• Between mid-1760’s and mid-1770’s King George the Third and Parliament passed laws restricting many freedoms in the colonies
• Age of Reason= scientists Galileo, Sir Isaac Newton, and more as well as philosophers like Voltaire, Jean Jacques Rousseau and political figures like John Locke caused people to choose reason over religion
• Other Important historical figures of the Age of Reason: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, and Thomas Jefferson
• French and Indian War= England and France’s fight over territory in North America
• French and Indian War ended in 1763
• Stamp Act 1765= required the use of certain types of stamps to send letters
• Townshend Acts of 1767=new taxes on paper, paint, lead, glass, and tea.
• Boston Massacre= Redcoats
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Jefferson develops his ideas through his appeal to pathos (how Britain treated colonists unjustly), his use of parallel structure as a method of listing the colonists’ grievances to the King and through his use of an anaphora. Using references to the restrictions and laws enacted to limit certain freedoms of the colonists, he emphasizes the injustices committed by the British in order to validate and gain support for his theory of inalienable rights (“to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”). Jefferson addresses Britain as his primary audience, however this document was also intended for the colonists; It gave them hope by addressing Britain with a firm, serious, and confident …show more content…
Franklin develops his ideas through his appeal to logos (the definition of perfection; People being far from it), ethos (old age and his experiences), and his allusion to the bible. Using logic and understanding, he explains why the Constitution could never be “perfect”, but could be beneficial so long as those enforcing it were vigilant and made changes accordingly, in order to emphasize the importance of unity, so that the American people had faith in their representatives and in their Constitution. Franklin addresses the representatives at the convention as his primary audience, whom he addresses with a thoughtful and mature