Rhetorical Analysis Of Albert Beveridge's 'March Of The Flag'

1419 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Rhetoric strategies

The human mind can be easily manipulated into believing words that are spoken or written by another person. Quite often this person may be a politician making a campaign speech or the media reporting on a news story. It is important for the listener or reader to be able to decipher facts that are true from those that are not. Facts that are stretched or changed overtime are often referred to as fallacies or “dirty tricks”. In this essay I am going to weed out the fallacies in a speech by Albert J. Beveridge while he was campaigning for the United States Senate in 1898. His speech is entitled The March of the Flag, which he gave in order to justify the Spanish-American War to the voting public. The speech and fallacies I will use are found …show more content…

This is done by using symbols such as flags or symbols that are religious in nature that an audience can identify with. Enfolding oneself with an icon such as a flag can make this person feel that they are in a position of power or have achieved a certain status. When this has been achieved people tend to become excited and captivated by the fallacy the speaker is manipulating them into believing. Therefore, Beveridge sways his audience with symbols of the flag, God, and the love they feel for their country. By doing this, he hopes that his audience will feel that the citizens of smaller countries would benefit from our form of democracy and welcome it with open …show more content…

This is the next fallacy that was found while reading Beveridge’s speech. These are words that are used by the speaker to manipulate his audience and can be found throughout his speech. These words are general in nature so that they correspond with what the listeners are thinking. He uses words such as “his chosen people” or “God’s chosen people” so that those listening will feel a loyalty to God as well as their country. This is done even when there is not adequate evidence to support their argument. In the future, Beveridge can spin his way out of a situation by using terms that are so generalized that it was unclear what he really

Show More
Related

  • Analyse Beveridge Dbq Answers

    411 Words  | 1 Pages

    It seems like Beveridge does not think the traditions and customs of other races should be kept after the overthrow of their government. He believes that the Caucasian race is better than any other race. Beveridge wanted to rule over multiple civilizations, expand American borders, and spread Christianity to the “savage” population. The “mission of our race” would also have been to rule over Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and other small islands like Europe did. Beveridge thought he saved those civilizations from a “savage and alien population” by ruling them. He wanted to use the resources from his colonies. An example of this would be Cuba’s 15,000,000 acres of forest.

    Read More

  • Albert Beveridge's Speech: The March Of The Flag

    539 Words  | 2 Pages

    The late1890s signaled an imperial expansion of the United States. After the victory of the Spanish American War and the Annexation of Hawaii, the U.S. had successfully expanded its borders overseas. Through the Treaty of Paris 1898, the United States acquired territories in the Caribbean and the Pacific. For example, the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Cuba were all obtained from the Treaty of Paris. That same year the U.S. also Annexed Hawaii into the Union. This massive expansion into the Caribbean and especially the Pacific created a political clash between Imperialist and Anti-Imperialist. During this time Anti-Imperialist and Hawaiian political leaders argued that the mistreatment of indigenous people was unethical. On the other hand, Imperialist like Albert Beveridge supported Imperialism. In Beveridge’s speech “The March of the Flag” (1898) he expressed imperialism was the Anglo-Saxon way, because it improved the prosperity of these islands and expanded American borders. Also, he stated that it’s America’s

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King, Jr.

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. responds to an article by eight clergymen, in which he explains the racial injustice in Birmingham, and reasons why King's organization is protesting for Civil Rights. He introduces himself and his actions at the beginning of his letter. He states that the purpose of his direct action protest is to open the door for negotiation on the Civil Rights. He tries to convince his audience by providing evidence in order to gain his audience to be involved in his movement and support him. He also highlights police actions against nonviolent Negros and crimes against humanity in Birmingham city jail.

    Read More

  • Bush and Blair 9-11 Speeches: Analysis of Rhetorical Devices

    955 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the speech, the Former President George W Bush strives to empower Americans by instructing them to remain resolute, but to “go back to [their] lives and routines”. He uses the personal pronoun we and the common pronoun us repeatedly to indicate that the people of the United States, who either saw the event on television or experienced this event firsthand, were and still are involved in this national tragedy. He implements this emotional appeal into his speech to involve all Americans--people living in the United States of America, regardless of their ethnicity, race, or culture, and to acknowledge that the American people have endured this together, and that they will continue to advance after this event with stronger resolve, stronger than ever. In addition, he implements personification to motivate and empower the American people. “Our nation, this generation, will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future” (Bush, 2001). “This generation”, again a synonym for the American people, with its unwavering resolve, will fight for its freedom persistently. He intimates that the future of America and of democratic freedom is in the hands of the American people: that the American people have the power to control their fate. The next sentence leads into America’s “philanthropically” democratic nature: “We will rally the world to this cause, by our efforts and by our courage” (Bush, 2001). This statement has been followed up by action only a few years later, when the United States intervened in the Iraqi War, Libyan Revolution, and even more civil wars to ensure the freedom of citizens from dictatorships, which in Islāmic nations, were militant groups, like the Hamas and Taliban. Lastly, the president utilized anaphora, specifically a tripartite structure, by affirming that the American people “will not tire”, “will not falter”, and “will not fail”. He implies that the American people will relentlessly fight for the worldwide establishment of peace and democratic institutions, a promise which America has kept even in the face of its own national crisis.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Roosevelt's Speech

    1478 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Yesterday December 7th, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy” (Roosevelt). The attack on Pearl Harbor was an event that many Americans will never forget. The day after the attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a speech to address the public and Congress. His speech started by discussing how Japan had deceived America into thinking that they could create peace between the nations. He spent three paragraphs on how the attack was planned and deliberate and how America was completely unaware of Japan’s intentions. Roosevelt spent only a little time on paying respects to the lost lives of the soldiers. After that, Roosevelt talked about how many other nations Japan has attacked. Then Roosevelt started the “pep talk” portion of his speech. He talked about the strength of the nation and how America will defend themselves against evil forces. He ends his speech with a call for war and asked Congress to declare war against Japan. The goal of his speech was to persuade Congress to declare war on Japan, as well as to get the American people to support him in his endeavors. Roosevelt gave his speech in front of Congress, but the American people all over the nation tuned into the radio to hear his speech. Roosevelt uses many rhetorical devices to get American to unite against Japan. His speech uses the rhetorical devices logos, ethos, and pathos to argue his side. He uses

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Winston Churchill's Speech

    572 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Hitler is a monster of wickedness, insatiable in his lust for blood and plunder” (Churchill). These are the words of Winston Churchill, who was the British Prime Minister. Churchill, in my opinion, is the most effective political leader when it comes to power of language, manipulation, and words. Despite being known as a great speaker, the speech he made after Germany invaded Russia was what really showed how powerful he is. He used the elements language, words, and manipulation to make the people understand his side.

    Read More

  • The Rhetorical Analysis Of George Washington's Farwell Address

    711 Words  | 2 Pages

    George Washington wrote a message to the American people and he named the document, Washington’s Farwell Address. George Washington started off his farewell by telling the people that the time has come to designate someone as president but that he would not be running for a third term. He goes on to explain in great detail why he would not be running for a third term as well as addressing what he believed the nation should follow. George Washington gave the people advice on how we could be a great nation but he also warned us about situations that would be the downfall of our great nation, but did we the people follow the advice he gave us in 1796.

    Read More

  • The Lies My Teacher Told Me and People’s History of the United States

    1465 Words  | 3 Pages

    Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. Second. New York, New York: Touchstone, 1997. Print.

    Read More

  • Analyzing Roosevelt's Inaugural Address: Conquering Fear

    868 Words  | 2 Pages

    The first thing realized by the president that he mentioned the fact that people want to see him speaking honestly and he expressly made use of worlds i.e. sincerity and honesty. Roosevelt mentioned about the fear and regarded that our biggest fear is the fear itself. He is playing a paternalistic role in this speech and he is acting just like a parent calms the fear of his kid. He has numerously used the word

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech

    1035 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dr. King is an emotional, inspiring and strong speaker. His " I Have A Dream" speech tugs a deep root war of emotions in every American’s heart; therefore, this speech is the perfect display of pathos. Even though pathos overwhelm logo and ethos, they also very much present in his speech.

    Read More

  • One Nation, Under God

    2046 Words  | 5 Pages

    With sounds of youthful laughter, conversations about the students’ weekends, and the shuffling of college ruled paper; students file into their classrooms and find their seats on a typical Monday morning. As the announcements travel throughout the school’s intercoms, the usual “Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance” becomes no longer usual but rather puzzling to some students. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all.” Confusion passes through some of the student’s minds. With the reoccurrence of “God” in the backdrop of American life, the relationship between church and state has become of little to no matter for American citizens just as it has with American students. While congress makes no law respecting an establishment of religion, the term “freedom of religion” presents itself to no longer be the definition of “free”, while also having its effects on debates today. According to Burt Rieff, in Conflicting Rights and Religious Liberty, “Parents, school officials, politicians, and religious leaders entered the battle over defining the relationship between church and state, transforming constitutional issues into political, religious, and cultural debates” (Rieff). Throughout the 20th century, many have forgotten the meaning of religion and what its effects are on the people of today. With the nonconformist society in today’s culture, religion has placed itself in a category of insignificance. With the many controversies of the world, religion is at a stand still, and is proven to not be as important as it was in the past. Though the United States government is based on separation of church and state, the gover...

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech

    822 Words  | 2 Pages

    Martin Luther King’s speech was made after the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. He delivered the “I Have a dream” speech on the Lincoln Memorial steps. He verbalized this speech to millions of people blacks and whites. This is one of the greatest speeches because it has many elements like repetition, assonance and consonance, pathos, logos, and ethos.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Franklin Roosevelt's Speech

    801 Words  | 2 Pages

    President Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered a powerful speech before Congress on December 8th 1941, the day after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. His purpose in addressing the country in this way is his attempt to calm the American People and avoid chaos across the country. Roosevelt is aware of the impact that the event has had on the Citizens. As their leader, he forcefully reassures the population that they will be safe. The President emphasizes that the United States would not allow the attacks to affect the country though his use of rhetorical devices, including pathos.

    Read More

  • The Emancipation Proclamation Rhetorical Analysis

    1140 Words  | 3 Pages

    The drive to end slavery in the United States was a long one, from being debated in the writing of the Declaration of Independence, to exposure of its ills in literature, from rebellions of slaves, to the efforts of people like Harriet Tubman to transport escaping slaves along the Underground Railroad. Abolitionists had urged President Abraham Lincoln to free the slaves in the Confederate states from the very outset of the Civil War. By mid-1862, Lincoln had become increasingly convinced of the moral imperative to end slavery, but he hesitated (History.com). As commander-in-chief of the Union Army, he had military objectives to consider (History.com). On one hand, emancipation might

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Winston Churchill's Speech

    1044 Words  | 3 Pages

    During 1931, a second grand war begin with national powers uniting together. Many nations instantly took arms, but the US decided to stay neutral. As a result, European countries established a new flourishing fear of being overthrown by eastern communist foes(“World”). Then the dreadful event on December 6, 1941, caused the US to reconsider its own stance on the war. Allied Powers realized their opportunity to use Pearl Harbor to gain a chance to determine their own fate in war. On December 26, 1941, the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, presented a speech eventually known as “Masters of Our Fate” to the US Senate and the House of Representatives(“Winston”). Through the use of esoteric rhetorical questions, vivid metaphors,

    Read More

More about Rhetorical Analysis Of Albert Beveridge's 'March Of The Flag'

Open Document