Literary History

The Rhetoric of Revolution

Overview
Many conclude that the American colonies won independence from England not only with weapons of war but also with weapons of words. Accomplished authors and speakers such as Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and Patrick Henry were well versed in the powers of persuasion through the use of rhetoric.

What is rhetoric? You may have heard the expression, “It’s a rhetorical question.” The person asking a rhetorical question is not looking for an answer. A rhetorical question is meant to get people to think about a particular subject; it is a way of getting a point across. Rhetoric refers to effective communication, especially writing or speaking that seeks to persuade.

Powerful speakers and writers aim to persuade others by appealing to one of three things: reason or logic; emotions, such as fear or hate; and ethics, or what is believed to be the right thing to do. Sometimes they appeal to more than one of these.

Speakers and writers looking to sway the opinions of others also use what are called rhetorical devices—persuasive techniques or patterns of speech that are effective in getting a point across. In his famous pamphlet The Crisis No. 1, Thomas Paine used figurative language, or language that is not literally true but seeks to expresses some truth beyond a literal level, to describe the characteristics of those who were not willing to brave the harsh realities and risks of supporting the Revolutionary War. He wrote, “The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country.”

Writers and speakers use a variety of rhetorical devices to persuade. One rhetorical device is hyperbole, or exaggeration. This device usually is used to appeal to or inspire strong emotion. Speakers may also use rhetorical questions. In Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Second Virginia Convention,” he asks a succession of twenty rhetorical questions to appeal to his audience’s reason. By the last question, his speech reaches a peak of emotion and drama. Parallelism, another rhetorical device, involves using a series of sentences, words, or phrases with parallel structure. Thomas Jefferson used this device in the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson also used connotative language, which uses the implied meaning or emotional associations of words, for dramatic effect.

The speakers and writers of this era, through their powerful and persuasive messages, profoundly influenced the minds and hearts of the colonists.

Bibliography
Aristotle, and Hugh Lawson-Tancred, trans. The Art of Rhetoric. New York: Penguin Classics, 1992. Aristotle explores the history and devices of rhetoric as they pertain to various aspects of life.

McIntire, Suzanne, ed. The American Heritage Book of Great American Speeches for Young People. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001. Read moving speeches from the seventeenth century to the present day. Included are speeches from Chief Powhatan, Patrick Henry, Frederick Douglass, and present-day politicians and activists.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings. 7th Ed. New York: Longman, 2006. Learn how to write better arguments and to read arguments more critically.

Web Links
Thomas Paine National Historical Association
www.thomaspaine.org
Read about Thomas Paine through biographies from writers such as Thomas Alva Edison. Also access the texts of his works, including Common Sense, Rights of Man, and The Age of Reason.

Colonial America (1492–1763): Patrick Henry Was Born
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/colonial/henry_1
This Web site from the Library of Congress has a brief biography of Patrick Henry, famous for delivering the line “Give me liberty or give me death!” as war against the British appeared imminent. Click on the “More Stories” link for further insight into the events and people who shaped this period in U.S. history.

American Rhetoric
www.americanrhetoric.com
While this Web site is devoted to American rhetoric from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present, it provides an excellent resource of American public oratory. Access the top one-hundred political speeches of the twentieth century and an online speech bank of more than five thousand audio and video versions of public speeches, sermons, lectures, debates, and interviews, including recent speeches made in Iraq.

The American Revolution: Lighting Freedom’s Flame
http://www.nps.gov/revwar/
Explore the biographies of the most influential people of that time, including George Washington and Thomas Paine. Read about the Revolution’s key events, from the lead-in to war to its aftermath. Tour the places, and view the objects from this period to bring it alive.

The Story of Virginia: Becoming American
http://www.vahistorical.org/sva2003/americans.htm
This Web site describes some of the people and events that led up to and influenced the American Revolution, giving historical and cultural context to the rhetoric of this period. Read brief narratives about George Washington, Martha Washington, Dolley Madison, Thomas Jefferson, African Virginians, religious freedom, the prelude to war, and more.