Me: what's up Bacon, can I ask you a few questions?
Bacon: Obviously, what about?
Me: Well I was wondering why you believe African Americans use advisory rhetoric?
Bacon: They use advisory rhetoric because they are fighting against slavery and were confronting/creating conflict and were challenging the audience.
Me: What about white people? What kind of rhetoric did they use?
Bacon: They used adaptory rhetoric, because they were merely applying to the audeiences common ground. White people, would most likely agree, and have the same ideals. Using this rhetoric, is easy for them because they are just reiterating their ideas/thoughts on the issue and not trying to necessarily persuade.
Me: Which do you think is more effective?
Bacon: hmmmmm, well that's easy. Hands down advisory rhetoric is more effective. Since your stirring up conflict and arguing, if you make good points and  a strong argument, you not only have the people already on your side agreeing but you may have also convinced some in the process!
Me: wow Bacon you're so smart! Thanks for everything!
Bacon: you're welcome!
Me: bacon wait! can i have a quick example??
Bacon: Of course you can Jillian! When Douglass gives his speech "What to a Slave is the Fourth of July", he discusses the irony of  a black man giving a speech about a white mans holiday, "This fourth of July is yours, not mine. You man rejoice, I must mourn...Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak today? This shows how he is being aggressive and confrontational, and not just agreeing or playing to the audience.
Me: Perfect! THANKS AGAIN!

what would I want to research?

Last year in my history class my three favorite topics we covered were civil rights, women's rights and prohibition. Since is was a brief class we didn't get to in depth in study. However all three of these were very controversial times and I believe would be very interesting to study and learn the different points of view.

Words:

prohibition
speakeasies
suffrage
boycotts
the right to vote
Jim crow laws
Nation American Woman Suffrage Assosiation
18th Amendment

jane addams intro

   
Jane Addams defines greatness as, "a character who has looked through the confusion of the moment and has seen the moral issue involved." Her speech dissussing George Washington, examined the freedom he fought for and how admirable of a figure he is. She discusses him with the utmost respect, attempting for her audience to feel the same; to respect and honor him. Although her speech is about George Washington, she uses him as a catalyst to implement patriotism and freedom that he gave citizens. Perhaps she was attempting to apply this more specifically towards women, for 1903 was the beginning of women's suffrage. Addams uses the figure of George Washington and the freedom he represents to subtly show that all citizens deserve their constitutional rights, despite gender or race. 

Jane Addams- 1903

In Jane Addams speech she discusses George Washington; what a great man he was, and the ideals he left for this country to follow. Her speech is very strategic and yet heart felt.

            A major persuasive strategy that she uses is ethos. Although people listening to this speech will know about, and who George Washington was, she creates a character that they can admire and respect. For example she discusses him as a soldier, states man, and citizen. As a soldier we admire him for, “the power of losing his own life for the life of a larger cause” and “he holds his personal suffering of no account.” This shows the love he had for his country. As a statesman she describes how tirelessly he worked on our constitution because of a “belief that they were founding a nation on the axiom that all men are created free and equal.” Lastly as a citizen Addams discusses how he never bought or sold a slave himself, and freed his on his own will. This shows that he believed in everyone being free. By creating this character that audience can connect, and create mass respect for Washington.

            Addams is responding to the historical context by discussing freedom and patriotism. The one quote that really stands out is “he is a man who had looking through the confusion of the moment and has seen the moral issue involved.” At the time of George Washington, America was fighting for their freedom, and creating a country based on those ideals. Addams’ is stressing that, so people remember who fought for them and why, and to remember how much it should be appreciated. This can always be related to the times, because even if there is nothing-tragic happening in the country, patriotism could always be re-implemented. Another idea is women’s suffrage. This speech was given in 1903, which was the beginning of the movement and women starting to speak out about the right to vote. Perhaps Addams was speaking to that, and when stressing freedom and rights that the “great George Washington” granted our country, women should be included. Possibly, she was attempting to get people thinking, with out them knowing it. Because if Washington was so passionate about freedom and rights (as he let his slaves free) what about women?

revised post

What I would expect from a fourth of July speech is what Douglass does. He evokes patriotism and supports the United States of America. He takes the ideals from the Fourth of July (freedom) and applies them to there "modern" issues (slavery). He discusses how all the fourth is about is Independence and freedom, and yet African-Americans can still not experience it. "To him, your celebration is a sham your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless..." He goes on to illustrate how hypocritical the white people of America are being. All of this passion come through towards the end/middle of the speech, however in the beginning he is not talking about slavery, rather he is comparing it to countries that have been around for thousands of years, and showing that even though we’re a new state, it is better (patriotism). For example he tells that in comparison to older countries we are in the “childhood” stages of ours, which demonstrates, hope. He means that as bad as some things may get, a child (our country) will not get discouraged but rather look optimistically to the future. He also flip flops it and says seventy-six years old, is good age for man. So either way you were to look at the countries age, they are both good. This helps to support the USA because it shows even though it’s in the learning stages; it is not to be discouraged.

            There is use of all three rhetorical strategies in Douglass’ speech. For example logos; he says when talking about the Fourth of July story, he’s not going to sugar coat it. The fact was, US people were “British subjects”. He told it like it was, and explained that while trying to be respectful at first, the people would not stand for being ruled by the British crown. Another example is ethos. Douglass helps mold he character by being polite, addressing the crowd as “ladies and gentleman”. In the beginning of his speech he also makes himself appear very modest. For example, he says, “Should I seem at ease, my appearance would much misrepresent me.” He goes on to tell of his little experience in public speaking in a small country schoolhouse. I believe he attempts to illustrate his modest and inexperience character, as to connect himself with the people and to show he is not superior, and feels the same exact way they are feeling. This brings me to the last rhetorical strategy and the most dominant which is pathos. His speech is chockfull of feeling and emotion; using words like forlorn, disgraceful and astonished. He also uses words like demand, to show the severity of his emotion and opinions. The use of these words helps heightened emotion and show how powerful his feelings are on the matter. It also takes on almost a theatrical setting because of description and details he shares. Pathos is definitely the most prominent rhetorical strategy, because if you were to remove it from the speech, it would be extremely bland and dry.

fourth of july speech

            What I would expect from a fourth of July speech is what Douglass does. He evokes patriotism and supports the United States of America. Although he is not because obnoxious about his patriotism for his country instead he is comparing it to countries that have been around for thousands of years, and showing that even though we’re a new state, it is better. For example he tells that in comparison to older countries we are in the “childhood” stages of ours, which demonstrates, hope. He means that as bad as some things may get, a child (our country) will not get discouraged but rather look optimistically to the future. He also flip flops it and says seventy-six years old, is good age for man. So either way you were to look at the countries age, they are both good. This helps to support the USA because it shows even though it’s in the learning stages; it is not to be discouraged.

            There is use of all three rhetorical strategies in Douglass’ speech. For example logos; he says when talking about the Fourth of July story, he’s not going to sugar coat it. The fact was, US people were “British subjects”. He told it like it was, and explained that while trying to be respectful at first, the people would not stand for being ruled by the British crown. Another example is ethos. Douglass helps mold he character by being polite, addressing the crowd as “ladies and gentleman”. In the beginning of his speech he also makes himself appear very modest. For example, he says, “Should I seem at ease, my appearance would much misrepresent me.” He goes on to tell of his little experience in public speaking in a small country schoolhouse. I believe he attempts to illustrate his modest and inexperience character, as to connect himself with the people and to show he is not superior, and feels the same exact way they are feeling. This brings me to the last rhetorical strategy and the most dominant which is pathos. His speech is chockfull of feeling and emotion; using words like forlorn, disgraceful and astonished. He also uses words like demand, to show the severity of his emotion and opinions. The use of these words helps heightened emotion and show how powerful his feelings are on the matter. It also takes on almost a theatrical setting because of description and details he shares. Pathos is definitely the most prominent rhetorical strategy, because if you were to remove it from the speech, it would be extremely bland and dry.