Rhetorical Devices In 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.

Instead of quoting the entire paragraph I am going to break it down into the parts that express the point most visibly. Jefferson states, "When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another". Here he is explaining that there is a need for separation between Great Britain and the American territory. He then says, "A decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to separation". Here he gives the reason for the division; in the opinions of mankind, life has become unbearable. The point of this historical piece is simply to announce independence for the Americans from the British for reasons of past

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.

Thomas Jefferson’s overall goal with the Declaration, is to officially separate from the English monarchy and he does so by writing an eloquent document stating reasons why separation is best for both nations. Within the first few paragraphs of this document we see the author using a heavy appeal to Logos coupled with anaphora; the effect is hypnotizing. The reader is led to believe that Jefferson’s word is incontestable. By using the term “he” over and over again in reference to the King of England, Jefferson takes away the power that comes with the title, and makes King George seem like a common man trying to be the boss of a growing country. The effect of the use of “he” gets rid of the human side of the person being spoken about and instead makes them seem like an empty shell in place of a person. Every "he has" is coupled with the imagery of a mighty finger of judgment being cast at the King. The diction is so negative and 'obscure' that it does not leave the King any room for argument. The use of “he” was extremely on Jefferson’s part. Even more clever though is his

Thereupon, Jefferson augments the credence of his claim that divine rights should be well protected by producing a counterclaim, indicating that “governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes,” which validates that Britain’s malpractice is indeed substantial and noteworthy enough for his colonial audience to rebel against it. Not only does Jefferson utilize a counterclaim to strengthen his argument, but he also implements aggressive, negative language such as “abuses,” “usurpations,” and “absolute despotism,” to appeal to his comrades, firing them up and rallying them to form a new government. Also maintaining this idea is Jefferson’s statement, “it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government,” in which the repetition of “it is” at the beginning of the clauses gives all readers no doubt that mankind has the right to overthrow any corrupt leadership. This new idea is portrayed when Jefferson states it is necessary “to provide new guards for their future security,” which engenders the reality of a government that protects and provides for its citizens without infringing upon inviolable rights. Lastly, Jefferson reveals his previous indications that he is speaking of the British crown when disclosing that, “such has been the

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.

This reluctant conclusion becomes evident when Jefferson states, “ [The colonists] repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury.” (lines 111-112). Furthermore Jefferson lists recent actions of the colonists through saying, “We have warned them...We have reminded them...We have appealed...We have conjured them,” (lines 116-120) to give his audience further evidence to why the United Colonies must and will become “Free and Independent States,” (line 136). States with the “full Power to levy war, conclude Peace, contract alliances, establish Commerce, and do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right to do.” (lines 136-139). As Jefferson comes to his reluctant conclusion he also enhances his

In the declaration the authors use “He has” when stating the reason on way they want to separate from the United Kingdom. They use this to degrade the King to say that he is just another person, he is no one important in their eyes. This is also their way of saying that the King is “The Prince,” he is a villain, he is poisonous. By doing this they showed the people of the nation that the king is a greedy snake, and not the man they think, and get them to revoke against the King, and his ways.

In Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence he uses focal points to help people perceive his document. By showing the failure of the British Crown and demonstrating the rights of the citizens Jefferson is able to get his audience to understand his message clearly. He also uses ethos, pathos, and logos to improve his writing. Thomas Jefferson’s argument was effective in the separation from Great Britain, because he focuses on the failure of the British Crown and the rights of the colonial citizens; through egos, pathos, and logos.

In 1607, Englishmen settled in Jamestown, Virginia, creating the first permanent English settlement in North America. Over a century later, after thirteen strong colonies had been established, the monarchy of Great Britain was still dictating colonial actions. Finally, in 1776, delegates met at the Second Continental Congress and adopted the Declaration of Independence. Although the engrossed copy of the document was supposedly a unanimous decision, Thomas Jefferson was hesitant about signing it. This was because he was the author of the first draft and did not agree with the new wording and diction. Slight changes in word choice and order contributed to the shift in tone and meaning because they caused the first draft to sound more harsh

During this time the articles of confederation were in motion, these proved to be a failure as they called for a confederacy which placed sovereign power in the hands of the states. It was this anchored bias that had been imbedded into the American will against anything reflecting English parliament that almost lead to Americas ruin. “For the colonists having dealt with the British Crown and the unfair parliament they feared they might create yet another out-of-touch, national government”( Colbert, 92). Thus, came the idea of the Declaration of Independence. It was Thomas Jefferson who was to write this declaration due to him being a Virginian, well educated man, and a better writer than John Adams. “Congress cut off about a quarter of it” (Colbert, 92) due to its remarks about the repeal of the importation of slaves and too personal remarks about the tyranny of King George. Jefferson received a life lesson from Franklin about how “Whenever in one's power, to avoid becoming the draughtsman of papers to be reviewed by a public body”(Colbert, 93). Although Jefferson speaks of an abhorrence of slavery, many historians believe him to be two-faced on the

Logic and emotion coexist in the middle of the document where Jefferson lists a series of grievances against the King. One example of a grievance is when Jefferson says of the King, “He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.” Each grievance, including this one, begins with the words “he has” which makes it clear that the accusations are specific to the King. By listing these direct accusations, Jefferson explains through inductive reasoning that the King is a Tyrant and should not be the leader of America. The strong negative diction used

Benjamin Banneker had wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson back in 1791. Mr. Banneker is trying to persuade Jefferson into changing his mind about slavery. Banneker is the son of former slaves, was a farmer, astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, and author. It is quite interesting how a man [Banneker] coming from slavery is now an author, and wrote a letter to the man [Jefferson] who wrote the Declaration of Independence. Banneker uses different rhetorical strategies to get his point across to Jefferson.

Palomino-1 Rhetorical Analysis: Declaration of Independence The Declaration of independence was an official document written to British Government to declare Americans as independent colonies free of rule. Colonies were tired of treated unfairly with British taxation and government controlled economy. There was no room for growth in the colony, and the citizens felt they could function on their own. Using logical and ethical appeal to King George III, these authors write a statement with reason to their division of the mother country.