Rhetorical Essay by BannekerBenjamin Banneker, the son of former slaves and an educated scholar, wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson discussing the mistreatment of slaves and the injustice of slavery . He hires an informed, practical person 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 providing justification for his claims; emphasizes its purpose by using negative diction, historical allusions, and an appeal to religion to illustrate the injustice of slavery and effectively convey that it should be abolished. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Banneker begins his letter by comparing British rule to slavery and establishing that Jefferson was once a strong supporter of antislavery ideals. He urges Jefferson to remember the “variety of dangers to which [he was] exposed” and the moment 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," with the system of slavery in order to effectively highlight Jefferson's previous encounters with slavery and address the fact that Jefferson recognizes the horrors and oppression behind it. Furthermore, Banneker's negative diction sets a negative tone towards slavery for 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 stance. Within the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson argued that “all men are created equal” with “certain unalienable rights” when he himself was experiencing a form of slavery, but he had no qualms about participating in slavery when the roles were reversed. Banneker references the Declaration of Independence to provide evidence of Jefferson's hypocrisy and demonstrate that Jefferson held anti-slavery views but has since contradicted these views by actively participating in slavery. Furthermore, 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. Furthermore, Banneker continues his letter by employing a compare-and-contrast structure to emphasize that Jefferson's words were empty and devoid of actual action; reveals how Jefferson, once a strong advocate of the abolition of slavery, is now "guilty of that most criminal act" which he "declared to abhor in others." Furthermore, Banneker describes slavery as “plaintive captivity” and “cruel oppression” which serves to portray slavery in its harshest light; Banneker intentionally uses powerful, negative diction to illustrate slavery as an unjust and horrendous act. Banneker methodically and strategically picks apart Jefferson's Christian values ​​by attacking his religious views and accusing Jefferson of being "fully convinced of the Father's benevolence" but "directly thwarting his mercy." Jefferson is a Christian, yet he knowingly goes against God's will and commits a heinous sin. Banneker uses a religious appeal to make Jefferson feel guilty for allowing slavery to continue and make him realize that he is not following Christian values. Throughout the letter, Banneker addresses Jefferson by name.