Alfred M Green Speech Analysis

In Philadelphia, on April 1861, Alfred M. Green proposed one of the most iconic and inspiring speeches before the beginning of the American Civil War. Alfred M. Green discusses the concept of slavery and freedom in regard to the enlistments of African Americans in the Northern military regiments. Although many of his offers were ignored, Green still continued to advocate for his fellow African Americans and favored the idea for African Americans to fight for their legal status and ability to serve in the Union army. Green speaks in an emotional tone that prepares his audience for his purpose. “A house divided amongst itself cannot stand” (Lincoln). Most of Green’s speech establishes this idea in different forms that allows him to persuade the …show more content…
He repeats the phrases “let us” and “while we remember” to show that he is one of them. He isn’t being straightforward, but is referring to his audience as a whole. While being unambiguous, he is slowly influencing their opinion so that “they” can equally join the war effort. Green doesn’t seem to disguise most of his opinions, but rather conveys them directly so that the listeners are willing to take notice of his trustworthiness. He includes himself in being part of the war effort, so he is able to silence any doubt from his crowd regarding his morality towards the situation. If he is ready to fight for his country, no matter the consequences, shouldn’t they do the same? Regardless of past altercations amongst the white populous and the African Americans, Green stills wants to show them that “they are the same, they are all brothers and sisters, on this planet created by God, where their love needs to prosper, not hatred or grief”. Furthermore, another example of how Green uses diction to favor his argument is when he says “It is true” at the beginning of some paragraphs. When placed in the 2nd and 3rd paragraph, the phrase is followed by memories of the harsh tragedies and events that the African Americans had to deal with, such as imprisonment, forced labor, and failed attempts at liberation. By humiliating his audience and demeaning their purpose, he is able to make them feel ashamed to an extent where they realize they can make a difference both now and for the future. By adding a negative connotation to his speech, he is able to lower their expectations until later on when he refers to them as a whole. By degrading his audience, he is able to set up for another situation in his speech that will allow him to gain praise and deliver his purpose