Benjamin Banneker, the son of former slaves, writes to secretary of state Thomas Jefferson about the dispute over slavery in America. Banneker is a free man and believes slavery is morally wrong. He chooses to write particularly to Thomas Jefferson because of Jefferson’s negative inclination towards African-Americans as well as the fact that he is in charge of domestic policy. Ultimately, Banneker wants Jefferson to come to his own realization that slavery is wrong and that equality shall remain supreme in America.
Banneker provides a syllogistic argument in order to remind Jefferson of the past. His major premise is that the people of this country were once being treated just like African-Americans. He reminds Jefferson of the American Revolution that took place ten years ago and guides him to believe that the American people were, in fact, slaves under British rule. First, Banneker compares the current state of African-Americans to the state of the American people during the Revolutionary War. He
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The initial use of “sir” is seen as a sign of respect towards Jefferson. Banneker hopes to appear as a selfless, humble man when writing to the secretary of state. However, once Banneker shifts the argument and begins to criticize Jefferson of his wrongdoings, “sir” can be interpreted differently. Essentially, it is the words being said after “sir” that give us the impression Banneker is developing an aggressive tone. For example, Banneker states, “Sir, I suppose that your knowledge of the situation of my brethren is too extensive to need a recital here.” In this instance, Banneker uses “sir” in a sarcastic manner. He is referring to the fact that Jefferson owns slaves and should be completely ashamed of himself. As a whole, Banneker’s uses “sir” to gain the attention of Jefferson and to strengthen his ensuing remarks about Jefferson’s scrutiny of