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Banneker's Rhetoric Against Slavery

Banneker uses rhetorical strategies in his letter to Thomas Jefferson to argue against slavery. He reminds Jefferson of the dangers and struggles of escaping British tyranny and achieving freedom and liberty. Banneker then points out the hypocrisy of Jefferson proclaiming the self-evident truths of equality and unalienable rights while continuing to allow the enslavement of African Americans. Banneker urges Jefferson to overcome prejudices and put himself in the place of slaves to understand their suffering and promote benevolence, justice and the relief of slavery.

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111 views1 page

Banneker's Rhetoric Against Slavery

Banneker uses rhetorical strategies in his letter to Thomas Jefferson to argue against slavery. He reminds Jefferson of the dangers and struggles of escaping British tyranny and achieving freedom and liberty. Banneker then points out the hypocrisy of Jefferson proclaiming the self-evident truths of equality and unalienable rights while continuing to allow the enslavement of African Americans. Banneker urges Jefferson to overcome prejudices and put himself in the place of slaves to understand their suffering and promote benevolence, justice and the relief of slavery.

Uploaded by

Chee Nou Lee
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

2O1O AP@ ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION FREE-RESPONSE OUESTIONS

Question 2

(Suggested time-40 minutes. This question counts for one-third of the total essay section score.)

Benjamin Banneker, the son of former slaves, was a farmer, astronomer, mathematician, suweyor, and author. In
l79I he wrote to Thomas Jefferson, framer of the Declaration of Independence and secretary of state to President
George Washington. Read the following exceryt from the letter and write an essay that analyzes how Banneker uses
rhetorical strategies to argue against slavery.

Sir, sufferl me to recall to your mind that time in valuation of liberty and the free possession of those
which the arms and tyranny of the British Crown were 30 blessings to which you were entitled by nature; but,
exerted with every powerful effort in order to reduce sir, how pitiable is it to reflect that although you were
Line you to a State of Servitude, look back I entreat you on so fully convinced of the benevolence of the Father of
5 the variety of dangers to which you were exposed; mankind and of his equal and impartial distribution of
reflect on that time in which every human aic those rights and privileges which he had conferred
appeared unavailable, and in which even hope and 35 upon them, that you should at the same time
fortitude wore the aspect of inability to the conflict counteract his mercies in detaining by fraud and
and you cannot but be led to a serious and grateful violence so numerous a part of my brethren under
t0 sense of your miraculous and providential groaning captivity and cruel oppression, that you
preservation; you cannot but acknowledge that the should at the same time be found guilty of that most
present freedom and tranquility which you enjoy you criminal act which you professedly detested in others
have mercifully received and that it is the pecular with respect to yourselves.
blessing of Heaven. Sir, I suppose that your knowledge of the situation
t5 This sir, was a time in which you clearly saw into of my brethren is too extensive to need a recital here;
the injustice of a state of slavery and in which you had neither shall I presume to prescribe methods by
just apprehensions of the horrors of its condition, it 45 which they may be relieved, otherwise than by
was now, sir, that your abhorrence thereof was so recommending to you and all others to wean
excited, that you publickly held forth this true and yourselves from those narrow prejudices which you
valuable doctrine, which is worthy to be recorded and have imbibed with respect to them and as Job2
remembered in all succeeding ages. "We hold these proposed to his friends, "put your souls in their souls
truths to be self-evident, that all men are created stead," thus shall your hearts be enlarged with
equal, and that they are endowed by their creator with kindness and benevolence towards them, and thus
cerlain unalienable rights, that among these are life, shall you need neither the direction of myself or
liberty and the pursuit of happiness." others, in what manner to proceed herein.
Here, sir, was a time in which your tender feelings
for yourselves had engaged you thus to declare, you 2
Io th" Bibl", Job is a righteous man who endures much suffering.
were then impressed with proper ideas of the great

I ullo*

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