The First Sentence Of The Declaration Analysis

Improved Essays
1) Look at the first sentence of the Declaration. Is this big or small picture? Discuss. What does this tell you about how this piece is arranged?

This can be classified as looking at the big picture, because the writers alluded to universal concepts that are predominant in any situation. This is important, because throughout the declaration the writers continuously referred to the central ideas of life and liberty, and they displayed the events that took place leading up to the declaration and presented it in the main scope of things historically. This also tells one that the piece is written deductively instead of inductively, because it is a more convincing and befitting manner in which to frame an argument. 2) What the heck is
…show more content…
He presents what he feels is the essence of freedom and government in a very appealing way, and he again considers this situation from a historical perspective. He basically is saying that human beings have certain rights and privileges that are undeniable, and that the only reason for the institution of government is protecting, preserving, and promoting those rights. He then uses this premise to ascertain that when a government doesn’t fulfill these core responsibilities, it is undermining the population and is rendered inadequate. Therefore, I believe Jefferson develops a major and minor premise in this paragraph, which would be:

Major Premise: When a government disregards the rights of its citizens, it must be removed
Minor Premise: The British Government disregards the rights of its citizens.
Conclusion: Therefore, the British government must be removed from the
…show more content…
He uses it twice. What word is it? Jefferson uses the word “tyrant” to describe the King. This word choice is the biggest example of inductive reasoning throughout the paper. He reinforces this claim by establishing the actions of the king and the definition and common realization of what a tyrant is.
5) Where is the thesis? Find it. What word does it begin with? What does that tell you about the arrangement of this argument? The Thesis is best represented in the first sentence of the conclusion paragraph. This sentence reaffirms what Jefferson testifies to all along, and it establishes his claims of freedom and sovereignty. This tells you that the argument was deductively structured, as it first established the premises and strengthened the premises throughout the paper, and then finally ended with the conclusion based off of those

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The Declaration of Independence is a founding document that determines how people live today. It was through this powerful document that Thomas Jefferson sought to get everyone the unalienable rights because of how the colonies were getting treated. In an effort to make such a strong statement, Jefferson employed numerous rhetorical strategies to build and support his argument. The strategies that were most effective in building his argument were the use of logos, ethos, and parallelism. The rhetorical strategy Jefferson used first was a powerful appeal to logic.…

    • 781 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    He, like Hamilton, understood that the rebellion in France would soon spread throughout Europe and abroad. Unlike Hamilton, however, Jefferson believed that the spread of radical French ideologies was tantamount to preserving the American constitution, “I consider the establishment and success of their government as necessary to stay up our own and to prevent it from falling back to that kind of Halfway-house, the English constitution” (108). Comparatively speaking though, Jefferson’s idealistic stance on American and French relations proved more dangerous to the U.S. than Hamilton’s. His initial views were, in retrospect, Machiavellian in that he believed that the ends would ultimately justify the means, “The liberty of the whole earth was depending on the issue of the contest, and was ever such a prize won with so little innocent blood?” (109).…

    • 1398 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Since the birth of the United States of America, there have always been issues that have split the country. These hot-topics have changed over time, in the recent years we’ve seen the repercussions of the divide over gay marriage. Currently, we face racial inequalities that many believe to need a reformation. These racial inequities have existed for much longer, however. In 1791, we saw this inequality in slavery; one of the most disgusting things this country has ever faced.…

    • 728 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He does so by stating, “A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.” In this sentence, Jefferson claims that the king was not suited to rule the colonies due to his tyranny. This appeals to pathos by causing people to feel angry towards their former ruler for not governing them properly. The author also writes “He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny…” This describes how the king is at that very moment shipping armies to destroy more lives of people.…

    • 443 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “In a word, let every sluice of knowledge be opened and set a-flowing” (John Adams A Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal System). The Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, is the epitome of the American Revolution. It is a compilation of all the wrongs that America has endured from the British Monarchy. In this very thorough accusation, Jefferson utilizes persuasive techniques, rhetoric, diction, and grammar to portray the violation of American rights and the necessity of independence. Thomas Jefferson provides ample evidence and warranting aided by ethos, pathos, and logos to support and further his claim to natural rights.…

    • 559 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The essay’s thesis is stated in the third paragraph as an explicit thesis statement, “And these days, you will face a coordination problem if you want to get a…

    • 274 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In contrast to Paine’s clever use of language, Jefferson used Enlightenment reasoning in the form hard, inarguable accusations to deliver his message, “The history of the present king of Great Britain is a history of unremitting injuries and usurpations…” (Jefferson 341) Jefferson was particularly aggressive in his rhetoric, “He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people,” preferring to list specific grievances, touching upon of much if not all the troubles experienced by the American people; “He has abdicated government here withdrawing his governors, and declaring us out of his allegiance and protection.” (Jefferson 342) Jefferson supplements these various allegations with acknowledgements of tried communications with mother England, almost all of which were “(..) answered only by repeated injuries.” (Jefferson 343) Interestingly too, Jefferson’s original draft also used enlightenment reasoning to accuse the King of being the source of the American slave trade, arguing that “he [The King] has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere...”…

    • 1360 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Thomas Jefferson’s view on freedom based on the Declaration of Independence is that the people of the United States have the right to live freely, safely and happily. Jefferson believed that the people have the right to change the system if it fails to abide by these rights. As shown in these documents, the United States is on its way to fulfill the terms expressed in the Declaration of Independence. Document A is about how J. Hector St. John Crevecoeur was the first to explain American life to the Europeans. He explained the equal opportunity they have with a story of a man who married a woman from a different nation.…

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Thomas Jefferson, one of the most popular founding fathers, the main author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third president of the United States of America was revered by his contemporaries and is still to this day a well respected figure in American history. But, this does not mean that the man had no faults. Often in todays world Thomas Jefferson is looked back upon and has been scrutinized by many for his apparent hypocrisy on matters such as slavery and on what he believed limitations of the federal government were to be. Although some of Jefferson’s past can be dark and questionable, he was no hypocrite, but a man who understood that his decisions would have lasting effects on the new country, and that putting his own personal…

    • 1033 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    According to the Declaration of Independence, American citizens are granted four unalienable human rights. They are granted equality, life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and a government that will derive its power from their consent. If the government becomes corrupt and makes decisions with no consideration towards their unalienable rights, it is also the right of the American citizen to alter or abolish their government until they have one that works best for them to provide safety and happiness. I believe the ability to alter or abolish a destructive government is the most important concept of the Declaration. This concept gives the American people the ability to ensure their government always has their best interests at heart, and allows them to make their government flexible to fit the needs of the country.…

    • 787 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “We hold these Truths to be self evident that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” These legendary words have been passed down from generation to generation and they continue to shape our ideals on what our rights should be. It's hard to believe that these words were written by a humble, quiet lawyer and inventor named Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson was an interesting man, he had an interesting life and he had an interest outlook on various subjects. Thomas Jefferson was also a very important man, without him America would be nothing like what it is today.…

    • 867 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Theories like natural rights of man and consent of the governed is presented in this writing. God gives natural rights of man and that cannot be taken. If a person were to lose these rights they’d be less of a human. Jefferson proposed “Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness.” At the time, Jefferson states that the colonies were not receiving these rights.…

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He uses the phrase “he has,” not once addressing him by name, in order to discredit him as a monarch and even as a human. “He has” is also used as an anaphora alongside the negative and accusatory word choice such as “tyranny” and “murders” in order the appeal to pathos negatively. He also uses present tense verbs in his accusations such as “depriving” in order to make the revolution seem more pressing and immediate. Some examples of his crimes included simply bothersome offenses such as quartering soldiers in the homes of Americans. To the downright terrible and neglectful such as refusing the Americans representation in Parliament and not allowing correctly creating or enforcing laws in the American Colonies.…

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Ariely Critical Analysis

    • 758 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Questions on Meaning 1. What do you take to be Ariely's reason for writing the essay? Is he merely reporting the results of his research or does he have another PURPOSE in mind? Ariely's reason for writing this essay is to give an idea of how dishonesty the society is and to give a general idea on how people cheat in many circumstances.…

    • 758 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jefferson appealed to logos by using repetition to persuade his audience throughout the Declaration of…

    • 268 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays