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Rhetorical Analysis Of Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Liberty

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March of 1775 was a day of persuasion for steps towards freedom. A former governor of Virginia, Patrick Henry wrote the speech “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” in response to British conflict and wanting to peacefully approach it with a reasonable effort. The British were enforcing more soldiers into the colonies and the Americans wanted their liberty. Henry advocated for the colonist to fight if their circumstances were not met with the British. Being a former governor, Henry had the knowledge of how the government system worked and was a figure who was looked up to in the state of Virginia. He was able to motivate through the use of rhetorical questions, a strong emotional appeal, and speaks directly to the audience in 1st person to influence their opinions personally. One of the main goals of the speech was to bring a sense of nationalism into the colonists through fear of what would happen if the British had control of America. Henry uses first person to bring a sense of mutual bonding to show that he is one of them and wants to help be a part of a movement which drew the people towards him. He encourages the fight by saying “we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight!”. Emphasizing that “we” must fight gives assurance that he is able to create an impact. Having control of fighting and speaking with an enthusiastic voice brings unity when coming from an authority figure. With speaking directly to the president and his trusted people, he wants to give a message

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