Benjamin Banneker being that he is a son of a former slave has a strong stance on the negativity of slavery. He writes to the then secretary of state Thomas Jefferson, challenging Jefferson to debate racial equality on the accounts of moral grounds. Banneker effectively argues that not only is slavery contradictory of American ideals established in the past by Jefferson, but a violation of christian morals in his overall goal to persuade Thomas Jefferson that slaves should be freed through the use of rhetorical strategies that appeal to Jefferson 's ethics and morals in the letter Banneker wrote to him in 1791.
Banneker leads into a pleas with utmost respect to Jefferson to have a more compliant to his upcoming demands. The author uses the …show more content…
Banneker quotes what Jefferson had once proudly inscribed for America to see, ‘We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal and that they are endowed word by their with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ (Banneker 21-25). He uses irony effectively to persuade Jefferson against slavery. He accomplishes this by specifically pointing out a part of the Declaration that points out that all men are created equally. Ironically enough slaves, who are also men do not have equal rights. This causes the Jefferson to feel guilt. That the rule they righteously hold to be the truth does not apply to “all” as it so boldly implies. By showing the faults in the law the readers abides by and showing the need for a new law to free slaves exemplifies exactly why slavery is not right to …show more content…
Banneker carefully crafts his words to be extremely persuasive by using a hyperbole. He states, “thus shall your hearts be enlarged with kindness and benevolence towards them, and thus shall you need neither the direction of myself or others, in what manner to proceed herein” (Banneker 50-53). Your heart will not literally enlarge with kindness and benevolence but figuratively it is something appealing that most people want to do. Reading that, leaves the reader wanting to do good, to reevaluate their stance, to do the morally right thing that Banneker has so far effectively argued. By rewarding the reader with an intangible yet appealing reward to rethink their stance on slavery makes Banneker highly persuasive. People want to be a good person and by saying if you show kindness and benevolence to those who are enslaved promotes his original goal to persuade Jefferson to emancipate slavery.
Banneker himself is not a slave, but the previous experiences of his former slave father background, gives him a burning passion to stop slavery. He achieves his goal of persuading his reader, Thomas Jefferson to emancipate slaves by using strategic rhetorical devices that are eloquent. Rhetorical devices such as an anecdote, irony, rhetorical question, and hyperbole all contributed to Benjamin Banneker’s objective of the need to end slavery. We are all created equally, so
Banneker leads into a pleas with utmost respect to Jefferson to have a more compliant to his upcoming demands. The author uses the …show more content…
Banneker quotes what Jefferson had once proudly inscribed for America to see, ‘We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal and that they are endowed word by their with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ (Banneker 21-25). He uses irony effectively to persuade Jefferson against slavery. He accomplishes this by specifically pointing out a part of the Declaration that points out that all men are created equally. Ironically enough slaves, who are also men do not have equal rights. This causes the Jefferson to feel guilt. That the rule they righteously hold to be the truth does not apply to “all” as it so boldly implies. By showing the faults in the law the readers abides by and showing the need for a new law to free slaves exemplifies exactly why slavery is not right to …show more content…
Banneker carefully crafts his words to be extremely persuasive by using a hyperbole. He states, “thus shall your hearts be enlarged with kindness and benevolence towards them, and thus shall you need neither the direction of myself or others, in what manner to proceed herein” (Banneker 50-53). Your heart will not literally enlarge with kindness and benevolence but figuratively it is something appealing that most people want to do. Reading that, leaves the reader wanting to do good, to reevaluate their stance, to do the morally right thing that Banneker has so far effectively argued. By rewarding the reader with an intangible yet appealing reward to rethink their stance on slavery makes Banneker highly persuasive. People want to be a good person and by saying if you show kindness and benevolence to those who are enslaved promotes his original goal to persuade Jefferson to emancipate slavery.
Banneker himself is not a slave, but the previous experiences of his former slave father background, gives him a burning passion to stop slavery. He achieves his goal of persuading his reader, Thomas Jefferson to emancipate slaves by using strategic rhetorical devices that are eloquent. Rhetorical devices such as an anecdote, irony, rhetorical question, and hyperbole all contributed to Benjamin Banneker’s objective of the need to end slavery. We are all created equally, so