Analysis of Edmund Burke’s Speech on Conciliation with America
Analysis of Edmund Burke’s Speech on Conciliation with America
In understanding Edmund Burke’s speech, one must have an understanding of the public official, philosopher, and orator, Edmund Burke (Smeenge, 2012). Beginning his long career as a British public official and philosopher in 1765 as a young secretary for a Whig party member, his career would span across thirty years (Smeenge, 2012). He would not actually hold any official government office until 1782 when he was assigned the position of Paymaster (Smeenge, 2012). As a young outspoken philosopher and writer, Edmund Burke would write responses and provide opinions to what was happening on the political scene. Some of his writings and speeches were controversial and were often met with abrasive reactions from whomever he gave his opinion on.
Throughout the years of turmoil between the British Empire and the American colonies, Edmund Burke had many opinions he voiced in reference to how the situation was being handled. One of the writings that would go down in history as a possible solution to the Crown’s problem with the American colonies was his infamous, Speech on Conciliation with America (Burke, 1775). This speech has been reviewed and analyzed throughout the past hundreds of years by many of scholars that believe Burke was on to something big.
Within this speech about conciliation with America, Burke begins by alluding to the British Empire as being so big and powerful that it may have become unassuming in its affairs. In the first paragraph of this speech, he mentions that the task at hand when dealing with growing the Empire to the reaches of America would take the smartest and bravest to attempt the deed. According to Burke’s writings, the tall task was enough to make him feel nervous and perplexed on how it could be completed.
In his second paragraph of the speech, Burke speaks of peace as a matter that...