Wendell Phillips' speech at the Cooper Institute in 1861 was one of the most powerful speeches in history. The strategies he uses help solidify his opinion and give him the ability to successfully influence the audience towards his intellectual point of view. His passion for social justice and his sharp wit also help give his speech a sharp and precise tone that works very well to reiterate his point of view. However, it is his oratory strategies; like his bold comparisons, his use of strong figurative language, his connotative diction, and his keen incorporation of relevant and intriguing facts, which made his speech so powerful and effective. Throughout his speech, Mr. Phillips very effectively but riskily draws parallels that help him establish his admiration for Toussaint Louverture. At the beginning of his speech he states that the French and Americans have infinite admiration for Napoleon Bonaparte and George Washington respectively. Soon after he starts talking similarly about Toussaint Louverture, which is very risky because the crowd was full of American citizens who generally see Washington as one of the greatest figures in history. The residual, dormant racism that still resided in many Northerners may have outraged them at this statement and attempted to physically harm Mr. Phillips. However, Mr. Phillips crafted his speech so well that it did not outrage any of the audience, and even had much of the audience in vigorous support of Mr. Louverture at the end of the speech. George Washington wasn't the only parallel he drew, also citing Oliver Cromwell, revered for his political and military prowess. This move helped further reiterate the extent to which... halfway through the document ...... he explains the thesis that Haiti is too small to compare Louverture and other great men by saying: “I know it was a small territory; it was not as large as the continent; but it was as big as that Attica…” which helps convince the crowd that Louverture should be taken seriously because he is similar to the leaders of ancient Greece. The tactics used by Wendell Phillips are very effective tools that have a great impact on the audience of 1861 and the modern day reader. Judging by the crowd response and the widespread critical acclaim his speech received and continues to receive, it is safe to say that it is one of the most powerful speeches in history. Although some of his strategies often analyzed only one aspect of a situation or were exaggerated to strengthen his point, he had an impact that will be revered by speakers for the foreseeable future..