Benjamin Banneker on Slavery in America - 812 Words

Discrimination and degeneration of different races had once lasted for two centuries in America. Those trafficked by white people became slaves sold in auctions were commonly abused by their masters. Slaves were compelled to perform labor everyday for seven years until they are released. Benjamin Banneker was son of a former slaves, a man who wrote a letter Thomas Jefferson regarding to the possibility to abolish slavery. Through the use of emotional diction, tone, and religious allusion, Banneker emphasizes his idea of freeing slaves of America. Banneker’s word choice takes a large role in his letter considering how it represents his bold stance and idea to Jefferson. Banneker used compelling detailed phrases in his sentences, in particular â€Å"I entreat you on the variety of dangers to which you were exposed† (Line 4), â€Å"It was now, sir, that your abhorrence thereof was so excited, that you publickly held forth this true and valuable doctrine,†(Line 17), â€Å"But, sir, how pitiable is it to reflect that although you were so fully convinced of the benevolence of the Father of mankind and of his equal and impartial distribution of those rights and privileges which he had conferred upon them† (Line 30), â€Å"That you should at the same time counteract his mercies in detaining by fraud and violence so numerous a part of my brethren under groaning captivity and cruel oppression†(Line 35). The phrases, â€Å"I entreat you† (Line 4), â€Å"your abhorrence thereof was so excited† (Line 17), â€Å"howShow MoreRelatedThomas Jefferson Rhetorical Analysis1011 Words   |  5 PagesMy rhetorical analysis is about a free African-American almanac writer, naturalist, and farmer who fought against slavery and who earned the recognition of many high officials of the time, including Thomas Jefferson. As D.L. Chandler pointed out, Benjamin Banneker, wrote to Thomas Jefferson, on August 19, 1791, to condemn the practice o f slavery in the United States. Banneker attempted to persuade Thomas Jefferson of his forbearance of slave practices and the fact that he owned slaves yet pronouncedRead MoreThe Whining Nigger and Benjamin Banneker1344 Words   |  6 Pagesconstruct created during America’s Colonial period. It was supposedly used to negatively describe an African-American men who spoke out against what they considered to be an incongruous and xenophobic society and more specifically the institution of slavery. The phrase’s essence had been intentionally misconstrued. The three words together were said to have been used by whites as a dismissive tool; a method of sabotaging the validity of an outspoken Black man’s claims of an unjust and oppressive systemRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Benjamin Banneker821 Words   |  4 Pages In 1791 Benjamin Banneker, the son of a former slave, wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson, framer of the Declaration of Independence and secretary of st ate to President George Washington, arguing against slavery. Banneker constructs an argument in his letter to persuade Jefferson of the cruelty and inhumanity that slavery entails. Motivated by the desire to convince Jefferson to abolish slavery, Banneker appeals to pathos by comparing slavery to the American Revolution, appeals to logos by referencingRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Benjamin Bannekers Letter To Thomas Jefferson958 Words   |  4 PagesThe quote delivered by the passionate and determined Benjamin Banneker states, â€Å"The present freedom and tranquility which you enjoy you have mercifully received and that it is the peculiar blessing of Heaven† (Banneker 10). As young man of parents who were both treated unfairly and living under the gates of slavery, Banneker expresses how those with freedom take it for granted and don’t realize what a blessing it truly is. He wants all slaves or people who are treated poorly to enjoy life of freedomRead MoreAnalysi s Of The Book Clotel Or The Presidents Daughter 1521 Words   |  7 PagesThe President’s Daughter, Williams Wells Brown’s use of irony as Europe, particularly France, as a pivotal setting for the liberation of African Americans from the bondage of slavery, by virtue of its political and social demeanor, contrasted from the United States of America. In the Letter Exchange between Benjamin Banneker and Thomas Jefferson, Banneker’s letter reinforces the situational irony when he argues, â€Å"Sir, suffer me to recall to your mind that time in which the arms and tyranny of theRead MoreThe State Of Virginia By Thomas Jefferson1277 Words   |  6 PagesThomas Jefferson created two facades when it came to racism and slavery. Thomas Jefferson had a personal history with slavery and owning a plantation, but in certain instances he appeared to support equality like in his letter to Benjamin Banneker. Different texts like Notes on the State of Virginia by Thomas Jeffe rson with the related documents edited by David Waldstreicher, and Banneker and Jefferson Letter Exchange are examples of the hypocrisy committed by Jefferson. This connects to modern dayRead MoreThomas Jefferson s Influence On Modern Day Democracy1616 Words   |  7 PagesDay Democracy and Racism Thomas Jefferson created two facades when it came to racism and slavery. Thomas Jefferson had a personal history with slavery and owning a plantation, but in certain instances he appeared to support equality like in his letter to Benjamin Banneker. Different texts like Notes on the State of Virginia by Thomas Jefferson with the related documents edited by David Waldstreicher, and Banneker and Jefferson Letter Exchange are examples of the hypocrisy committed by Jefferson. ThisRead MoreSlavery in the United States Essays1030 Words   |  5 PagesA historian once wrote that the rise of liberty and equality in America was accompanied by slavery. There is truth in that statement to great effect. The rise of America in general was accompanied by slavery and the settlers learned early on that slavery would be an effective way to build a country and create free labor. There was a definite accompaniment of slavery with the rising of liberty and equality in America. In 1787, in Philadelphia at the Constitutional Convention, the structure of governmentRead More A Brief Biography of Benjamin Banneker 599 Words   |  2 Pagesfor two centuries in America. Those trafficked by white people became slaves sold in auditions were strained and were commonly abused by their masters. Slaves were compelled to perform vigorous labor everyday for seven years in hope for a day that their master will release them. Benjamin Banneker was a son of a former slave who had wrote a letter to ex-US Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson in hope for Jefferson to take role in part of abrogating enslavement. Although Banneker was born as a free manRead MoreBenjamin Banneker Rhetorical Analysis1326 Words   |  6 PagesBanneker Analysis After the Revolutionary War, and while America was still trying to establish itself, it faced many problems in society, including the issue of race and slavery. There were many Americans who viewed blacks as inferior beings who should be confined to a life of slavery. Thomas Jefferson, the father of The Declaration of Independence, was one of those people. In 1791, Benjamin Banneker, a free and educated black man, responded to Jefferson’s work,c Notes on the State of Virginia, which