Abraham Lincoln and Sojourner Truth both fought on the forefront of equality during the Civil War to show the true Spirit of America. Lincoln’s dedication of the Soldiers National Cemetery during his “ Gettysburg Address” demonstrates his passion for those who have lost their lives, for the families of the deceased, and for all who will admire it. Truth’s passion for the equality of African American women is displayed in her “Speech to the Equal Rights Association,”. Her strength and passion conveys to the audience the mistreatment of African American women. Lincoln’s “ Gettysburg Address” and Truth’s “ Speech to the Equal Rights Association,” both exemplify characteristics of the American Spirit such as equality among all individuals. In …show more content…
Lincoln’s “ Gettysburg Address”, he discussed the importance of equality by coming to the battlefield to honor those who fought, as well as those who continued to fight for equality. Lincoln references the “Declaration of Independence” to appeal to the values of Americans in the journey of finding equality.
Lincoln began his speech with an ethical appeal, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” This ethical appeal establishes the shaped values that everyone believes in. Lincoln also attaches to the values and feelings to encourage Americans to feel that it is their job to fight for equality, as well as showing respect and appreciation for the human race since many “died in vain.” This ethical appeal creates a connection between the audience and the love that they share for their motherland. Lincoln came to honor the many soldiers who lost their lives because, “It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.” In remembering those who fought for us, Lincoln turned the battlefield into a memorial in order to give the lost, courageous souls the love and admiration that they all deserved. Lincoln believed that equality was an essential aspect in society and that the difficult fight for it was crucial. To establish the principle of equality in America, …show more content…
Lincoln stated, “ It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we are highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” This statement addresses that we the people are expected to continue fighting for what is right. The fight for equality is not over because these soldiers lost their lives. Rather, it is our gracious opportunity to strive in making our mark in finding freedom and equality in this nation. Lincoln emphasized the ideal that “the people” should never fall short of this mission. He also made clear that by the use of parallelism, they are the only ones who can succeed in the equality of status of rights and opportunities among all citizens. The American Spirit shows that equality for all is imperative to society and without this necessity, the world would perish right before our eyes. By the people standing up and fighting for what is morally right, we are one step closer to establishing a society greater than anyone could ever imagine. Not only did Lincoln stress the importance of equality, but Sojourner Truth found it crucial as well. Truth spoke to be heard. She craved a free society and goes further to say “ I want it root and branch destroyed. Then we will be free indeed.” Truth compares the act of killing a tree in comparison to slavery, through this Truth reveals the loathing she has towards slavery. By appealing to the logic behind African American women’s rights, Truth advocated for African American women’s in an aspiration to secure equality for women. Truth spoke about the controversy among these women and stated, “There is a great stir about colored men getting their rights, and not colored women theirs, you see the colored men will be masters over the women, and it will be just as bad as it was before. So I am for keeping the thing going while things are stirring; because if we wait till it is still, it will take a great while to got it going again.” Truth spoke about her knowledge of dominance when a group does not have the same rights as others. Truth had experienced the way in which slaves were treated compared to others around them. Truth understood the devastating effects of dominance and spoke out about this topic before it repeated itself. Logic was used to convey what would happen if she did not stand up for what was right, which is mistreatment of African American women. America has struggled in the seeking of equality ever since the glorious day this nation was born- whether it be due to your gender, social status or race. Truth showed that equality is a vital aspect of the American Spirit. Truth discussed how she wanted to be heard through saying, “I want women to have their rights. In the courts women have no right, no voice; nobody speaks for them. I wish women to have her voice there among the pettifoggers. If it is not a fit place for women, it is unfit for men to be there.” Truth utilized a mixture of logic and emotion to carry out the idea of equal rights. Truth’s logical appeal urges individuals to realize the severity of inequality through many scenarios. Truth spoke upon all of what she experienced in her lifetime and to emotionally describe what she all she saw. Most importantly, she made sure to emphasize on what she knew was right. Truth further elaborated on the idea of righteousness in terms of what it should be like. The mood created from Truth with the audience is truly eye- opening. This mood derives from when she said, if a woman is not allowed in a place, then a man should not be allowed either. Truth emotionally spoke about how one may feel without having rights, “ You may have been having our rights so long, that you think, like a slave-holder, that you own us. I know that it is hard for one who has held the reins for so long to give it up; it cuts like a knife.” The use of an emotional appeal establishes the idea that since people of color have no rights, it tempts others to continue treating them like they are a product of themselves. This gives the reader an idea of how one feels when they are someone’s property and are forbidden to live their own life. Truth used appeal for showing that African American women should have equal rights to others and that equality must be won. This is an aspect of the American Spirit and the struggle one may go through. Equality is what makes up the coveted spirit of Americans.
We are known to have “freedom”, which makes our nation well respected. Freedom is not given to you immediately. You must fight at times, which is exactly what Sojourner Truth did. Lincoln conveyed to the nation that the war was not yet over and that we still had to fight for equality. Both Lincoln and Truth established the idea to fight and stand up for equality was symbolic of a brace nation. Lincoln stated, “It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.” Lincoln spoke with a hopeful tone of the great task remaining for America. This tone helps the audience know the only reason to advance in society and to better America is to be living and thriving in this journey to equality. Meanwhile, Truth puts up a fight among herself to express how she feels and what she feels should happen next. Truth recognized that there are not many individuals who stood up for what they believed in, which is shown when she says, “ I suppose I am about the only colored woman that goes about to speak for the rights of the colored women.” By the recognition that she is the only one who has spoken strongly about the rights of African American women, she speaks out in recognizing the treatment of Americans compared to others. The tone of Sojourner Truth shows that the rights of individuals are powerfully important. Truth goes on to say that she does
not hear anyone stand up against mistreatment by saying, “ I have not heard any singing since I came here.” This shows that Truth was greatly impacted by people not confronting the discrimination of fellow women of color being mistreated. This logical appeal shows that the nation is allowing the constant disrespect of a certain group of individuals. By Truth using logic, it helps the reader to utilize realism. These two individuals made substantial impacts to America, which further shows the importance of equality and why one must continue fight to show the true Spirit of America- equality. Americans have made much progress in the journey to treating everyone equal- regardless of ethnicity or gender. Through the tremendous speeches given by Lincoln and Truth, it helped to establish that equality must be a characteristic among all individuals. To be an American means having “freedom”. However, if individuals are not receiving this, then fighting is well worth it. Lincoln and Truth exemplified how equality, having freedom is the spirit that America truly holds.
The history of The Black Civil Rights Movement in the United States is a fascinating account of a group of human beings, forcibly taken from their homeland, brought to a strange new continent, and forced to endure countless inhuman atrocities. Forced into a life of involuntary servitude to white slave owners, African Americans were to face an uphill battle for many years to come. Who would face that battle? To say the fight for black civil rights "was a grassroots movement of ordinary people who accomplished extraordinary things" would be an understatement. Countless people made it their life's work to see the progression of civil rights in America. People like W.E.B. DuBois, Marcus Garvey, A Phillip Randolph, Eleanor Roosevelt, and many others contributed to the fight although it would take ordinary people as well to lead the way in the fight for civil rights. This paper will focus on two people whose intelligence and bravery influenced future generations of civil rights organizers and crusaders. Ida B.Wells and Mary Mcleod Bethune were two African American women whose tenacity and influence would define the term "ordinary to extraordinary".
After suffering the overwhelming ferociousness and inhumanity of being a slave for over two decades , a black man by the name of Fredrick Douglass fled from enslavement and began to make a concerted effort to advance himself as a human being. Combating many obstacles and resisting numerous temptations, Douglass worked assiduously to develop into a knowledgeable gentleman rather than the involuntary alternative of being an unenlightened slave. In doing so, Douglass successfully immerged as one of the Civil War era’s most prominent antislavery orators. From his first major public speech at the age of 23, Douglass became widely renowned as a premier spokesperson for Black slaves and the movement for the abolition of slavery. In one of Douglass’ most distinguished speeches, “The Meaning of July 4th for the Negro,” he uses the intermittent occasion of speaking on behalf of African Americans to a multitude of White Americans to outline arguments against slavery. In that very speech, Douglass made it clear that, like countless African Americans during this time period,
Sojourner establishes a sense of identity as a victim of discrimination by describing the injustices as a black women in order to provoke an emotional response from her audience. Truth exclaims that no
Throughout history we often see Abraham Lincoln as a great president, whose words and action inspire people throughout the nation to change the mindset of how we think about the importance of human lives regardless of race and ethnic groups. His journey toward changing the people perspective on the moral issue of slavery is no easy task to accomplished. But his action however, it did leave an everlasting impact for many African American that being chain by the cruel acts of slavery to experience freedom for the first time. And his Lincoln’s legacy would inspire other individuals to take a stand on their ideas and fight for the freedom of our fellow man. Individuals, such as Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr take pride on their belief to fight for the equality their race and to unite the nation as one. In the book “The Fiery Trial” by
According to Dictionary.com, the word Resistance is a noun, meaning the act or power of resisting, opposing, or withstanding. Slave narratives were the “It” thing in the beginning of the African American literature period. These narratives served a political stand points against the injustices they were facing and some were simply just documents used for advocacy. Most of these narratives have raw imagery of how the slaves endured physical, mental and verbal abuse to attempt to make the whites raise question.
Individuals like Sojourner Truth did not receive fair treatment like the white women. In the speech, “ Ain't I a Woman ?” Sojourner Truth states, “ Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud puddles ,or give me any best place! And ain't I a Woman?” Black women were not treated like white women, instead they were treated more like animals. Every individual should be entitled to freedom and human rights equally. Sojourner Truth speech brought awareness to others by informing them that equality did not play a role within women's rights. Both black and white women are humans, therefore their skin color should not matter and they both deserved to be treated fairly. Sojourner Truth struggled for change to inform the listeners to be mindful of the type of treatment these African American women
Lincoln’s biggest main idea in ‘’The Gettysburg Address’’ is to honor the sacrifices made on the battlefield by treating everyone equal. He states we have to make sure, ‘’...that these dead shall not have died in vain…’’(Lincoln, 1) This helped develop the central idea by being the point of persuasion.
The Life of Sojourner Truth I. Early Life A. Born a slave in 1797 1.  B. Sojourner Truth the most famous black female orators 1. She lectured throughout Northeast and Midwest on women's rights, religion and prison reform. 2. "Ain't I a Woman" speech May 29, 1851 II. Moving to start a new life. A. The Civil War 1. She nursed soldiers, collected food and clothing for black volunteer regiments 2. The second edition of Truths Narrative B.&nbs 2. Saying words of encouragement to black troops stationed in Detroit.
Abraham Lincoln wrote one of the greatest speeches in American history known as the Gettysburg Address. It was not only used as a dedication to the fallen troops of the North and South, but as a speech to give the Union a reason to fight and attempt to unite the divided nation. The sixteenth president’s handling of his speech at Gettysburg demonstrated how the effectiveness of juxtaposition, repetition, and parallelism, could bring unity to a nation deeply divided on beliefs. His speech touched the hearts of many and indirectly put an end to the Civil War. Lincoln may have been considered a tyrant at the time but he was a great leader of a nation, a war, and a democracy.
Sojourner Truth is an American legend. She began life as a slave and ended her life as an outgoing speaker and free woman. Sojourner led a very disadvantage life but was able to rise above her hardships. Truth was a motivational speaker even though she was not able to read or write. Sojourner Truth continues to impact lives today through her works.
Abraham Lincoln is widely regarded as “The Great Emancipator,” His legacy as the man who freed the slaves, and the savior of the Union is one that fails to be forgotten. He is thought of as a hero, and one of the few to tackle slavery, a problem that has existed in many parts of the world at one time or another. Although Lincoln is credited with ending slavery, his political motives for confronting this issue and his personal views do not make him worthy of all the recognition he receives; the driven abolitionists and daring slaves deserve a much greater portion of the credit.
This proof can be witnessed in how the author acknowledges America’s shunning of African American rights, equality must be acquired without animosity, and they will not stop fighting for what they never had: freedom. The famous speech is the most stimulating because of its figurative language and it’s in depth description of discrimination. As was said by Rosa Parks “Stand for something or you will fall for anything. Today's mighty oak is yesterday's nut that held its
Abraham Lincoln (12 Feb. 1809-15 Apr. 1865) the 16th president (civilwar.org) of the United States of America was one of the main public persons that influence the civil war in many aspects. Even though the civil war may have been the last resource the nation had, it could be argue that Lincoln’s governments try its best to find a different solution. The civil war was a conflict that destroyed the nation; it perhaps could have been avoided if the second party had work for a solution. But it is true that maybe both parts could have looked out for the benefits of the people as a whole instead of their personal benefits. Lincoln principal positive effect on the civil war was actually before and during the war when Lincoln’s government had many attempts to prevent the confrontation, and when this one began he took the right decisions to win the war. One of the biggest effects on the civil war was the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which gave the slaves their liberty. Many would agree is that Abraham’s Lincoln effect on the civil war was positive but Lincoln made many mistakes or misjudgments during the war as well. Perhaps the biggest mistake Lincoln did was underestimating the South what caused many unnecessary deaths. He also did had misjudgments that cause many causalities. Since the beginning of time humanity has fought for what they thought was right. In April 12 of 1861(civilwar.org) The US would begin a fight for civic and moral rights, a civil war that perhaps was the last option for a country to reunite its values. Abraham Lincoln was the president of the time and the person the influence the most the course the war took. I strongly believe that Lincoln’s decisions influence or had more positive effects on the country. Being the president at times like the civil war is without doubt it is one of the toughest jobs, and one way or another there is going to be correct and incorrect decisions but I can agree president Lincoln did what he thought it was the best at that moment.
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln was asked to say a few words at the opening of a military cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Gettysburg stood as one of the bloodiest battles in America’s Civil War and the Governor felt that these fallen soldiers needed a better resting place. Lincoln had a problem with the people in his country that happened to be in war fighting against each other for the freedom of blacks, which they currently did not have. When Lincoln came to give his speech he had many people on the edge of their seats listening to him word for word. He takes his time in what he says and chooses his words precisely. Some may not apprehend what Lincoln was actually saying whether they were soldiers or people who were mourning the loss of their family members. He wanted to let the families and armed forces know that he's proud of what they have done; although, he may also be marginally disenchanted since his country is fighting against one another. He reveres these people no matter what side they are on and hopes for the freedom of slaves whil...
...ll trying to figure itself out. Lincoln dedicated his speech to the dead because they died in vain and he wanted them to be happy to see a country that was equal. Equality today is much different than it was during Lincoln’s days and it’s come a long way, but there is still a long way to go.