Thomas Jefferson And John Locke

Benjamin Banneker was a free African American who lived during a time when slavery was still prominent in America. As a free African American, Banneker knew the joys of freedom. In 1791 he wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson in which he urged Jefferson to put an end to slavery in America by using his powerful influence in the government. Jefferson, a slave owner himself, was a major supporter for independence during the American Revolution; in this letter to Jefferson, Banneker wants to show him that he is contradicting his previous beliefs by not abolishing slavery. Banneker aims to use Jefferson’s own experiences and principles in order to persuade him to get rid of slavery in the states. Banneker is very passionate in his letter to Jefferson, expressing an intense urge for the abolition of slavery. Banneker mainly integrates the mechanics of appeals to logic and ethics, strong diction and logical rhetorical structure in order to persuade Jefferson.

In the second paragraph, Benjamin Banneker alludes to the Declaration of the Independence to note that Jefferson himself wrote “all men are created equal” and have the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Banneker includes this detail to prove to the audience that Banneker is knowledgeable, and also point out the hypocrisy of the whites. The use of Jefferson’s own words against himself creates a slight shock from the audience, and urges a re-examination of themselves and the principles they claim to hold dearly. Banneker opens the third paragraph with several religious details that criticize Jefferson’s support for slavery. Banneker explains that while Jefferson is “fully convinced of the benevolence of the father” he “counteracts

In 1791 Benjamin Banneker, the son of former slaves, astronomer, and almanac author, wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson, in a courteous but forceful manner, challenging the framer of the Declaration of Independence and secretary of state on the topics of race and freedom. He touches on the topics of the way blacks were treated and seen by the common white American citizen and how it is an injustice. In his letter, Banneker uses ethos, logos, pathos, repetition, syntax, and juxtaposition to sympathize with Jefferson about former hardships to perhaps reach common ground.

It is said that slavery is a stain on our country’s past. The topic of slavery was and still is a controversy in which equality is a struggle to obtain. However, what occurred in the past created the nation that lives on today. Benjamin Banneker was one man who stood out in the efforts to end slavery. He did so in writing a strongly worded letter to Thomas Jefferson that exclaimed his opinions and feelings. Banneker used an appeal to pathos, repetition, and religious appeals to argue against slavery.

Son of former slaves, farmer, astronomer, and author Benjamin Banneker in his letter to Thomas Jefferson in asserts that slavery is erroneous and should be discontinued. During this time period, slaves had no rights or freedom, slaves were property. Banneker was a slavery abolitionist, and wanted to help African Americans. Banneker adopts a respectful yet vexed tone in order to criticize and accuse Thomas Jefferson of being a hypocrite. Thomas Jefferson wrote the lines, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”, but he himself owned slaves, so this describes he did not want liberty for African American slaves. Banneker is offended and vexed, judging Jefferson as a hypocrite. Banneker achieves his purpose of judging Jefferson through his prominent use of diction.

Benjamin Banneker, the son of former slaves, writes to Thomas Jefferson in 1791 in an effort to denounce slavery in the United States. His letter was written in an era during a time which slavery was commonly practiced in the United States. In his appeals, Benjamin touches on topics of the cruel way blacks were treated and attempts to persuade Thomas Jefferson to reconsider his tolerance of such a heartless system. In his letter, Banneker utilizes ethos, pathos, logos, textual citation, and textual citation to relate to Jefferson about past hardships to possibly accomplish shared view.

Benjamin Banneker was a man who felt very strongly about slavery, considering his parents were former slaves. He wrote a well-composed letter to Thomas Jefferson, who was the framer of the Declaration of Independence and secretary of state to the President of the United States, George Washington. He compiled his thoughts, along with reasons why Jefferson should help to abolish slavery. Through referencing Jefferson’s past work, using the bible as a reference, and maintaining a friendly, but firm tone, Banneker was effectively able to argue against slavery in his letter to Thomas Jefferson.

Benjamin Banneker was many things such as a slave, farmer, astronomer, mathematician, surveyor and author. He was always an advocate against slavery, he even wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson about it. In his letter he mentioned how freedom was a blessing from heaven, cited a part from the Declaration of Independence, and even made a reference to someone in the Bible. He used many rhetorical strategies to help argue that slavery should be outlawed, for example ethos, religious appeals, and pathos.

In Benjamin Banneker’s letter to Thomas Jefferson in 1791, soon after the U.S.’s separation from Britain, he uses allusions and juxtaposition in describing the existence of slavery to show Jefferson that while he claims to follow American values of freedom and equality, he does not believe in allowing those same values to African Americans. Thomas Jefferson, the then secretary of state, is persuaded to put himself in the slaves’ shoes and have more compassion towards their oppression.

Being respectful and thoughtful, Benjamin Banneker addresses the issue of slavery. Throughout the letter, where the son of former slaves writes to Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Banneker reasons African Americans are equal to white men, and refers to the mistreatment of slaves by Americans in order to argue that slavery is morally wrong.

Thomas Jefferson and John Locke share many similarities in their two writings. In this essay there will make a connection between the two and take a look at how Jefferson may have been or was inspired by John Locke with The Declaration of independence. Two of the main points will be the government's role in the rights of people and what those rights are.

Benjamin Franklin and John Winthrop, men with different ideals, present the same notion that America should be presented as a “city upon a hill.” Franklin believed that the American dream should be presented as an ideal where men and women are equal and can both move up in social class on their own, practicing any religion they desired. On the other hand, Winthrop believed that the new world was a religious safe haven only for the Puritans. American Exceptionalism was overall the main focus, guiding America to define itself as a special nation founded upon democratic values and liberty.

Many of John Locke’s ideas were input into the Declaration of Independence, as his primary words “life, liberty” and instead of property, the pursuit of happiness, are the basis of the American Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Locke’s arguments concerning liberty influenced the works of James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, as his Second Treatise is imitated in the Declaration of Independence. When the founding fathers adopted the resolution for the nation’s

Benjamin Banneker was the son of a former slave and an extremely educated African-American man. His letter to Thomas Jefferson in 1791 was a carefully worded opposition to the institution of slavery. In his letter, Banneker uses influential allusions, a tone that changes midway into his essay, and well-read diction that call the recipient (Jefferson) to make a gradual change and understand his own hypocrisy.

Both John Locke and Thomas Jefferson believe that people have certain natural rights and that it is the government’s job to protect these rights. Their documents were both written for revolutions, although they were two very different revolutions. Ultimately, a revolution in Europe influenced Locke to write the Second Treatise on Government. The Second Treatise on Government was important because it influenced the way many later philosophers would view government. One philosopher influenced by Locke was Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence used the same philosophy as Locke’s Second Treatise on Government, but it also held great significance in that it was the first time a group of colonies had successfully separated from a world power like Great Britain.