During April 1861, the first month of the Civil War, Alfred M. Green gave a speech in Philadelphia. The goal was to persuade African Americans to prepare to enlist in the Army. He also used his platform to talk about the unfair ways the African Americans were being treated, not only in the South but also in the North. Green had to use a few different methods to persuade African Americans to enlist in the Army, while also speaking about the issues for which they had to deal.
Green's main persuasive point is reminding his fellow African Americans what the United States was founded on “freedom, and of civil and religious toleration.”. By reminding his audience of the American ideology, Green hopes this convinces them of their need to go to war …show more content…
He wants the African Americans to be trusting in god, for god will protect them in their fight for freedom. Green reminds the whites that they have the same god as the African Americans, therefore they can’t be denied their rights. Green ends his speech talking about their “oppressed brethren” living in the south, this creates a whole new incentive to go to war. African Americans won’t only be fighting for their individual rights but also for the freedom of their African American brethrens. By going to war they will defeat those opposing civil and religious freedom, therefore freeing all their oppressed brethren of the south. Green creates a sense of family and unity throughout his speech by using diction such as “Our duty, brethren” and “Let us, then, take up the sword...”. Green explains that it is their duty to destroy slavery and build a foundation for a better future. Duty, family, unity, freedom, god and patriotism are all subjects Green talks about to influence his audience. He speaks about these topics with such power and passion with the hope that he can persuade African Americans to enlist in the Army. By the end of the speech Green is unifying the African Americans and the whites, bringing them together in order to defeat a common