page 235 #1-7

1. He urged the colonists to fight.

2. They sent multiple petitions to the British government but they were ignored.

3. The British government ignored them.

4. His audience was his fellow lawmakers, so they were all wanting the best for their state. They knew they would be affected by whatever decision was made, so they cared about what people said. For example, he says “…and in such a country as that we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us.” In this quote, he is rallying support against the British. He is insisting that they can fight the British, as it is their only hope in avoiding slavery.

5. in lines 18-19, he speaks of having eyes to see and ears to hear, but they cannot see or hear. In this way, he shows that the colonists are oblivious to the British advancing. You'd have to be blind or deaf to not notice. In lines 74-75, he alludes to Ecclesiates, where “the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.” Here, he reminds the audience that even though the colonists may not be as strong as the British, they could still win the war because they had god on their side.

6. He talks about how the British have ignored their pleas for peace and reminds the men that there are already British troops deployed in the colonies. He took a logical approach when saying they needed to fight back if they wanted their freedom. In terms of emotion, he made the audience imagine what life would be like if they continued to be enslaved by the British. He also stated that god was on their side.

7. I have always enjoyed rhetorical devices because it makes the story a bit more realistic and interesting. It creates a connection to the reader because the author forces the audience to live through what they are describing. Although it could be classified as manipulative, I think rhetorical devices help create imagery.