Banneker's Rhetorical EssayBenjamin Banneker, son of former slaves and an educated scholar, wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson discussing the mistreatment of slaves and of the injustice of slavery. He assumes a knowledgeable and matter-of-fact persona in order to challenge Jefferson's loyalty to his Christian faith and urge him to abolish slavery. Banneker organizes his speech in a cause-and-effect manner by demonstrating Jefferson's hypocrisy regarding slavery and justifying his assertions; he emphasizes his purpose by using negative diction, historical allusions, and an appeal to religion in order to illustrate the injustice of slavery and effectively convey that it must be abolished. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayBanneker begins his letter by comparing British rule to slavery and establishing that Jefferson was once a staunch defender of anti-video ideals. slavers. He urges Jefferson to remember "the variety of dangers to which [he was] exposed" and the times when he saw "the injustice of slavery" and the true "horrors of its conditions." Banneker appeals to Jefferson's emotions by connecting negative terms, such as "injustice" and "horrors", to the slave system in order to effectively highlight Jefferson's previous encounters with slavery and address Jefferson's recognition the horrors and oppression that lie beneath. Additionally, Banneker's negative diction sets a negative tone toward slavery throughout the remainder of his letter and serves to justify his claims that slavery is immoral and gravely wrong. Banneker goes on to allude to the Declaration of Independence which reveals Jefferson's earlier anti-slavery attitude. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson affirmed that "all men are created equal" with "certain unalienable rights" while he himself suffered a form of slavery, but had no qualms about participating in slavery when the roles were reversed. Banneker references the Declaration of Independence in order to provide evidence of Jefferson's hypocrisy and to show that Jefferson held anti-slavery views but has since contradicted those views by actively participating in slavery. Additionally, Banneker's use of the Declaration of Independence strengthens his argument by allowing him to directly attack Jefferson's present and past ethical views and present himself as a credible source. Additionally, Banneker continues his letter by employing a compare and contrast structure to emphasize that Jefferson's words were empty of meaning and lacked real action; it reveals how Jefferson, once a strong advocate for the abolition of slavery, is now "guilty of the most criminal act" that he "hated in others." Furthermore, Banneker describes slavery as "groaning captivity" and "cruel oppression", which serves to represent slavery in its harshest light; Banneker deliberately uses powerful, negative diction to illustrate slavery as an unjust and horrible action. Banneker methodically and strategically dismantles Jefferson's Christian values ​​by attacking his religious views and accusing Jefferson of being "fully convinced of the Father's benevolence" while "directly thwarting his mercies." Jefferson is a Christian, but he knowingly goes against God's will and commits a terrible sin. Banneker uses a religious appeal to provoke Jefferson into guilt over allowing the continuation of..