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Rhetorical analysis on the declaration of independence
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The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson, representing the thirteen colonies under British rule. After being oppressed under the tyranny of Britain, Jefferson writes the Declaration of Independence to address the King of Britain to declare independence from British rule. Jefferson addresses many subjects, however he focuses on the subject freedom, throughout his writing. Through his use of inductive reasoning, anaphora, and vilifying words in his logical reasoning, Jefferson successfully expresses the colonies’ frustration towards Britain and the colonies’ desire for independence. Firstly, Jefferson uses inductive reasoning to express the colonies’ frustration and need for freedom. Before presenting his facts, Jefferson …show more content…
states, “Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these states. To prove this, let Facts be submitted” (Jefferson Paragraph 2). This is the general conclusion. He lists many facts about what Britain has done to the colonies, such as “imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by jury” (Jefferson Paragraph 19). His long list of concrete facts support his conclusion that the colonies need to be independent after suffering under British tyranny for such a long time. By listing one fact after another, it acts like hammer blows to the British because they see how many things they have done wrong. When many facts are given consistently, it becomes hard to argue against it. Therefore, Britain gains understanding of the colonie’s feelings as well as their need for independence. Furthermore, Jefferson uses anaphora to place emphasis on established truths among the colonies, expressing the colonies’ frustration towards Britain. Jefferson states, “He has refused his Assent to Laws...He has forbidden his Governors to pass laws...He has obstructed the administration of Justice” (Jefferson Paragraph 3-10) when listing the British King’s faulty actions against the colonies. Similarly, Jefferson states, “For Quartering large bodies of armed troops...For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world...For imposing Taxes on us” (Jefferson Paragraph 16-19). Jefferson’s constant repetition of the words “he has” and “for” creates a rhythm and captures the attention of his audience on all the facts about what Britain has done. By drawing emphasis on the facts, it makes it more convincing to the audience that the colonies’ are in need of freedom. Moreover, Jefferson’s use of vilifying verbs creates a condemning tone to his writing, successfully conveying frustration and making his reasoning more convincing to his audience.
In his long list of Britain’s actions, words with negative connotation can be found throughout. For example, Jefferson states, “He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws...he has utterly neglected to attend to them” (Jefferson Paragraph 4). The verbs “forbidden” and “neglected” create a condemning tone. It makes the British King, the audience, feel guilty of what he has done to the colonies. Likewise, Jefferson states, “He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people” (Jefferson Paragraph 25). Here, he uses strong, vilifying words such as “plundered,” “ravaged,” and “destroyed” in the same sentence to exemplify how the colonies have suffered under the tyranny of Britain. The audience can easily see in Jefferson’s reasoning that in the colonies’ opinion, Britain is the one at fault. Anyone can understand that being “plundered,” “ravaged,” and “destroyed” is not favorable. Thus, Jefferson’s reasoning becomes agreeable, making the audience understand the colonies’ frustration and the colonies’ need for independence. Jefferson successfully uses facts incorporated with clever strategies such as figurative language, anaphora, and vilifying verbs to convey the colonies’ frustration with Britain and their need for freedom. Without the use of the strategies, the Declaration of Independence would be a tasteless piece of writing that lacks the impact to gain Britain’s understanding. Works Cited Jefferson, Thomas. Declaration of Independence.
1776.
However, the author 's interpretations of Jefferson 's decisions and their connection to modern politics are intriguing, to say the least. In 1774, Jefferson penned A Summary View of the Rights of British America and, later, in 1775, drafted the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms (Ellis 32-44). According to Ellis, the documents act as proof that Jefferson was insensitive to the constitutional complexities a Revolution held as his interpretation of otherwise important matters revolved around his “pattern of juvenile romanticism” (38). Evidently, the American colonies’ desire for independence from the mother country was a momentous decision that affected all thirteen colonies. However, in Ellis’ arguments, Thomas Jefferson’s writing at the time showed either his failure to acknowledge the severity of the situation or his disregard of the same. Accordingly, as written in the American Sphinx, Jefferson’s mannerisms in the first Continental Congress and Virginia evokes the picture of an adolescent instead of the thirty-year-old man he was at the time (Ellis 38). It is no wonder Ellis observes Thomas Jefferson as a founding father who was not only “wildly idealistic” but also possessed “extraordinary naivete” while advocating the notions of a Jeffersonian utopia that unrestrained
This paper is organized to support the argument he makes in the introductory paragraph, starting with insurrection and its causes, after which he destabilizes rebuttals against his statements. Jefferson debunks the
Thomas Paine constructs Common Sense as an editorial on the subject of the relationship between the Colonies and Great Britain. Through the paper, he hopes to educate his fellow Americans about this subject. In his introduction, he says he feels that there is 'a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong'; which 'gives it a superficial appearance of being right'; (693). He is alluding to the relationship, also calling it a 'violent abuse of power'; (693). This choice of words is similar to those of Jefferson, who asserts that the king had established an 'absolute tyranny'; over the states. Both men set an immediate understanding about their feelings towards the rule of Great Britain over the States. However, where Common Sense seems to be an opinionated essay, Thomas Jefferson writes somewhat of a call to battle. Paine generally seems to be alerting his readers to the fact that there is more going on than they are aware of. Jefferson, on the other hand, begins his declaration by stating, 'When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another'; (715). Unlike Paine, this seems to presuppose that readers are aware of the plight of the nation, and Jefferson is announcing that the time has come to take a stand.
The language used inThe Declaration Of Independence is that of an oppressed people who wishes to be free from their bonds and chains. Jefferson's audience was the people of the world, especially the King and his parliament officials. Jefferson wanted the king and the world to know that it was unfair for a mother country to judge and executed them, imposed taxes, and trade restrictions on the colonists without their own consent or representation in parliament.
Jefferson’s use of strategies and language is ineffective in making his points and persuading readers of his arguments. Using hasty generalization, begging the question, and insulting language in his analysis is a huge flaw which lessens the credibility of his argument and offenses his readers. Jefferson should use other argumentative strategies and prevent himself from using insulting language in order to convince readers of his arguments.
One of the greatest conflicts in the history of the United State of America, the Revolutionary War, was started when the colonies of North America declared themselves independent from British rule. A group of men known as the Founding Fathers, which included George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John and Samuel Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and others, formed the Continental Congress to rule their new nation. They chose Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence, which they would send to King George III to make their independence official. Jefferson knew that he needed to use strong language to make a solid agrument against British rule in the colonies and to convince the colonists that independence was the only choice to maintain their freedom as human beings. The powerful use of parallelism, ethos, pathos, and logos helpd Thomas Jefferson to convey his idea that all men are created equal with unalienable rights and that it is the duty of the government to protect those rights.
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson appeals to patriotism. Jefferson ensures this by persuading the colonists to become self-governing. He tries to let all of the people of the New World understand that they have protested and defended themselves against the British for all of the corrupt acts the British have committed upon the colonists. Jefferson’s tone in the Declaration of Independence portrays how tiresome he has grown of the British rule after all of the deception towards Americans. Included within the idea of patriotism, is the idea of loyalty to the fundamental values and principles underlying American democracy. Thomas Paine also provides patriotism to get advocates for the movement to separate from the British forces. Correspondingly, Paine persuades Americans that they will prosper in numerous areas without the control of the British saying, “Is the power who is jealous of our prosperity, a proper power to govern us? Whoever says No to this question is an independent, for independency means no more, than, whether we shall make our own laws…” (Paine). Paine uses a demanding tone to convince Americans that if they should accept the ties with Britain, it will bring ruin and distress to the
The way that Jefferson structured The Declaration of Independence made the article extremely influential. Jefferson first starts by sharing his belief that governments and monarchies that do not represent the people. He then goes on to tell the rights that he believes all people should have all over the world. The rights he describes are simple and reasonable. From there his last line of that paragraph is “to prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid World.” Then he starts to describe the injustices done to the colonies by the English crown. His structure works well to persuade people because he does not start immediately accusing the king of all these injustices or with strong languages. Like all good speakers and authors, Jefferson starts off with a lightly worded statement about when a group of people should start a new government. He then transitions to a slightly stronger statement about human rights, and then he goes into his compelling injustices of the king. The injustices that he describes include “He has plundered our Seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our Towns, and destroyed the Lives of our People. The Declaration of Independence is...
In the spring of 1775 Patrick Henry, a congressional delegate of Virginia, delivered a now renowned speech at the Second Virginia Conference. In his speech, Henry called into question the American colonies’ passive behavior towards Britain’s control over them. Henry had the audience of Virginians and other Virginian delegates, which included George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. He was speaking on behalf of all colonists who were tired of Britain’s tyranny over them. Britain had control over the colonies in many aspects, including taxation. Henry called for war against the motherland. Patrick Henry persuaded his audience to support a war of independence against Britain by the use of pathos, rhetorical questions, repetition, and logos.
“The Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson uses several rhetorical strategies to emphasize how crucial it was for the colonies to have freedom and independence. One rhetorical strategy that Jefferson utilized to make his point of the need for independence is pathos. Pathos stimulates an emotional response to the audience. Jefferson uses pathos to express his and his fellow people’s emotions to the reader, King George III. An example of pathos is where Jefferson writes, “He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.” The meaning of this quote is that the King of Great Britain, George III, did everything in his power to emotionally and physically stress the c...
The use of the rhetorical devices is also a great tool in persuading his audience. However, writing, no matter how strong, was not going to change the King 's mind. The King wanted complete control over the colonies and to exploit their commodities. Therefore, because the King was not persuaded, to let the colonies have their independence, Jefferson did not complete his purpose. Thomas Jefferson did not effectively persuade his audience that the colonies should become independent from Great Britain. However, the unintended audience is convinced that the colonies were right by establishing their independence. If the unintended audience did not think so, then America would not be recognized as a sovereign nation today. Thomas Jefferson tried to accomplish his purpose through the means of logical, emotional, and ethical appeals, as well as rhetorical devices including syntax, diction, parallelism, and personification. Thomas Jefferson drafted the oldest declarations in the world for a country, and choose every word purposefully. Our duty as American citizens is to uphold every one of those
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence for the American colonists to proclaim freedom from Great Britain's oppressor, King George III. American colonists had been suffering for many years when this important document was drafted. King George III had pushed the colonists into a state of tyranny and most decided it was time to start an independent nation under a different type of government. Jefferson focused his piece toward many audiences. He wanted not only King George III and the British Parliament to know the American's feelings, but also the entire world. The time had come for an immense change amongst the American colonists and Jefferson made sure everyone was aware of it by using his superior strategies of persuasion.
The Declaration of Independence was written to separate the American colonies from Britain, but there were many underlying goals. It was written to state the grievances that the colonists held against the British, particularly the king. The colonists wanted a better economy, a new republican government, but perhaps most of all, they simply wanted their misery to end. This is what they set out to explain in the document. John Adams described it as “a Declaration setting forth the causes which have impelled us to this mighty revolution, and the reasons which will justify it in the sight of God and man” (Friedenwald 182).
Thomas Jefferson, the writer or the Declaration of Independence, stated 27 gripes which were a direct result of years of frustration, abuse, and neglect from Britain. The Declaration of Independence was an inevitable rebellion which stated their independence and was the beginning of the new era which would now be called, The United States of America.
Fellow gentlemen, I hope you understand and support my call to delete Jefferson’s paragraph, not because we support or favour the said practice, but that as evil as it is, the oppression of Britain is worse. We absolutely must tear ourselves away from the ungodly rule of Britain which has served only in the favour of Britain itself and equated us to sub-citizens , slowly revoking our God-given rights and using us to mend the financial wounds Britain has inflicted upon