TOW #5- Coatesville by John Jay Chapman (written text)

Coatesville was written by John Jay Chapman. Chapman was a writer in the early twentieth century who often wrote about political matters, especially on topics like anti-slavery and civil rights. His family was very involved in anti-slavery organizations, which most likely influenced his opinions in writing about anti-slavery. This particular speech was published in 1912 to be given at a prayer meeting to commemorate the 1911 lynching of a black man in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. Chapman wrote this essay because he felt strongly about the injustice that had been taken against the black man, and he felt disappointed that the whole country had witnessed the event, but no one had stood up to the cruelty. As a result, Chapman writes with a seemingly annoyed tone in order to express his disappointment in the country. Chapman writes, “Some months ago I asked a friend who lives not far...something about this case...and he replied to me: ‘It wasn’t in my county,’ and that made me wonder whose county it was in” (3). In this quote, Chapman’s annoyance is expressed through his speculation of ownership of the event (by wondering “whose county” in which the event took place and who should take ownership). Although he gave this speech at a prayer meeting to which only two people attended, his speech was also published in Harper’s Weekly (the primary political magazine of Chapman’s time period), so Chapman was actually writing for an audience of the whole country, especially for people who have influence on political matters (since these people would most likely read this magazine). By doing this, Chapman is able to get his opinion about anti-slavery across to people who have power to influence the country’s politics and initiate change. Therefore, Chapman is writing with the argumentative mode of writing, using mostly pathos and ethos to argue his point. Chapman is arguing that each person must take ownership for their own neglect at standing up for people who are suffering because of their race in his time period, and that people can’t just blame this neglect on history. His purpose, as a result, is to get people to stand up for civil rights and take responsibility for their actions (or lack thereof), and is achieved well through is tone and mode, as well as his credibility on writing about the subject.