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Rhetorical Devices In George Washington's First Inaugural Speech

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The Beginning of Forever On April 30th, 1789 the very first President of the United States gave the very first Inaugural address to the citizens of the Senate and the House of Representatives. With a tone of authority and motivation George Washington indirectly spoke to the American people through a speech given in front of Congress. By incorporating a logical organization, cumulative sentence structures, and the three appeals within intentional word choice, George Washington begins to rally support for a cohesive approach to push the Country to work as one to pursue advancement in life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness for all living in America. Through his address he restores confidence to those who placed him in the position, and encourages …show more content…

In the second paragraph, Washington’s reference to the “Almighty Being” in a run-on sentence structure creates the imagery in the presence that God had in the time of the birth of the new nation. He speaks of the length of God’s power and will in superiority to his own and of the hope that, “...his benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the People of the United States...” By creating this cumulative sentence structure, George Washington brings to the surface the power the being of God held over the people, including himself. Through his long reference to God he enables his supporters to believe in his leadership. He forces his audience of Congress and the nation to see his discernment in making choices that will lead to nation towards their goals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all men who are created equal. Considering that the Constitution had freshly been created in 1787, Washington needed to reach the people and Congress beyond the documented laws. Washington uses a cumulative sentence again towards the end of his speech to acknowledge and represent the length of commitment his role of the Executive Branch requires. He makes it known to the people of the nation and to Congress, that although the list may be long, he is in a …show more content…

It was the beginning of the new. The beginning of something to last for many lifetimes. The beginning of something that would be passed down, increasingly improving, leading to where our nation now is today with our forty fifth president. The Presidency of George Washington left a legacy of greatness that the nation was to become. Through the use of the Constitution, George Washington led the people of America to a place were they could thrive and be passed onto the next person to continue in greatness and success despite the judgement and expectation of failure from European nations. George Washington was a man of recognition of the importance of differing opinions. By associating himself with both Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton he led the people to see that he did not side just with one idea for the sake of his own personal beliefs. From the beginning of his presidency and through the end, George Washington continued to instill faith in the people of the nation to see that not only would the country thrive, but it would soon be the best nation the world would know. George Washington left a legacy of greatness upon his audience of his century and those who look back today and see his face not only on Mt. Rushmore, but see him as the face that enabled America to start and to keep going. Although some things did not always go as planned, George Washington through his speech

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