Rhetorical Analysis Of The Declaration Of Independence

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.

On June of 1776, the Declaration of Independence was born. Drawn up by Thomas Jefferson and based on the works of John Locke, the general purpose of the document was to clarify that governments have conditional, not absolute authority over the people; that human beings possess natural rights that can’t be taken from them and government is created to protect those rights. The phrases “unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and “all men are created equal” were the main theme of the social contract written for the small colonies of what would be the basis of the United States of America to declare independence from Great Britain and its tyrannical king. However, “unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and “all men are created equal” did not apply to African Americans, enslaved or free for the coming years.

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 issue the Declaration of Independence being a legal document has been up for debate in courts for many years now. Although, the Declaration of Independence clarifies the United States identity as a free nation, it has generated intense controversy. Some feel strongly that it did not clearly define the new powers that the thirteen colonies would acquire and did not define the identity of the United States; while, others firmly believe that without the Declaration of Independence the United States would not be the free nation that it is today. Therefore, serving as the foundation for many laws and documents composed after it, the Declaration of Independence has been helpful in defining the rights of the American citizens, the powers of

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.

The people of the United States Of America are protected by the “most influential document in American history”, that document is the declaration of independence and the ideals written with it. In 1776 President Thomas Jefferson was asked by Congress to write the Declaration Of Independence for our country. This document included an important list of ideals and beliefs that helped lay the structure and foundation of our country. These ideals are the foundation of our strong independent country. Our nation relies most on the ideals of equality, right to life, and the people's right to alter or abolish the government.

Works from The Age of Reason are often very logical and persuasive, appealing more to logic and reason than emotions. "The Declaration of Independence", delivered by Thomas Jefferson, was written during this period of time to inform Britain and other countries that the colonies were breaking away from British rule. "The Declaration of Independence" is a document from The Age of Reason which can be shown through the use of persuasiveness, logical appeal and argumentative points.

Jefferson shows examples such as the Government must meet these requirements and not mess with them and if they do it is the people’s duty to enforce these rules. He then states how Great Britain has violated all of these rules and this is why they must become independent from Britain.

For Howard Zinn, the Declaration of Independence seemed, abnormal. He is convinced that the Declaration was written for selfish reasons. He observes that the upper-class needs to induce the lower class. “It seemed clear to the educated, upper-class colonists that something needed to be done to persuade the lower class to join the revolutionary cause, to direct anger against England.” Alternatively, Bernard Bailyn has a disparate interpretation. Bailyn is convinced that the Declaration is written for ideological reasons. “The Declaration of Independence represents the colonists’ deepest fears and beliefs.” Quite frankly, they are both correct.

In The Declaration of Independence there are multiples examples of rhetoric. Many of these examples are hard to find and at the same time there are some that are very easily noticed. Thomas Jefferson as well as Congress wrote the Declaration of Independence in a time of tension. The Declaration was written in order to persuade the king as well as loyalists to the king that they should have unalienable rights. He accomplished this persuasion while being passive aggressive at the same time.

This part of the Declaration of Independence is one of the most important parts, aside from the preamble. It declares the importance of stating why the colonies must separate from Britain. The colonist believed that all men are created equally, and therefore have equal rights. The Declaration states that the United States has had enough suffering under tyranny, and that the colonies have the right to separate themselves from the bad government and form their own.

Lincoln felt that slavery itself had violated the fundamental rights of human, making other countries criticized American at being a hypocrite for contravening the Declaration of Independence, plus inquiring many citizens doubt the foundation which the United States had built upon. He sympathized with people who were affected by the slavery system, and did not want to criticize anyone whose lives revolved around its existence as he would do the same if he were in their situation. So, Lincoln thought of freeing all the slaves in the country and sent them to Liberia, which is slave’s original country. However, it would be impossible for him to execute his solution as it would need a huge fortune to move them away, then he would also need to help them settling in their new land. He somehow felt afterward that it his solution did not work, he would have to deal with other problem when emancipating them. First, he doubted that if he, himself, could consider hiring them to work for him as well as for other Americans, and would it be better than being a slave for them this way. He would also not agree with the idea of

The Declaration of Independence clearly states, “all men are created equal.” However that is not the case early in America’s life. African Americans are taken from their homes and put to work as slaves. Women are discriminated against because of their gender. People with in poverty had few freedoms. When the Declaration of Independence says all people have a right to liberty, it is lying. Many races, gender, and social classes were discriminated and given limited freedoms. One of the most known is slavery.

Thomas Jefferson’s “Declaration of Independence” was a defining political statement that would go on to shape the identity of politics and standard rights in America, and even revolutions across the world. The goal of the document was to justify the reasons why the colonies believed a separation from the British monarchy was necessary. These reasons pertained to their God given right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, and stated that the system of government in place; which retained it’s power from the people it governed, had failed to protect and serve them, thus giving them the justification to seek new forms of government that would better serve their sense of safety and happiness. The document then proceeds to list the grievances made by the King and Great Britain itself, despite the colonies numerous petitions for reparation and pleas for

The Declaration of Independence is arguably the most important historical work of the pre-modern era. Because of this document, America was recognized for its brash, albeit just demands for independence from Britain. Aside from the obvious historical significance and precedence of the document, its composition was constructed in such a way that conveyed the determination of a new nation to be one in its own. Historical context and rhetorical strategies, such as appeals and fallacies, are used cohesively throughout the Declaration of Independence to convey American sentiments of independence throughout the American Revolution.