Module 5: Stretching Limits in the Age of Reason

The thinkers and writers who followed the Puritans did not wholly reject the values held by the Puritans. However, as they moved away from English rule, both politically and culturally, writing began to focus more on the elements of rhetoric and persuasion. The writers you will encounter in this module—Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Paine—will be familiar to you from your study of the American Revolution.

In this module, you will study the literary elements that make their speeches and essays timeless. In addition, you will compare the rhetorical strategies used by these writers to those of Martin Luther King, Jr. and several other contemporary writers. You will also use the rhetorical triangle to craft your own Public Service Announcement.

 

 

Getting Started

What do you already know about the great speeches of American culture? Review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Drag each speech title on the right and drop them next to the name of the correct orator on the left. Click on the player button to get started.

 

Key Vocabulary

To view the definitions for these key vocabulary terms, visit the course glossary.

 

adversary	insidious	Rationalists
aphorism	inviolate	solace
avert	logical fallacies	spurn
Deists	martial	supplication
inevitable	parallelism	vigilant