enfranchising women. “You drive women of education, refinement, achievement, to beg men who cannot read for their political freedom,” at this time women were able to receive education, yet were not able to be involved in politics. (66) Women were in a position where they had to beg men with lesser education or that were not interested in their political freedom to receive information on politics. “Do you realize that such anomalies as a college president asking her janitor to give her a vote are overstraining the patience and driving women to desperation,” patience for women was wearing thin as they had to go to extremes in order to have a voice in the government. (66). “Is there a single man who can justify such an inequality of treatment, such outrageous discrimination? Not one…”