ipl-logo

An Evaluation Of The Declaration Of Independence By Thomas Jefferson

984 Words4 Pages

Evaluation of The Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson’s The Declaration of Independence is a significantly important and well presented argument as to why the colonies should not be under the ruler of King George III of England. Jefferson provides a clearly laid out yet strongly worded reason using basic syllogisms which lead any reader into believing the argument provided. The rhetoric used outlines the deistic nature of the writers, the overarching theme of equality through parallelism, and especially the that it is not a “revolt” or “rebellion” against England but rather a natural order that requires the colonies to become an independent nation. Syllogisms are very prevalent within the Declaration of Independence primarily due …show more content…

Jefferson uses a large portion of this declaration to support his argument through extensive lists of all the wrongdoings of the king. These two premises form a basic if then argument which can be simplified to “If political bands must separate and form different powers if unfit to rule and England is unfit to rule then the colonies should become independent and Britain should not govern them. This forms the essential argument that is the core message of the Declaration of Independence. Of course, there are a few short comings regarding its validity. The first major premise that it is necessary to dissolve political bands is a little far fetched. Nowhere is there some omniscient guide to government that states this to be true. The upside of syllogisms is that if you agree with the claims you must agree with the conclusion. The downside is if your claims are not agreeable and do not base themselves on any sort of evidence then having readers agree with your conclusion can be very …show more content…

Jefferson was able to add meaning to his claims and incite subconscious decision making inside the reader’s head through his rhetoric. The argument is presented as the dominant subject of the document and Jefferson cleverly used an extensive knowledge of rhetoric to compliment his writing and add to the amount of meaning in each line increasing the apparent validity of his argument. Jefferson did a brilliant job at conjoining these two types of writing to really make a strong point that has clearly rang true for over 200 years. The words that Jefferson wrote incited a need and lack of independence. He proved to the people its urgency and why it must be done in a way that most could really get behind. The Declaration of Independence laid the foundation of what our country is based upon not by being a boring piece of political documentation, but rather a comprehensive and understandable argument that appealed to all of those it benefited which is why it has had such a long lasting relevance and importance even

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of Thomas Jefferson's Toulmin Model

    723 Words  | 3 Pages

    The British government’s desire for territorial and sociopolitical dominance has been observed, and abhorred, by other nations and territories throughout the world’s history. In the eighteenth century, with the British incessantly exploiting the American colonies, the colonists quickly grew distrustful of and resentful toward their domineering leader across the ocean. In 1776, a year following the beginning of the Revolutionary War, this ill treatment motivated Thomas Jefferson to pen a document that has become known as the Declaration of Independence. The influential founding father provocatively besought the support of the French government in the ongoing war between England. It was Jefferson’s hope that the text would persuade France to

    Read More

  • How Did Thomas Jefferson Criticize The Declaration Of Independence

    311 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thomas Jefferson, the newly named chief draftsman, wrote the highly famous Declaration of Independence in 1776. The enlightened ideas and statements he used in the document were nothing close to new, adapting John Locke's classic theme of government, along with the doctrine of natural rights. Though Jefferson's message was far from original, the way he eloquently described the right to independence as if it was a novel near its final draft, drew in readers. Yes, his way of speaking was splendid beyond words but what seems most impressive was his capability to criticize the king not once, not twice, but twenty-eight beautiful times, each more marvelous and inspiring than the last. His final insult tied the long list together magnificently, "A

    Read More

  • Speech To The Second Virginia Convention And From Subjects To Citizens

    622 Words  | 3 Pages

    Could you imagine your life in the government’s hands? Through reading the Declaration of Independence, “Speech to the Second Virginia Convention”, and “From Subjects to Citizens”, one can sense an overall feeling that the colonists believe a government that disobeys people’s natural rights should be removed. Each source shows a different perspective to how the colonists felt about the overpowering king. The colonists’ main goals was to create a fair government that abided by their natural rights. Overall, these sources show how the colonists felt about their previous form of government and the changes they wish to make in their future colony so that they don’t make the same mistakes.

    Read More

  • Who Is The Five Person Committee For Drafting The Declaration Of Independence

    888 Words  | 4 Pages

    Drafting the Declaration of Independence in early may, 1776 became the defining event that shapes Thomas Jefferson's life. Despite Jefferson's desire to return to Virginia to help write that state's constitution, the Continental Congress appointed him to the five-person committee for drafting the declaration of independence. That committee assigned him the task of producing a draft document for its consideration. Drawing on documents, such as the Virginia Declaration of Rights, state and local calls for independence, and his own draft of the Virginia constitution, Jefferson wrote a statement of the colonists right to rebel against the British government and establish their own based on the premise that all men are created equal and have the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Through the many revisions made by Jefferson, the committee, and then by Congress, Jefferson retained his prominent role in writing the document of the American Revolution and, indeed, of the United States.

    Read More

  • Ethos In The Declaration Of Independence By Thomas Jefferson

    554 Words  | 3 Pages

    Declaration of independence The Declaration of Independents is one of the most important documents in history. The declaration of independence is a document that Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and several other delegated wrote in 1776. The purpose of it was to tell the parliament that the resident of the original thirteen American colonies that, they would not be objected to the higher taxes imposed on them by the parliament, and that "taxation without representation” amounted to tyranny. The rhetorical triangle is used in persuasion papers to appeal to the reader on a logical stands, known as logos.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Declaration Of Independence

    1268 Words  | 6 Pages

    In the “Declaration of Independence” (1776), Thomas Jefferson claims that it is absolutely imperative that the thirteen colonies of the Unites States achieve their rightful independence from the notoriously tyrannical British government. He supports this claim first by establishing the universal God-given rights of man, then by emphasizing the injustices of the British government that strip them away of those constitutional rights, and lastly by reinforcing the validity of his claim by highlighting their continuous attempts in which they tried to resolve the issue themselves with the king. Jefferson uses a logical argument to justify to the foreign countries, of their decision to break away from the British government in order to gain more

    Read More

  • Ethos In The Declaration Of Independence

    794 Words  | 4 Pages

    On June 11, 1776, Congress appointed a committee of five to justify why the American colonies had come the conclusion to separate from the British Empire. This ultimately resulted in the Second Continental Congress adopting what would become one of the world’s most influential documents to date, the Declaration of Independence. Once the decision to secede from Britain had been made, the delegates were in need of someone to write it. Fortunately John Adams had a individual in mind, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson, known for his exceptional writing skills, employs references to popular works from the Revolutionary time period as well as the use of ethos in order to justify the delegates decision to declare independence from England.

    Read More

  • How Does Jefferson Use Ethos In The Declaration Of Independence

    1260 Words  | 6 Pages

    The unifying effect of the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, was vital to the future of the 13 American colonies. As a response to the British government’s harsh and unfair treatment, the document was an attempt at seceding and rebelling against the political regime, ruled by King George |||. The 1,337 word document includes all of the reasons as to why the 13 colonies believed they were justified in seceding, by predominantly mentioning the wrong doings the tyrannical British government had committed against them. These points were effectively made by using ethos, pathos, and logos as rhetorical appeals. The use of rhetoric within the Declaration of Independence helped Jefferson clearly state the reasons as to why the

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of The Declaration Of Independence

    926 Words  | 4 Pages

    The beginning of the American Revolution had created a sequence of written protests over the deserving rights of the colonist going against the government and spokesperson in England. This created great argument from those writing complaints. One of those individuals who wrote an argument was Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was required to face the strongest argument for the independence of all colonists and for the formation of the United States. “The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of absolute Tyranny over these States.”

    Read More

  • Declaration Of Independence Dbq

    805 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Declaration of Independence: An unsuccessful validation for deceitfulness and treason Thomas Jefferson and the Sons of Liberty failed to justify treason and war when composing the Declaration. Lets begin by clarifying that the colonies had been for long a land of lawlessness, chaos and disorder, where people smuggled to avoid taxes. One perfect example is John Hancock of Massachussetts, who was a very known politician and smuggler. He was even arrested for it and colonist started riots, to set him free so they could be able to purchase his illegal goods (Tea). The Crown, when seeing all the smuggling going on, they decided to sell Tea at a lower cost than the smuggled tea.

    Read More

  • Thomas Jefferson Declaration Of Independence Essay

    885 Words  | 4 Pages

    Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” (“Brainy Quotes”). These words written by Thomas Jefferson inspired all the Americans that fought for independence. The Declaration of Independence contained these words that separated the colonies from Britain, creating a new country. Thomas Jefferson contributed to the start of a great country in which freedom is entitled to every citizen (“Thomas Jefferson”, O’Brien).

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay: The Declaration Of Independence

    170 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Declaration of Independence is without a doubt one of the most influential and persuasive pieces of writing. The delegates wrote it to convince King George, along with many colonists, that the Colonies deserved the freedom to form their own nation. The whole document provides evidence as justification for that statement. The writers used persuasive methods to get their point across, specifically repetition with “He has….” listing all of the faults of King George.

    Read More

  • The Declaration Of Independence Analysis

    364 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the historical document "The Declaration of Independence," Thomas Jefferson highlights the unalienable rights of people as he declares independence from the British. He writes to King George and his parliament in order to clarify the reasons why the colonies were breaking away from Great Britain. Jefferson justifies that if the thirteen colonies were to stay under British government they would suffer from their abuses and they are declaring independence from their vile laws. He supports this claim by alluding to God 's natural laws given to men, using anaphoras, and appealing to the reader 's emotions.

    Read More

  • Jefferson's Use Of Ethos In The Declaration Of Independence

    424 Words  | 2 Pages

    Alike to an instance of teenage rebellion, the young Colonies of North America sought to break free from the oppressive clutches of their parent, the Crown. Thomas Jefferson, in conjunction with other Founding Fathers sought to create a document that would separate the entities, serving as an example for posterity. Thus, The Declaration of Independence was an expression of outrage at the government; as such, verbal appeals to pathos, as well as parallelism, which served the authors’ purpose in asserting the colonies as an independent and separate nation. Seeing as the Declaration was born out of frustration, verbal appeals to pathos are rampant in the document. This is particularly apparent in the following statement: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

    Read More

  • Imagery In Thomas Jefferson's The Declaration Of Independence

    553 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Declaration of Independence is an extremely well written document that our country has abided by since the year 1776. It was written by Thomas Jefferson beautifully, with several rhetorical devices. These devices help pull the reader into further believing what the Jefferson is trying to tell them. The first rhetorical device to address is Jefferson’s use of imagery. They aren’t seen to commonly but there are to Prime examples of it within this document.

    Read More

More about An Evaluation Of The Declaration Of Independence By Thomas Jefferson

Open Document