RHE: Lesson - Rhetoric in the 19th Century

Rhetoric in the 19th Century

Like the thoughtful Abigail Adams, Henry David Thoreau continued to use rhetoric to question the processes that led governments to tyranny. Thoreau saw the limitations of a democracy that could maintain an injustice like slavery. In 1848, he gave a lecture titled, "The Rights and Duties of the Individual in relation to Government." This speech later became his famous essay "Civil Disobedience."

The Civil War and Rhetoric

In the 19th century, the American experiment was dramatically challenged by Civil War. The notion of freedom became a central issue on both sides. Southern states fought for the freedom to determine their own laws, also known as states' rights. This was a euphemism for the southern states' desire to maintain the use of slave labor. The federal government fought to maintain the Union but increasingly embraced emancipation as a freedom worth the fight. Historians continue to debate the intricacies of the motivations of each side; however, most acknowledge the enormous impact of President Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address."

As you read this famous speech, consider the rhetoric Lincoln employs, as well as the direct allusions to "The Declaration of Independence."

Reading Assignment: The Gettysburg Address

Please download a copy of the Gettysburg Address Links to an external site.. As you read it, note the important rhetorical strategies used. You can also listen to a recording of the speech below. This is not audio of Abraham Lincoln - we do not have any recordings of him speaking - so it is instead a monologue presented by a modern speaker.

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