Question

remarks on the signing of the civil rights act
by lyndon b. johnson

on july 2, 1964, president lyndon b. johnson signed into law the civil rights act of 1964. in his speech, johnson pointed to the nations founding principles in the declaration of independence and the constitution as inspiration for his remarks and the new laws significance.

1 my fellow americans, i am about to sign into law the civil rights act of 1964.

2 i want to take this occasion to talk to you about what that law means to every american. 188 years ago this week a small band of valiant men began a long struggle for freedom. they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, not only to found a nation, but to forge an ideal of freedom. not only for political independence, but for personal liberty. not only to eliminate foreign rule, but to establish the rule of justice and the affairs of men. that struggle was a turning point in our history. today in far corners of distant continents the ideals of those american patriots still shape the struggles of men who hunger for freedom. this is a proud triumph. yet those who founded our country knew that freedom would be secure, only if each generation fought to renew and enlarge its meaning. from the minutemen at concord to the soldiers in vietnam, each generation has been equal to that trust.

select the correct answer from the drop-down menu.

how did johnson use paragraph 2 to establish his purpose?

the author used this paragraph to explain that the purpose of his speech was to
choose an answer

Explanation:

Analyze the prompt and paragraph 2

Using the Authors Purpose knowledge point, we examine paragraph 2 of Lyndon B. Johnson's speech. Johnson connects the signing of the Civil Rights Act to the founding of the nation 1888 years ago. He states that the founders pledged their lives "not only to found a nation, but to forge an ideal of freedom. Not only for political independence, but for personal liberty. Not only to eliminate foreign rule, but to establish the rule of justice..."

Identify the rhetorical structure

Using the Rhetorical Structure Analysis knowledge point, we observe that Johnson uses parallel structures of "not only... but..." to define the core purpose of the nation's founding and, by extension, the purpose of the Civil Rights Act. He defines the struggle by contrasting what it was not merely about (political independence, eliminating foreign rule) with what it truly aimed to achieve (personal liberty, the rule of justice). This is a classic rhetorical technique of defining by negation and expansion to establish a grander, more enduring purpose.

Determine the correct drop-down option

The question asks: "How did Johnson use paragraph 2 to establish his purpose? The author used this paragraph to explain that the purpose of his speech was to..."
Based on the text, Johnson uses the historical struggle to show that freedom and justice must be constantly renewed and enlarged by each generation. Thus, the purpose of his speech and the law is to continue this legacy by securing liberty and justice for all Americans, aligning the Civil Rights Act with the founding ideals of the nation.

Answer:

The author used this paragraph to explain that the purpose of his speech was to <blank>align the Civil Rights Act with the founding principles of liberty and justice, showing that each generation must work to renew and expand these ideals</blank>.