Fallacies in Famous Speeches

"They tell us, sir, that we are weak--unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. but when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?" -Patrick Henry

This quote uses the fallacy of argumentum ad baculum because it evokes a sense of fear in each member of the audience when he suggests that British troops will be stationed in every home. This fact would obviously scare and startle the colonists because none would want to share their home with a British soldier. Henry also suggests that the citizens will be totally unarmed, which would frighten the colonists into buying Henry's cause. The combination of the two would horrify the colonists enough to want to be away from Britain if this is the only alternative to staying part of the Empire.

Though mostly inaccurate with their portrayal of facts, fallacies can serve as excellent ways to make a speech something to remember. The stark portrayal of facts that are invalid are more easy to remember than some statistics and the different appeals target different parts of the person, so someone that does not respond to one tactic may respond to another, thus making everyone agree with the author's point and making the speech memorable.