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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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Washington’s first year in the office as president of the United States was 1789. “How to Be Presidential” by Edward G. Lengel focuses on George Washington becoming the first president of the United States. The author used chronological events in Washington’s life to structure this text to develop his claim that George Washington deserved to become America’s first president. The author uses chronological order to develop his claim that George Washington deserved to be the first president of the U.S. In the text, it states, “By the time the Second Continental Congress convened in May 1775, Washington had cultivated a persona of balanced emotions and careful speech-but not of detachment.”

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Question 1 Throughout Washington’s presidency, he set many precedents including in his farewell address. As the first president he had nothing to go off of and set precedents for future successors which many didn’t follow well enough. He set precedents such as not to have political parties, the title of Mr. President, advice to remain neutral with foreign nations, a two-term presidency, use of force to maintain order, and having a Cabinet for advice. The precedents he set were split into the two categories of the ones followed by the nation to this day and the ones which were forgotten and regretted. To begin with the one of the first two precedents on my list, he gave the advice to not have political parties.

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Even to this day, Washington’s farewell address is still one of the most celebrated speeches in American history. Washington’s farewell address warned the country against “the baneful effects of the Spirit of Party.” Washington greatly encouraged the country to focus on education and morality, and cautioned the country against sectionalism within the nation, and warned about foreign alliances. This speech is still greatly remembered and referenced because George Washington nearly predicted the future of the country in his speech, however, it is apparently obvious that the nation ignored Washington’s warnings. Washington’s presidency lasted from April 30, 1789, to March 4, 1797.

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In his speech, he gave America advice for the future. An important theme that George Washington reflected was nobility. He understood that he could not rule by tyranny and stepped down from power. His humbleness has carried the United States into a tradition of presidency for centuries.

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When hearing George Washington’s Farewell Address for the first time it is easy to understand it is well written and the substance is things he really felt is important. However once the time is spent relating his speech to todays times and problems the magnitude of his word is really understood. Almost 250 years later and 44 more presidents, George Washington’s thoughts still apply perfectly to the current state of the U.S. So much has change sense he gave this address but unity, Stoping the divide of political parties, morality, and avoiding entangling

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George Washington also acknowledge that he made mistakes himself and is far from a perfect individual but made clear to be open minded of criticism and corrections and to seek challenges by taking the easy routes in life. Washington’s Farewell Address is important part of our history and is taught up till this day to young American children in our schools and by Historians but few people understand the meaning and the importance behind the Farewell Letter. The Farewell Address the federal government, warnings against the party systems, the importance of religion and morality, warnings against forming a permanent foreign alliance, and a powerful military. George Washington has an overwhelming reputation by his military service, his position as our first president of the United States of America, and by leaving his position in office by leaving behind his Farewell Address to give present and future Americans insight on the history of our country and what it’s known for. It’s well encouraged to research what American history is about and how we can apply the Farewell Address into our life by living in peace, exercising our freedom of speech and choice or religions, along with respecting our governments and live in unity to achieve success.

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The President delivered a speech regarding the accomplishments of Washington, praising him for the changes he made throughout the

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On March 4, 1841, President William Henry Harrison gave the longest inaugural speech in American history. In summary, President Harrison’s speech mainly discussed how the people of the United States has the rights to individual liberties and how it is the duty of the president to protect those liberties through the Constitution. Specifically, the speech went into great detail about how the president should consult with everyone, like the Senate and House of Representatives, before making a huge executive decision. In general, Harrison's goal was to bring the country together through the use of the Constitution and individual rights.

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President Abraham Lincoln uses a variety of rhetorical strategies in his Second Inaugural Address to pose an argument to the American people regarding the division in the country between the northern states and the southern states. Lincoln gives this address during the American Civil War, when politics were highly debated and there was a lot of disagreement. Lincoln calls for the people of America to overcome their differences to reunite as one whole nation once more. Lincoln begins his Second Inaugural Address by discussing the American Civil War and its ramifications.

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In the book of His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis, the author introduces Washington, the Father of the United States, in a fresh portrait focused on the characters of Washington. This book is an impressive biography of Washington's remarkable dedication to the United States history. According to the author, George Washington is an omnipresent figure as he was growing up, described as the man in the moon who was aloof and silent. This book focuses on Washington's wartime service which became some of his major contributions to the United States, rather than merely telling the true story of Washington, its main thesis is focusing on analyzing his contributions and how his governorship had affected the American history. Washington's life is divided into three areas in this book.

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Washington knew a strong Constitution had to be in place, which is why he was responsible for the Constitutional Convention. The effects of his inaugural address and presidency really mattered, given he was the first of our many presidents. George Washington proved he truly cared for the American people and the country. He took charge and changed what had to be done, because his speech altered the government and society as we know it today; our Constitution, our executive and judicial branches, and our Supreme Court. While he did emphasize the need for a Constitution, he was not the only one responsible for it’s making.

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The friendship Washington establishes with the people of America serve as a reason for the audience to listen to his speech and take note of the topics and ideas he presents. In addition to the plain folks appeal, Washington also repeats words and phrases to give a larger effect to his address. When advising his audience on the importance of a strong, unified government, Washington claims such a government is a necessity to keep the American values of “your real independence,” “your tranquility at home,” “your peace abroad,” “your safety,” “your prosperity,” and “that very liberty which you so highly prize” (3).

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