Rhetorical Analysis Of Benjamin Banneker - 928 Words

Benjamin Banneker, the son of former slaves, writes to Thomas Jefferson in 1791 in an effort to denounce slavery in the United States. His letter was written in an era during a time which slavery was commonly practiced in the United States. In his appeals, Benjamin touches on topics of the cruel way blacks were treated and attempts to persuade Thomas Jefferson to reconsider his tolerance of such a heartless system. In his letter, Banneker utilizes ethos, pathos, logos, textual citation, and textual citation to relate to Jefferson about past hardships to possibly accomplish shared view. In his opening affirmation, Banneker unassumingly retells the powerful story of Americas fight for freedom. He appeals to ethos, making a shared view of†¦show more content†¦Upon doing this, he uses the rhetorical strategy of logos to prove that Jefferson is going against what he once believed in by allowing slavery. The letter from Banneker to Jefferson integrates extremely knowledgeable and formal diction in contention against the issue of slavery. The advanced level of language introduced by Banneker is another contributing component to his believability on his position against subjugation. A few great instances of Bannekers diction are in the words abhorrence in line 18, benevolence in line 32, and the phrase professedly detested in line 40, all of these showing the great knowledge that he carries. Banneker’s education has the potential to prove to Jefferson that black people can be on the same level as white people despite being put below white people as their slaves. In the second paragraph of his writing, Benjamin uses his knowledge of the time period when the United States was under British rule, inviting Jefferson to recall the injustice and the horrors of its condition†. In doing so, he compares this to the slavery of black people during his own current state of life. In li nes 35-38 of Banneker’s letter, it is stated, that you should at the same time counteract his (Gods) mercies in detaining by fraud and violence so numerous a part ofShow MoreRelatedBenjamin Banneker Rhetorical Analysis1326 Words   |  6 PagesBanneker Analysis After the Revolutionary War, and while America was still trying to establish itself, it faced many problems in society, including the issue of race and slavery. There were many Americans who viewed blacks as inferior beings who should be confined to a life of slavery. Thomas Jefferson, the father of The Declaration of Independence, was one of those people. In 1791, Benjamin Banneker, a free and educated black man, responded to Jefferson’s work,c Notes on the State of Virginia, whichRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Benjamin Banneker821 Words   |  4 Pages In 1791 Benjamin Banneker, the son of a former slave, wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson, framer of the Declaration of Independence and secretary of state to President George Washington, arguing against slavery. Banneker constructs an argument in his letter to persuade Jefferson of the cruelty and inhumanity that slavery entails. Motivated by the desire to convince Jefferson to abolish slavery, Banneker appeals to pathos by comparing slavery to the American Revolution, appeals to logos by referencingRead MoreThomas Jefferson Rhetorical Analysis1011 Words   |  5 PagesMy rhetorical analysis is about a free African-American almanac writer, naturalist, and farmer who fought against slavery and who earned the recognition of many high officials of the time, including Thomas Jefferson. As D.L. Chandler pointed out, Benjamin Banneker, wrote to Thomas Jefferson, on August 19, 1791, to condemn the practice of slavery in the United States. Banneker attempted to persuade Thomas Jefferson of his forbearance of slave practices and the fact that he owned slaves yet pronounced