Diction In Thomas Jefferson's The Declaration Of Independence

In “The Declaration of Independence” Thomas Jefferson and the other members of the proto-Congress of the United States use formal diction in order to establish their credibility on an international stage. Their message was distributed throughout the colonies, but was never directly sent from the authors to the British government, so that the colonies would have more information and time to react to the English backlash. Thomas Jefferson and the other writers of the “Declaration of Independance” used diction in order to appeal to the masses of the thirteen colonies. The language applied by the authors was relatively easy to understand, with minimal legal jargon. This made it easier for the literate members of society to explain what the document was promoting to the

Ironically this document was not sent directly to the British Government, and was instead only distributed across the American colonies. In this way the document functioned as a rallying point about which large numbers of the colonists flocked. This purpose is reflected within the document itself; it was written in (for the period) simple language that would be easier for an average literate individual to understand. Its straight-forward approach to diction also made it easier for messengers to read aloud to the illiterate masses. Although we now see this declaration as a founding document of our nation, at the time it was written it was tantamount to treason. Under British law the founders of our nation were fit to hang the moment they wrote (let alone signed) this document. The “Declaration of Independance” uses various forms of diction as well as a seemingly ineffective method of delivery in order to express their reasons for seceding from the British Empire and to spread their message throughout the