Rhetorical Analysis Of The Declaration Of Independence.

In the “Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson, Jefferson uses rhetorical features such as repetition to write an effective argument by disempowering King George and reminding the colonist how King George ruined their lives. For instance, Jefferson states, “He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.” Jefferson uses repetition to emphasize the word “our” to illustrate how the King George has ruined their lives. He uses the word “our” in an assertive way to express the scandalous operations King George has conducted to improve his being while worsening the lives of the colonist. Jefferson uses rhetorical features to convince the colonist that King George does not have

One reason that The Declaration of Independence was so influential was that Thomas Jefferson’s claims against the King of England were easy to understand and logical. Typical complaints include “For quartering large Bodies of Armed Troops among us;” and “For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent.” Jefferson uses plain language that everyone can understand to point out large injustices done by the king. His statements about the King are short and to the point. He does not waste any words or bore the reader with abstract writing or excess words and thoughts. He goes from one point to the next to the next in such a fashion that the reader’s concentration is never broken. His points are logical and everyone living in the colonies at that time and many people around the world probably had some idea of the incidents behind all his grievances against the king. Jefferson raps up the injustices done by the king by declaring the United Colonies to be free and independent states.

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of the United States, explains to his readers why the colonies chose to abolish Great Britain’s government. His goal is to inform the readers that the government has certain responsibilities to the governed and that the British failed to adhere to its responsibilities to its colonists. His second goal is to justify their actions by explaining why it was not considered treason. By establishing his credibility and appealing to ethos, pathos and logos, Jefferson successfully wrote an informative, impactful, and inspirational document.

He was given the responsibility, by the continental congress, to compose a draft of the declaration. Jefferson took this opportunity to compose one of the greatest testaments in American history. He utilized rhetorical strategies that encouraged and uplifted the colonists. By listing all the acts of tyranny that King George III committed, Jefferson stirred up feelings of anger and disappointment into the colonists. An example from the Declaration of Independence, “He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people”(US 1776). In this quote, Jefferson writes about King George III ruining the lives of American colonists. Jefferson’s goal was to open the eyes of the colonists to fight against King George’s tyranny. Colonists gained inspiration from Jefferson’s work, and they united with one common goal—to gain independence. Though this document was intended to inspire the colonists, it was also written as a formal and official document so that King George III would interpret it in a serious manner. The Second purpose Jefferson had for the Declaration of Independence was to declare America’s independence from Great Britain. Jefferson is speaking directly to King George III of Great Britain when he declares America as an independent new

The Declaration of Independence was written for the purpose of separating the American colonies from the British Empire. In context of history, The Declaration was the first step into a modern representative democracy. In addition, the makers of the declaration, primarily Thomas Jefferson, constructed an argument to state the problems they had with Britain and tell how the new American government was going to deal with the problems. The argument Jefferson constructed was one made with all the wrong evidence; however, he built the argument in such a way to rally a people for war. The Declaration of Independence is a well-written example of argument and persuasion with its use of structure as a whole, use of specific fallacies, and use of appeals.

The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are two significant documents that transformed the history of the United States. The people of the “New World” went from being ruled by British law and living in the thirteen colonies, to becoming an independent nation with a democratic government. The Declaration was written to ensure that all official ties with its mother country, Great Britain, were suspended indefinitely. It then went on to describe the concepts and ideologies behind a just and fair government. The Constitution, however, outlined how the newly democratic government would operate. In 1776, after the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, a verdict was made that the only constructive way to ensure independence as a nation would be to declare independence from King George III, Parliament, and Great Britain. The colonists sought to fashion a clear, detailed document, known as the Declaration of Independence, which stated why the people chose to move in this direction as well as providing several arguments to support their case. This world-renown document is a symbol of the unity between the 13 colonies during their fight for independence during the American Revolutionary War.

The Declaration of Independence written on July 4, 1776, was the first of the three documents written. When reading this document it is hard to ignore the emotion it exudes of a people not just longing for independence, but rather who’ve grown tiresome of the lack of equality compared to that of those on the motherland. The Declaration of Independence is the autonomous stance of a people declaring not just independence, but claiming their right to disassociate themselves from under the leadership from whom they consider a tyrant and therefore, “unfit” to be a leader of the free land. Unlike the US Constitution, this document discusses and/or lists in depth the atrocities and unconstitutional acts displayed by the ruler of England, the King and its theme is more so a grievance.

1B) The Declaration of Independence uses several rhetorical strategies, making the argumentative testament of the wrongdoings of the king an effective in pursuing equality for all men. Jefferson utilizes logos, pathos and ethos to prove his point to the country holding their liberty prisoner. Jefferson’s use of logos begins with stating the obvious reason the king should set the people free: the people have the right to the pursuit of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” (2). The King has not done good to the people, in fact he has refused to pass the laws necessary to create order, dissolved representative houses, cut off trade, and imposed unlawful taxes upon the people. They have the basic human rights given to them by God that should set them free from the tyrannical king. Some of the emotional side of Jefferson’s views slip into this argument, such as "mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable" (5). While stating further wrongdoings, Jefferson’s use of pathos increases, raising the rage of the republic at the injustice of the rules they have been subjected to. “He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation” (26). Jefferson calls for a sense of empathy from the crown and establishes a sense of severe discontent

“We seek peace, knowing that peace is the climate of freedom” stated once Dwight D Eisenhower. Thomas Jefferson, the father of our Declaration of Independence, had the same mentality as him in seeking for freedom. Jefferson decided to write this document as a way of declaring the independence of the United States from Britain. In the document, he states all the harm that Britain has done to the colonists: socially, mentally, and economically. Jefferson just like the colonist wanted peace in their lives, and freedom from the tyranny of King George III. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson uses ethos, pathos, and logos in order to justify their reason of separation from Britain.

Composed by Thomas Jefferson and the representatives in the general congress on the historic date of July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was an expeditious response to the many acts legalized by the British Parliament prohibiting the colonists’ freedom, and a dismissal of a partition to the King by the First Continental Congress. Not only did it oppose British acts of tyranny, but it was also an incentive for many other universal revolutions. Within Jefferson’s argumentative masterpiece, “The Declaration of Independence,” he both condemns the British for their repressive actions, and appeals to all developed countries, although predominantly to both the cruel

Americans all over the country pride themselves on the rights and freedoms that their ancestors have fought for. To the American people, freedom is expressed in multiple documents from our history, these including the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The first sentence of the third paragraph of the Declaration of Independence is compelling and inspiring to the American People because of the strong language it uses, the power it gives to the people to make them feel safe and secure, and it makes the people feel like the country truly belongs to them.

The Declaration of Independence -- the first discourse of a united America -- documents the atrocities committed by the tyrant, King George. The document not only reflects the ideas and feelings of its authors, but also represents the first example of the American Spirit -- comprised of civil liberties and self-determination. The authors’ divisive rhetoric puts more distance between their views and King George’s policy than the Atlantic Ocean that separates them. With every word, the authors advocate for a rebellion that would put an end to a government where they are voiceless. The document provides probable cause for every American to declare war on the harsh limitations imposed by the British Crown.

Representative, Thomas Jefferson in his statement, The Declaration of Independence, claims it is time for America to become an independent nation. He supports his claim buy describing what he wants the king to do, then listing what the King did to nullify the rights of the colonies. Then he declares the United States Free of British rule, and finally asking the people to join him and asking the king to subjugate the colonies. Jefferson’s purpose is to criticize the king, inform any other people who are reading the document of the Kings faults, and to declare America’s independence. He uses a business-like, formal, and serious tone for speaking to the King, but he knows the king will not be the only person to read his document.

Eugene R. Sheridan is a member of the Princeton University Department of History and Senior Associate Editor of the Papers of Thomas Jefferson. He has written books and articles on a number of subjects in early American History. To begin with, the author cites specific achievements that Thomas Jefferson made, starting with the contributions he did when he was part of the Continental Congress. “As a member of the Continental Congress, he proclaimed in the imperishable prose of the Declaration of Independence the values of liberty, equality, and natural rights that always have been at the heart of the American experiment in self-government” (Sheridan 64). He specifically speaks about his participation as the main author of the Declaration of Independence.

On July 4, 1776, the thirteen colonies of the United States unanimously agreed upon a Declaration of Independence to free themselves of Britain’s tyrannical grasp. This Declaration, authored by Thomas Jefferson, had one sole purpose: to declare the colonies as independent from Britain. To do this successfully, Jefferson skillfully utilized multiple aspects of rhetoric to convey his message. Among the many aspects he uses, the most prominent are his use of tone and pathos, logos and ethos, and makes many stylistic choices throughout the document.