Rhetorical Analysis Of Benjamin Banneker's Ethos

The document written to Thomas Jefferson was written by a man named Benjamin Banneker, who attempted to convince Jefferson to abolish slavery. In the document, Banneker, had used Ethos, Logos, and Pathos in an attempt to persuade Jefferson to side with Banneker on this matter. Ethos, or ethics, is the credibility of the speaker. Logos, or logic, is the reasoning or evidence that backs up statements made by the author. And Pathos is the emotional response of the audience.

Banneker shoes logos by going into a very negative narrative of slavery, masking his anger with “sir”. However, he doesn’t choose to balance his accusations about “the injustice of a state of slavery” a second time; instead, he then builds his momentum up by quoting Jefferson from the Declaration of Independence to exhibit the obvious contrast between the speeches that Jefferson had made exulting his status as a slave owner and equality. When Banneker finally launches his allegations, his tone becomes more scathing as he mocks the

He calls attention to the time when “human aid appeared unavailable” and “hope and fortitude” did not affect the American people. This helplessness is the same emotion that the slaves endure, attempting to evoke sympathy in Jefferson so that he will take action against the unjust institution. Throughout the letter, Banneker recommends that Jefferson, “put your souls in their soul's stead;” the use of pathos and allusion to the Bible calls attention to Jefferson’s religion and how the institution of slavery doesn’t correspond with his religious beliefs. This, again, highlights Jefferson’s hypocritical stance. It is through Benjamin Banneker’s use of rhetorical devices that he is able to convey the injustices of slavery to Thomas Jefferson and to make progress with the hopes of all slaves being freed from the grasp of