Breaking New Ground: President Truman’s Address to the Opening Session of the UN General Assembly on October 23, 1946

• In Event: Global Rhetoric and the Rhetoric of Globalization

Abstract

The drafts of Harry S. Truman’s address to the first United Nations General Assembly, illustrate how his rhetorical style for this new international forum evolve, shaping the identities of his United States public, United Nations, and oppositional audiences. In later drafts, the speech develops into a simplified, positive tone that clearly constitutes the audience as actors participating to create a better future, and strives to incorporate even the opposition as part of this process.

Author

• Holly Gates, Penn State University