Rhetorical Analysis Of Patrick Henry's Speech

When the states were first independent, they needed a government to run the country, thus creating the Articles of Confederation. Under The Articles of Confederation, the government was feeble and the country was failing. America was in major debt due to The Revolutionary War, states weren’t paying their federal duties, and Congress was unable to tax the states, which led to the government having no money. The image depicted was Shays Rebellion. Shays Rebellion was an army of Massachusetts farmers, led by Daniel Shays, who had created a rebellion against government, angered by taxes forced upon them.

Lastly, colonists had no representation in Parliament. Laws and taxes were passed without them having a say. Americans decided to fight for their independence in 1776 because they were being treated unjustly by Great Britain. To begin, the British passed hefty taxes in the thirteen colonies to help pay off their war debt. First, colonists were brought into British conflicts.

Patrick Henry was a political leader during the American Revolution, who was educated from home. He gave a speech on March 23, 1775 at the Virginia Convention that has became a great part of history. Henry’s speech was considered to have started the American Revolution. His speech caused the House members to fight for their freedom; he showed them reasons why they shouldn’t want peace, but freedom. He took charge and gave a speech that went down in history.

In fact, many were not willing to fight for freedom due their fear of British government and their rule over the colonies. It was not until Patrick Henry, an orator and lawyer from Virginia, convinced them to do otherwise in his Speech at the Virginia Convention. Since this during the Age of Reason, logic was commonly used and helped persuade the masses by using rational thinking and deductive reasoning. Patrick Henry used logos to win over the colonists and change their overall opinions on the British.

When The Second Continental Congress approved of the Declaration of Independence, it purposefully avoided the complicated situation that was slavery. African Americans, both freed and enslaved, were outraged. How could the Founding Fathers write such a riveting and long document for themselves, while completely ignoring the African American struggle for freedom on the basis of skin tone? The hypocrisy was too much for Benjamin Banneker, who took it upon himself to write a letter to Thomas Jefferson about the atrocities of slavery, and persuade him to abolish the practice. In it, Banneker used allusions, a melancholy diction, and deductive reasoning to state his argument against the enslavement of his color.

During the mid-eighteenth century, following the American Revolution, the newly founded United States was in a precarious state. Many problems throughout the country aroused, based on the fact that there was no head to lead the nation. It was when the great George Washington stepped forth and led the country as the president of the nation. In memory of his heroic and substantial leadership, a capital city and state, as well as a dollar bill and quarter, were made after him. These dignified praises he so rightfully deserved, for he assumed his responsibility to lead the nation despite his longings for retirement, contributed to the structure of the national government, and favorably led the nation during his presidency.

The American Revolutionary War came about after decades of grievances on the part of the American colonies, grievances which were put in place by the British Parliamentary system. The lack of American representation in parliament paired with the multitudes of acts designed to take advantage of the colonies were cause enough for the colonies to revolt and to overthrow their government. There are few who would disagree with the American’s justification for the revolution, would Locke be one of them? No he would not, the American colonies were fully justified under Lockean reasons for revolution, considering how long they endured the grievances and the legislature that was passed against them. Locke laid out the types of legislative and executive

Burgesses Reps. But much to their surprise or dismay, the brave leaders and Patriotic Troops of George Washington and others kept meeting, surprising the enemy nation trying to take away all what they’ve worked ridiculously hard for and succeed. The Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party are conflicts that lead up to the Revolutionary War, the break from Great Britain gaining the young Nation’s Independence from the strong nation. Ending in America with freedom and independence, and being recognized to be an independent nation by France and

However, she suggests men to imagine a society where they were denied their political rights as citizens, where their demands and needs were ignored by the government. She argues that there would be only two ways to go about this situation: to conform to the legislature or to stand up to rightfully fight for their rights, just like how their forefathers have done when they were denied of their rights. Here she makes an emotional appeal by referring to the foundation of how America was formed. When denied their rights, their ancestors protested using revolution, as demonstrated in the Boston Tea Party. She replies to any misconceptions of her speech by telling her audience that she and her fellow suffragists don’t consider violence as their top choice.

Thomas Paine was speaking inspiration when he said, “...if being bound in that manner, is not slavery then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth.”(153) He was speaking for the soldiers as he explained that Britain has been enslaving the colonies in so countless ways. I know that in 1773 the Boston Tea Party took place, because I was there. The Boston Tea Party is also proved, “1773- Boston Tea Party.” (Roden 141) The colonists tried and we protested against the taxes, but gruesome Britain still gave them to us and we went through it, but we stopped putting up with it and now we fight. The inspiring Thomas Paine also explained in his writ that Britain is now taxing the colonie and controlling us. (153) It is horrible.

The colonists were so angered by these taxes because they had no say on it. In The Declaration of Independence there was these things called The List of Grievances. The List of Grievances was all the complaints of the colonists into one document. It covered the law where British soldiers were put in the homes of the colonists, also known as the Quartering Acts. The King even took it as far as making people go to England to be tried instead of in the colonies.

In the years before the Revolution, the American colonists were poorly treated by the British Parliament. After the Parliament closed down the port of Boston, and passed a statute stating, “An act for the impartial administration of justice… or for the suppression of riots and tumults, in the province of the Massachusetts-Bay in New England,” the colonists released a document, the Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress, listing their grievances of the Parliament (U.S. Cong.). The Colonies took steps, after listing their grievances and eventually winning their independence from Britain, to make sure they could and would not mimic the British government’s errors and actions, creating documents like the Constitution of United

Unit 1 Chapter 7 The Road to Revolution The Americans had troubles complying with the new British control after the Seven Years War; they wouldn’t pay necessary funds and also had a growing sense of national identity The Deep Roots of Revolution The Americans had a world that they could make their own, thus upraising nationalistic ideas Republicanism: citizens surrendered their selfish demands for the greater good Opposed aristocracy and monarchy ”Radical Whigs”: warned people to be aware of government corruption and to resist that corruption Americans had grown into a country accustomed to running it’s own affairs, so when the British came in 1763 to get a better hold over their colonies, Americans resisted The circumstances of colonial

How indeed, did the colonies win the war, against a country that had so many advantages over them? The American Revolution was spurred by the colonists’ desire for freedom from Britain. In that time, Britain had become passing ridiculous acts and taxing the settlers without consent. Not only that, but Britain sent troops overseas to help keep the settlers paying their taxes. Before the war, America had no navy, or an organized army.

American people were stressed over paying for all the taxes and the strange act that was not needed. The British just wanted out of debt from the Seven Years war. Arguing that only their own representative assemblies could tax them. They suggested that it was unconstitutional. In 1766, they all issued a Declaratory Act.