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Four-Minute Men

Definition

The Four-Minute Men were volunteers who spoke about the war at social events during World War I. They got their name because their speeches were designed to be four minutes long - roughly the time it took to change a reel in movie theaters.

Analogy

Think of them as pop-up ads before YouTube videos today. Just when you're about to watch something interesting (or in their case, a movie), they appear and deliver their message.

Related terms

Patriotism: This is love for or devotion to one's country. It’s like being part of a fan club for your country where you support and cheer for it no matter what happens.

Public Speaking: This refers to speaking publicly in front of an audience with the purpose of informing, persuading or entertaining. It’s like giving a toast at your best friend’s wedding – everyone is listening and you have something important to say!

World War I (WWI): A major global conflict from 1914-1918 involving many world powers grouped into two opposing alliances - Allies (including UK, Russia, France) versus Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary). Imagine if all students from different schools decided to play dodgeball against each other; that would be somewhat similar scale-wise.

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© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.