Ethos, Pathos, and Logos Black Abolitionist Arguments...

In the mid-1800s the issue of slavery had emerged in the U.S. as a major conflict. In the northern states a small but very articulate group of abolitionists formed to speak out against the abomination of slavery. Several of the most influential and outspoken abolitionists were actually former slaves. Three such speakers during that time were Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Jacobs. All born into slavery, and having witnessed its horrors first-hand, these three black reformers publicly took a stand against the atrocity of enslaving fellow human beings. They argued for their rights as men and women. However, they each went about their arguments using different modes of persuasion. While the main message of each abolitionist†¦show more content†¦Since Jacobs knew many of her readers would consider her account exaggerated or fictitious, she included the testimonials of two white female abolitionists and one black antislavery writer to confirm that the recorded e vents were true. These slave narratives were powerful in the abolitionists’ effort to spread their antislavery cause. As long as people remained ignorant about the realities of slavery, they were not motivated to action, but stories like Jacobs’ showed the need for reform. â€Å"Pity me, and pardon me, O virtuous reader! You never knew what it is to be a slave; to be entirely unprotected by law or custom†¦entirely subject to the will of another.† Jacobs’ story conveyed pathos, or emotional appeal, as she spoke directly to her readers several times throughout the narrative. Her language choice affected the audiences emotional response, especially when they became aware that she was telling the truth. Jacobs was willing to share her personal, and in some ways shameful, past for the greater good. She wanted her readers to understand the perils of enslavement, and try to relate to what it feels like to be owned by another human being. Only then could they sympathize with the antislavery movement. Finally, Frederick Douglass, one of the most famous black abolitionists and well-known as an eloquent public speaker, made a speech on Independence Day 1952 entitled â€Å"What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?† In this speech Douglass addressed a predominately whiteShow MoreRelatedNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis1050 Words   |  5 Pagesevils of slavery which once existed here. Slaves lived lives of pain and hardship. But some, like the slave and later abolitionist Frederick Douglass, rose up from the tribulations of slavery and led the way for progress and change in America. 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