John Quincy Adams' “Amistad address”: Eloquence in a Generic Hybrid

John Quincy Adams' Supreme Court argument in the Amistad trial of 1841 is an example of a generic hybrid serving both forensic and deliberative purposes. Adams desired not only to win his case before the court, but also to convince a Northern audience to be wary of slavery legislation. He achieved both purposes by premising his arguments upon values held in common by his audiences. Adams' success indicates the importance of the audience in determining the final form of a hybrid.

Notes

The author would like to thank Dr. Walter R. Fisher for his constructive comments on an earlier draft.