In 1964 Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer gave her heartbreaking speech about her experiences she had to become a first-class citizen, trying to gain the right to vote. Mrs. Hamer spoke to the community about this topic because America is supposed to be the land of the free, and what she endured was everything except that. In Mrs. Hamer’s speech, she believes that no citizen in America, no matter their race or ethnicity, should have endured abuse and hate to become a first-class citizen. This exigence is rhetorical because it allowed for positive change and can be seen in modern day America (Bitzer, 7-8.). During her speech, she is criticizing America, while demanding more for American citizens (Cox, p. 145) Mrs. Hamer’s intended audience was the Freedom
In 1924 US congress passed the Johnson-Reed act. This act reduced the amount of immigrants coming to the US from any other country to a mere 2%. Many thought this act was unjust and consequently, “un-american”. One man, Robert H. Clancy, a Republican congressman from Detroit, stood up for those being oppressed by this act. Mr. Clancy states his points in the 1924 speech “An “Un-American Bill” through the use of diction, a myriad of anecdotes, and a motley of pathos.
In this speech given by Fredrick Douglas, a man fighting for racial equality, Fredrick Douglas uses a precise tone which can only be described as accusatory. He expresses this feeling several times the most prominent of which is "a thin veil covering crimes which would disgrace a nation" (68). This shows that he accuses America for the slavery the slaves are dealt with and claims it is shameful for a country which is supposedly the "country of freedom" to restrict people who have done no wrongs from their freedom. He also accuses them by saying that the boast of celebration they speak is just a thin blanket barely protecting them from being exposed to the cold world around them, so that nobody knows their horrendous secret. One should be able
In the Civil war, the Union fought against the confederates over the issue of slavery at a time when the Union denied Northern African Americans access from enlisting in the Union army. In his speech to his fellow African Americans, Alfred M. Green’s uplifting call to action is presented through the use of diplomatic tone, compelling appeals, and fervent repetition proclaiming the need for them to participate in the war. First, Green starts displaying a diplomatic tone by implicitly portraying what patriotism means to him. He believes that, “right or wrong,” one should love his country. By instilling this patriotic tone, Green suggests that African Americans should feel the same way as him.
Our people are basically decent and caring, and our highest ideals are expressed in the Declaration of Independence, which says that all of us have an equal right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The history of our country, I point out in my book, is a striving, against corporate robber barons and war makers, to make those ideals a reality — and all of us, of whatever age, can find immense satisfaction in becoming part of that.” (making history,
In the provided passage by Alfred M. Green, initiates in his Civil War speech by stating even though America may have many negative aspects, the speaker acknowledges the positive American ideology. Though, the purpose of this speech was to encourage his intended audience, being African Americans, to fight for their rights that was unacknowledged through the many years of being oppressed through slavery. The speaker acknowledges this main claim by saying the founding fathers have forgotten about their rights since there were many unfair restrictions through laws. However, Alfred provides an empathetic and angry tone since he gives the audience hope as he urges African Americans to fight for the Union army and someday have equality. The speaker
Fannie Lou Hamer, one of the co-founders of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, was a charismatic leader of the civil rights movement, executing determination every step of the way. Throughout her time, she went from picking cotton in the fields of the Mississippi Delta to speaking at the Democratic Convention. She was born on Saturday, October 6, 1917, coming from one of the most underdeveloped, rural communities in Montgomery County, Mississippi. Her parents, Jim and Lou Ella Townsend, were sharecroppers in Sunflower County, Mississippi which led Fannie Lou to begin working in the cotton fields of E.W. Brandon’s Ruleville plantation at the age of two. Sharecroppers worked on a distinct section of the plantation.
Abortion was unsafe during this time period. Margaret helped women gained the right to decide when they want to have a child (Margaret Sanger 2). She started the American Birth Control Conference and American Birth Control League (Streissguth, Thomas pg.38). She had become a member of the women’s rights movement, they organized and marched, they also joined a socialist party (Margaret Sanger 2). When Margaret finished college with a nurse degree, she was going to go back to college to get her doctor’s degree.
The author uses a rhetorical question to feel readers wonder about themselves in America and what it means to become an American citizen. The author also
Native Americans, Women, African Americans and immigrants are all discriminated against. Anyone who is different suffers from no rights and terrible living conditions; they are sucked into this country’s beastly nature. 1848 began the Women’s
From the Revolution to our contemporary world, freedom has been America's mightiest force for cultural development and motivated numerous powerful events. Eric Foner views freedom not as a record of facts but as a possession which has been debated greatly for its elasticity throughout American history. Foner’s text “Give Me Liberty” depicts freedom to have been constructed not only in politics and authorized environments but also by depicting struggle to achieve the rights of African Americans, women, the working class and immigrants. Injustice and freedom can only be comprehended retroactively, when looking back at the past, and is difficult to understand it while you’re in that era. It all comes down to the fundamental history of America
For example, when Cora reflects on the Declaration of Independence, she realizes that it is false: "The white men who wrote it didn't understand it either, if all men did not truly mean all men. Not if they snatched away what belonged to other people, whether it was something you could hold in your hand, like dirt, or something you could not, like freedom" (Whitehead 119). Cora recognizes that the white men who wrote the Declaration of Independence were not thinking about the freedom and rights of black people, they were only seeking to benefit themselves. The fact that the basic rights of black people are not protected and can be taken away at any moment, makes their chance to achieve the American Dream impossible. For example, when Cora and Molly were on the way to the library, they were stopped by a teamster: "'Master said the only thing more dangerous than a n*gger with a gun, was a n*gger with a book.
Despite the fact that America was facing one of its worst condition in the progressive era, there are still many people who compare their daily lives based on what's happening nowadays. There are still people like me whom cry over the littlest thing possible in our daily lives, and often forget that we are the most advanced generation ever. We often tend to forget that it took years and years of hard work and sacrifice from our elders to give us the most comforting and stress free life ever and we’re still ungrateful about it. We often cry about how small our house is when people back then use to sleep on the ground, how less we’re getting paid even though people back then didn't get paid at all or how there was a voter fraud even though politicians back then were corrupt and . We often leave positivity in the shade and put negativity out in the spotlight for the word to see.
Amiyah Eason Cochran Final Draft 12 June 2023 The Change In America Learned Hand's 1944 "I Am an American Day Address" sought to prioritize liberty and freedom from oppression and wants. Hand tries to persuade listeners to agree with his priorities using pathos, religion, repetition, and racial justice as a backbone to his speech. While Hand makes some excellent points in his "I am an American Day Address," they are outdated, and no longer as persuasive as they were in 1944. "We sought liberty, freedom from wants, freedom from oppression, and the ability to be ourselves.
Alfred M. Green, an African-American living in 1861, believes that “the world today is on the side of freedom and universal political equality.” Although African-Americans had been wronged in the past by people, Green decides to look past that time. In his speech, he urges the fellow African-Americans to join the Union forces through addressing possible counterpoints strengthening his argument, mentioning religion and moral sides making them feel guilty, and appealing to their sense of nationalism. As a way to persuade them further, he introduces all the possible counterarguments the citizens may have by saying “it is true” (line 9).
This speech occurred in New Hampshire. In this paper, I’ll provide some information of the speech, discuss the main issues she addressed, and analyze the profound message of her speech. The former First Lady of the United States Michelle