Benjamin Banneker Letter To Jefferson And Washington Rhetorical Analysis

In a prompt by Benjamin Banneker, the writer reveals his anger over the injustice of a state of slavery. He would like the reader to know about the unfair treatment of these individuals and the injustices that they regularly face. The writer of this essay creates a strong impression about the unequal distribution of rights in his environment. To try and explain his thoughts on the subject, Banneker uses a variety of rhetorical strategies in his letter to Jefferson and Washington.
First of all, Banneker uses antithesis in his letter to Jefferson and Washington. Antithesis was specifically used in this passage between lines 24 and lines 41. Within these lines, Banneker states how “how pitiable it is to reflect that although you were so fully convinced of the benevolence of the Father of those rights and privileges which he had conferred upon them, that you should at the same time counteract his mercies in detaining by fraud and violence.” he goes on to counteract the previous statement that has a similar setup as the previous, but refers to the complete opposite. This use of antithesis works to help express to the reader the multiple point of views of the people that Banneker is referring to. It also allows him to convince the reader to agree with his side in the argument presented because of the way in which each of

Banneker directly references the Declaration of Independence in his letter to Jefferson and Washington. He also specifically mentions a portion of the Preamble of the Constitution that states “We hold these truths to be self evident…” This allows him to make a direct comparison to his thoughts and what the Constitution states. In doing this, his point in arguing against slavery is strengthened because there is a reference. This strategy is also essential because it allows the reader to grasp a better understanding of what the letter is trying to