Rhetorical Devices In The Declaration Of Independence

The product of patriotism and diligent acts, a country truly defined by its individuality and unmistakable glory. These few but finest accomplishments were significantly dependent on the document, the one that transformed the true value of what we have become as an independent country: The Declaration of Independence. Many individuals felt a need for change when being governed by the British. Some of these individuals included our Founding Fathers who created this document to make known that the thirteen colonies would fight independently and eradicate being ruled under Great Britain. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson uses allusions, parallelism as well as anaphora to express the struggle and fight for singularity and

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.

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.

In this essay, I will prove how Jefferson uses a rhetorical structure in his work to attract his audience about the usurpations of the King of Great Britain (King George III). I feel that Jefferson’s rhetoric is justly what makes the Declaration of Independence so significant because he emotionally draws in his readers by presenting them with a lengthy list of grievances that Great Britain had on the United States colonies. I will then show how Jefferson uses literary terms such as the warrant to state his belief on the conflict with Britain, gives supporting facts (list of grievances) to support his belief, and then makes a claim for independence after his exhausting list of grievances to make a solution to the conflict with the British. By having such an effective rhetorical structure in the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson eventually leads the U.S. colonies to independence from Great Britain.

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.

You know of the Declaration of Independence, but you have probably not heard of the “Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions”. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson first justifies how it is the right of the people to overthrow a government that has failed, then lists how the King of Great Britain is guilty of multiple abuses against the colonies, then explains how the colonies were ignored after trying to reach a compromise, and finally he executes his plan on how the colonies are now a new nation that has no relation with Great Britain whatsoever. In “The Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions” Elizabeth Cady Stanton highlights the problem of women being oppressed by men by addressing not only the delegates at the particular convention, but men and women all over the United States about the harsh reality of women’s roles dictated by men in the hope of receiving equal rights for both men and women. Both are written in similar manners, but the use of pathos, allusion, and tone allow the two pieces to achieve different purposes.

Thomas Jefferson’s mastery in writing is made evident throughout The Declaration of Independence. Through his use of rhetorical styles, he makes a clear and logical case for why it is necessary for the colonies to declare their independence. Jefferson achieves this power through the structuring of this document using Aristotle’s modes of argument, and by using the specific use of diction, imagery, and syntax. Aristotle’s three modes of argument are used to create the power the Declaration of Independence needed. According to European-Rhetoric.com, Aristotle’s three modes of argument are ethos, pathos, and logos.

Jefferson's use of ethos is a major reason for the colonists using the Declaration of Independence as their own. “He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.” Jefferson points out the fact that the king has undermined the colonists officers and has set troops to eat out their food stuffs. “He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.” Jefferson says that the king has ruined the colonists way of life and must be stopped. “In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury.” He uses logos by telling the people that they have tried to fix their problems peacefully but the king does not listen to their pleas. Overall Thomas Jefferson’s use of ethos and logos is the driving force behind his argument on whether or not the colonists should be independent or

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.

In 1776, since Jefferson was a member of Continental Congress, he was chosen to draft the Declaration of Independence, since he was a member of Continental Congress. (Brief…Jefferson, 2005). Looking back in High School, the class discussion about The Declaration of Independence was that Jefferson predicted the coming of great changes in America within the times that he lived in. He wrote this document for the American Citizens at the time, and it still exists today. The Declaration personified many of the ideas that separated the colonies from England and therefore the process of creating a new country begun.