A Vernacular Republican Rhetoric: William Manning's Key of Libberty
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Date
2004
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Quarterly Journal of Speech
Abstract
Our analysis of farmer and tavern-keeper William Manning’s 1798 Key of Libberty
extends the concept of American republican rhetoric to include both elite and vernacular
forms. We find that the key components of Manning’s vernacular republicanism are: an
aggressive use of the rhetoric of critique; the demand for transparency in public
argument; the rejection of elite leadership; and the belief that decisions must be made in
the interest of the common good. We compare vernacular to elite republicanism and
conclude that the vernacular perspective has endured in American reform rhetoric.
Description
Keywords
republicanism, rhetoric, early republic, William Manning
Citation
Jennifer R. Mercieca & James Arnt Aune (2005) A Vernacular Republican Rhetoric: William Manning's Key of Libberty, Quarterly Journal of Speech, 91:2, 119-143, DOI: 10.1080/00335630500291299