...Americans”. Sarcastically written, this doctrine inspired many activists and abolitionists during that era to fight for freedom and equality for all. Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth were two of the most prominent figures of the abolitionist movement in 19th-century America. Their speeches, “What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July?” by Federick Douglass and “Ain’t I a Woman?” by Sojourner Truth, are iconic speeches that continue to resonate with audiences today. Both speeches influence their perspective on equality for African Americans through rhetorical appeals and devices. Truth successfully gains the empathy of...
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...Frederick Douglass was unique among reformers for not only having powerful rhetorical skills and eloquent expression, but personal experience to aid in his calls for reform. Many other reformers did not have personal experience with the subjects of their speeches, so their ability to evoke pain and oppression was limited. Even among those who had experienced oppression, Frederick Douglass still had the most powerful voice. His speech for abolition blends poignant evocations of slave’s suffering, righteous indignation at such suffering, and appeals to audiences Christian sense of justice. Among all of the reformer’s speeches, his The Hypocrisy of American Slavery, had the most powerful and persuasive tone. Dorothea Dix and Horace Mann both...
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