Advances in the History of Rhetoric Jan 2006

“New Terms for the Vindication of our Rights”: William Whipper's Activist Rhetoric

Glen McClish San Diego State University

Abstract

Abstract This study features the contributions of nineteenth-century activist William Whipper to the African American rhetorical tradition. Through analyses of six texts written between 1828 and 1837, I detail Whipper's dedication to open civic discourse; his preference for appeals to reason; his Christian ethos; his appropriation of the rhetoric of white writers, which functions in service of his positive portrayal of black culture; and his mistrust of arguments based on expediency. I also demonstrate how these characteristics shape–and, to a certain extent, evolve in–Whipper's subsequent writings. The conclusion locates Whipper's rhetorical principles in the broader context of nineteenth-century African American rhetoric.

Journal
Advances in the History of Rhetoric
Published
2006-01-01
DOI
10.1080/15362426.2006.10557263
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Topics
rhetorical criticism discourse analysis african american rhetorics argument race and writing public rhetoric
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Cited by in this index (1)

  1. McClish (2012)
    “Pardon Me for the Digression”: Robert Forten and James Forten Jr. Address the …
    Advances in the History of Rhetoric

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