Rhetorical Strategies Used In True Americanism By Theodore Roosevelt

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Americanism can be defined in many different ways. In Theodore Roosevelt’s speech, “True Americanism”, he portrays his idea of what Americanism means. Throughout his speech, Roosevelt uses rhetorical strategies to persuade people to unite regardless of a person’s race or religious beliefs to create a strong, powerful country. Roosevelt uses appeal to identity to create the appeal of pathos. The use of this strategy in this case is to plead to beliefs and values. For example, Roosevelt says “We Americans have many grave problems to solve many threatening evils to fight, and many deeds to do it, as we hope and believe, we have the wisdom, the strength, the courage and the virtue to do them.” Pathos is used to make the reader feel strong and proud about being American. This rhetorical strategy connects to the purpose of this speech because it portrays the idea that we have to unite to have a powerful union. …show more content…

The purpose of this strategy is to have an effect on readers by reinforcing an idea. One example is when Roosevelt says “What is true of patriotism and reform is also true of Americanism. There are plenty of scoundrels always ready to try to belittle reform movements or to bloster up existing iniquities in the name of Americanism; but this does not alter the fact that the man who can do most in this country is and must be the man whose Americanism is the most sincere and intense.” Ethos is being portrayed in this quote because it is obvious that Roosevelt knows what he is talking about. Repetition enforces the concept of Americanism by repeating the word and explaining it in different ideas which is effective in portraying the main