Benjamin Banneker's Letter To Thomas Jefferson

A Letter From Benjamin Banneker Benjamin Banneker, despite descending from a family of former slaves, established a career as a farmer, intellectual, and author. Using his family history and his career achievement, Banneker wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson in 1791 urging the current Secretary of State to recognize the injustice of slavery. Throughout his letter, Banneker utilized complementary tone, antithetical word choice, and juxtaposition to appeal to Thomas Jefferson’s personal beliefs. Banneker developes are complementary, even flattering, tone in his letter. Most noticeably, he addresses Jefferson at the beginning of each paragraph as “sir.” Not only does this credit him as a respectful individual, it also showcases how Banneker views Jefferson. He call upon beliefs he believes Jefferson holds without being aggressive or demanding. Banneker continues to acknowledge Jefferson’s character when he …show more content…
The contrast between the sharp difference relating to a free nation and an oppressive nation. In the first paragraph, Banneker reminds Jefferson of the “tyranny” American endured under the British Crown, continuing to name early America as a “State of Servitude.” Then, Banneker closes the paragraph by comparing America's independence as a time of “freedom,” “tranquility,” and a “blessing of Heaven.” Banneker relies upon this opposite descriptions to remind Jefferson of America’s initial struggle for freedom while implying the same struggle currently exists within America. Similarly, Banneker continues to select words with opposing connotations. He first recognizes “the benevolence of the Father of mankind.” Immediately after, he reference the “roaring captivity” and “cruel oppression” placed against his people. By introducing these conflicting ideas, Banneker both emphasises the peculiarities of the current situation and calls upon Jefferson to recognize the unjust slave