Rhetorical Analysis Of Benjamin Banneker

America in the late eighteenth century was a time when arguments about the constitutionality of slavery were frequently Xfrom the mouths of politicians and XX alike. Upon learning that under the new Constitution, the importation of slaves could not be prohibited or limited for twenty years, Benjamin Banneker was compelled to voice his opinion regarding the inhumane practice of slavery. He, a free, educated black man, sympathized deeply with his enslaved brethren, especially since his own father was a slave at one point. In 1791, as a way to speak on behalf of his fellow African-Americans, Banneker composed a letter to Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson. Banneker intended to persuade the highly influential politician to approach the president, George Washington, regarding a modification of the nation’s policies on slavery. He respectfully wanted …show more content…
Benjamin Banneker utilized the Aristotelian appeal of pathos throughout his letter to elicit guilt from Thomas Jefferson. By causing him to see the juxtaposition between his famously stated ideals of equality and the way he was living his life, Banneker hoped to persuade Jefferson to initiate a change in the ubiquitous practice of slavery. His most effective use of the rhetorical strategy was through a quote from the Declaration of Independence, a text that Jefferson himself had written only a few years prior. Banneker cited, “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, and among these are, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” In 1791, it was evident that not all men were created as equally as Thomas Jefferson had claimed in the Declaration. This was a clear travesty of