Analyzing Florence Kelley's Speech

Florence Kelley, in her speech delivered to the National American Woman Suffrage Association in 1905, implies that women’s suffrage and other problems at the time, such as child labor, go hand in hand. Kelley’s purpose is to emphasize that if women’s suffrage is gained, it could be the bridge to solving many other problems in America. She adopts a blunt and sarcastic tone in order to appeal to the emotions and guilt of the women of the 1900’s. Kelley begins her speech by reciting the solid facts of child labor at the rime. She states that there are, “two million children,” that are,” from six and seven…to fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen.” Then, Kelley expounds on these ideas by backing up the information in these facts, in order to make her
points valid and precise. For example, Kelley states that, “