Alfred M. Green Speech

510 Words3 Pages
February 24, 2013 Green Essay In all wars there are some good and some bad things that can come out of it. This really applies to the situation that African Americans found themselves in during the Civil War. It was a bad time because many of them were still slaves and they were still being discriminated against and they were still not allowed to join the Union Army. Alfred M. Green looked beyond all the bad times to the good and encouraged African Americans to fight for their right to serve the country. He was able to persuade his fellow African Americans to join the union forces by delivering a powerful speech in which he spoke of duty, the evilness of the Confederacy, and what a union victory could do for African Americans. Green begins his speech with the talk of duty and patriotism. “My country, right or wrong, I love thee still!” It is their duty to serve their country in any way that they can. African Americans must show the world that they are filled with pride for their country and are willing to fight for their freedom. Green qualifies…show more content…
He explains that it is the duty of these men to make the past more bearable. He appeals to their sense of revenge by explaining how the Confederacy is going to war in order to expand slavery. He tells them that they should fight for freedom of their own race. Also, he states that if they fight for the union then slaves in the south might get the courage to over throw their masters. The tone of Green’s speech is both powerful and heartfelt. He attempts to persuade his fellow African Americans to join the union forces by appealing to their sense of duty, sense of family obligation, and their respect for freedom. He ends by powerfully concluding that they must have faith in God who is, “… the God of truth, justice and equality to all
Open Document