The Alfred M. Green Speech

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“Domestic tranquility”, and “All men created equal”, words used in the preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America, irony at its finest in the period known as the Civil War. One month into the Civil War a black man, Alfred M. Green, gave a speech in Philadelphia to a Union audience about just that. In the oration he urged the African American people, who at this time were not eligible to enlist in the Union army, to fight for domestic harmony and equality. In doing so, Green uses figurative language and strong diction to help garner an emotional appeal, as well as establish a tone of empowerment. Throughout his speech, Green makes emotion appeals to help bring the African American people to fight in the war. The usage of strong diction and metaphor help persuade the audience to join the army. This motivation can be seen when he describes the hardships being a black man in a white society; however, the Black community should still join the battle with a “burning zeal and enthusiasm for the field of battle which inspires other men in full enjoyment of every civil and ...

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