Intention

Lyndon B. Johnson’s main intention with his “We Shall Overcome” speech is to convince members of Congress to pass the voting rights legislation as soon as possible. 

Johnson uses ethos to build credibility for him as president of the United States. He shows the members of Congress his plans for the future and he uses repetition to highlight his goals and to strengthen his political position: “I want to be the President who educated young children to the wonders of their world. I want to be the President who helped to feed the hungry and to prepare them to be tax-payers”. This way, he attempts to convince the members of Congress of the importance of passing the bill. 

Johnson also uses pathos to appeal to the audience’s compassion and understandi...