Prompt:Benjamin Banneker, the Son of Former Slaves, Was a Farmer
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Prompt: Benjamin Banneker, the son of former slaves, was a farmer, astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, and author. In 1791 he wrote to Thomas Jefferson, framer of the Declaration of Independence and secretary of state to President George Washington. Read the following excerpt from the letter and write an essay that analyzes how Banneker uses rhetorical strategies to argue against slavery. Anchor 8/9 In this excerpt from a letter written to Thomas Jefferson by Benjamin Banneker in 1791, Banneker effectively uses rhetorical strategies and devices to impress upon Jefferson the injustice of slavery. Banneker’s use of juxtaposition and the repetition of Christian themes help construct the immorality that is Jefferson’s views on slavery. To start, Banneker juxtaposes Jefferson’s own ‘enslavement’ by the British government to his enslavement of people in America, highlighting the hypocrisy of Jefferson’s views. Banneker begins by reciting the conflict experienced by Jefferson that had reduced him “to a state of servitude” by the Britains. These experiences appeal to the emotional viewpoint of Jefferson in order to force him to recall upon the days in which he was belittled and deprived of his own freedom Banneker also points out the fact that Jefferson had experienced “just apprehensions of the horrors of [slavery’s] condition.” This clear comparison for Jefferson of American slavery to Jefferson’s relations to Britain creates a need to sympathise towards these enslaved peoples. It also requires Jefferson to realize both the similarities and sharp contrasts between him and those in bondage. Banneker demonstrates, through the juxtaposition of Jefferson and Banneker’s oppressed “brethren” Jefferson’s need to reevaluate this relationship. Also, Banneker’s repetition of Christian themes to support Jefferson’s failure to meet just, Christian behavioral obligations. Banneker, throughout the letter, references God, Job, and Heaven when describing Jefferson’s lack of righteousness. Banneker is not only laying upon Jefferson the weight of his disapproval, but the pressure of disappointing God and going against God’s word. He also points out the fact that the “Father of mankind” has an “equal and important distribution” of “rights and privileges.” This further reinforces Jefferson’s sin against God in treating everyone equally, that he contradicts his own word and the teachings of the Bible. This utilization of the juxtaposition of Jefferson’s lack of freedom to slavery’s lack of freedom and repetition of Christianity to disprove Jefferson’s beliefs help Banneker persuade Jefferson in his wrongdoing. Prompt: Benjamin Banneker, the son of former slaves, was a farmer, astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, and author. In 1791 he wrote to Thomas Jefferson, framer of the Declaration of Independence and secretary of state to President George Washington. Read the following excerpt from the letter and write an essay that analyzes how Banneker uses rhetorical strategies to argue against slavery. Anchor 8/9 In the late 1700s, slavery was a prominent issue in the young nation of the United States. Many rich whites owned slaves and used them to do much of their field work or household tasks. Thomas Jefferson, secretary of state at the time, was one of these men owning many slaves at his home in Virginia. Benjamin Banneker, whose parents had experienced the atrocity of slavery, wrote to Thomas Jefferson, compelling him to end his hypocrisy and work to set free the slaves of America, understanding that without freedom, one cannot truly live. In the beginning of his letter, Banneker employs an anecdote, compelling Jefferson to recall the time in which he was robbed of a mere part of his freedom by the British government. He makes Jefferson recall the anger that he felt towards his oppressors, which helps his argument later when he compares Jefferson’s hardship as “just apprehensions” of what slaves experience everyday, which helps Jefferson feel compassion for his slaves and understand more why they should be given freedom. Banneker also uses juxtaposing diction, describing how before Jefferson was bestowed his freedom, he experienced “dangers” and “conflict,” whereas after given liberty, Jefferson enjoyed “tranquility” and was “grateful.” Banneker uses this juxtaposing diction to help Jefferson understand the oppressive life that slaves are living without the benefits of freedom and liberty. By doing this, he helps Jefferson understand why slaves deserve their freedom, because no man should be robbed of the feelings Jefferson experienced after receiving his liberty. In the middle of his letter, Banneker alludes to Jefferson’s own writing, The Declaration of Independence, in which Jefferson states that “all men are created equal” and that all men should be allowed life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” By showing Jefferson the way that he, himself, felt when having just escaped his oppressors, he shows that even Jefferson knows that morally slaves should be set free, even though that knowledge had been since buried by pride and ignorance. Alluding to Jefferson’s own writing helped Jefferson to understand that he needed to give slaves the freedom that he was given. Banneker also uses an accusatory tone to support his argument that slaves needed to be emancipated, implying that Jefferson is a hypocrite many times in his letter. When Banneker calls Jefferson out for holding people in “groaning captivity” and “cruel oppression,” Jefferson likely feels defensive and wants to clear his name of accusations such as those. In using accusatory tone, Banneker makes Jefferson want to reestablish himself as a good man and a leader, and treat his slaves well or bestow freedom upon them. Lastly, Banneker closes his address to Thomas Jefferson with juxtaposing infantilediction. He says that currently, Jefferson employs “narrow prejudices” and needs to “wean” himself of them, as an infant is weaned of his mother’s milk. However, he juxtaposes this by saying that once slaves are bestowed their freedom by Jefferson, he will be “enlarged” and retrieve his manhood. In the same way that the accusatory tone made Jefferson feel defensive, being called infantile also likely insulted Jefferson’s pride and compelled him to want to prove Banneker wrong, and emancipate his slaves. Banneker also uses an allusion to the book of Job in the Bible to support his argument that Jefferson’s slaves should be emancipated. Banneker knew that Jefferson was a religious man, with his references to God in his writings, such as the Declaration of Independence. By referencing the Bible, which was likely a holy and revered text to Jefferson, he probably compelled Jefferson to follow the will of God and understand the pain that the slaves were going through, and therefore emancipate them. In his letter to Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Banneker uses rhetorical strategies in the beginning, middle, and end of his letter to compel Jefferson to emancipate his slaves and be an example to others in the nation, because no one can truly live without freedom. Prompt: Benjamin Banneker, the son of former slaves, was a farmer, astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, and author. In 1791 he wrote to Thomas Jefferson, framer of the Declaration of Independence and secretary of state to President George Washington. Read the following excerpt from the letter and write an essay that analyzes how Banneker uses rhetorical strategies to argue against slavery. Anchor 6 Benjamin Banneker, an accomplished man that was the son of former slaves, writes to Thomas Jefferson to express his anger and resentment towards slaveowning. He uses several rhetorical strategies to argue the abolishment of slavery. Banneker alludes to the Declaration of Independence to emphasize how slaves deserve the same treatment as other men. Banneker refers to the concept of basic birth rights such as “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’ which all people deserve as they are “created equal.” Thomas Jefferson, as the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote his beliefs on equality for all on the basis of natural rights. Banneker alludes to the document to remind Jefferson of his struggle for independence and freedom from England during the Revolution. It makes Banneker’s argument against slavery more relatable because it provides Jefferson a personal example of the oppression that slaves have to endure. Banneker uses imagery of the physical violence the slaves have to endure to emphasize the need for abolishment of slavery. The slaves, as property, have to work facing “cruel oppression” and are held under “groaning captivity.” Banneker addresses how Jefferson himself is a slaveowner and refers to the cruelty that they are subject to at the will of their masters. Captivity typically is used to describe animals who are caught and unable to return to their habitats. The slaves are dehumanized and like animals, treated with brutality and captured against their will. The use of imagery not only conveys the violence that slaves have to endure, but the rights of freedom and liberty that are taken away from them. Banneker’s use of aggressive diction evokes sympathy for the slaves. They are “detained by fraud and violence” which is a “criminal act” towards other humans. Banneker expresses the inhumane treatment of the slaves as the reason for abolishment. Criminal has a negative connotation, pressing blame on the slave owners for their detestable actions. Banneker conveys that the act of slaveowning is criminal and unlawful, and should be illegalized. It strips away the natural rights that all people are entitled to regardless of their background, and forces humans to face unimaginable violence and oppression. In order to argue that slaveowning should be illegalized, Banneker uses allusion, imagery, and aggresive diction to emphasize its detrimental effects. Not only does it strip people of their given birthrights, but makes slaves subject to brutality that is unnecessary for the sake of labor. .