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Rhetorical Analysis Of Alfred M. Green's Address

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Black political activist, Alfred M. Green, in his speech speaks to his African American “Brethren,” during the civil war, regarding African-American enlistment in the union army. His purpose in his address is to inspire the African Americans, his audience, in the North to take up arms and prepare themselves to enlist in the already strong union army. Green uses a predominantly inspirational and direct tone to enlighten and motivate his audience to enlist. Through his address he utilizes the use of biblical allusions and imagery to inspire his fellow African Americans to enroll in the union army.
First, Green induces feelings of inspiration to take up arms in his audience by advocating for their dire need to take a leap of faith and fight for what they believe is morally correct. Green appeals towards the religious views of his audience by employing the use of biblical allusions. He utilizes this strategy to relate towards the beliefs of his audience to evokes a need for action amongst them. Furthermore, he demonstrates that African Americans …show more content…

He appeals to the concerns of the African Americans by depicting the South’s desires and representing it in a negative connotation through use of imagery. The South, as depicted, wants “the war cry of the howling leaders of Secession and treason is: ‘let us drive back the advance guard of civil and religious freedom; let us have more slave territory; let us build stronger the tyrant system in the great American Republic.’” Green utilizes the use of imagery to portray the South as warmongers who seek only to “have more slave territory,” in the “great American Republic.” By giving the South a cynical representation, Green would appeal towards the African American concerns on the hypothetical victory of the South and motivate them to

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