Benjamin Banneker, born out of slavery, was an astronomer, a mathematician and above all an author. He wrote to Thomas Jefferson, one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence and then President George Washington's secretary of state. Banneker was courageous in writing Jefferson in that he used many different rhetorical strategies such as biblical allusions, repetition, and emotional diction in order to truly connect and convey the message to the American people. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"?Get the original essayBanneker questions Jefferson's ethics and morals by initially making numerous biblical allusions to attack his pro-slavery stance. He goes on to say that while Jefferson is "fully convinced of the Father's benevolence" toward all man, Jefferson himself contradicts and "thwarts his mercy" by allowing such an act of oppression to continue. The use of religion in this argument not only gave Banneker a way to scorn and ridicule Jefferson's actions, but it also allows him to do so without tarnishing his polite virtue and character. He established this under the power of God's judgment rather than just Banneker himself. Through the perfect integration of biblical allusions, Banneker was able to greatly increase the magnitude of the situation as he essentially sheds light on the sins of Jefferson's past. Although Banneker must have been frustrated by the subject of slavery, he maintained a very polite disposition throughout. the letter. He continually refers to Jefferson as "Sir" and "you" to be polite and address Jefferson in a much more personal way. He refers to Jefferson as "Sir" six times in the letter, with at least one instance in each paragraph. Although Banneker condemned Jefferson's actions, he still maintained the greatest respect for him and the political office he held. Banneker deliberately maintained this air of modesty and dignity to destroy Jefferson's earlier assertion that race makes a person inferior. Banneker was right to want to reason with Jefferson and not completely attack him on this issue, because how could he justify his anger at someone who clearly holds Jefferson's name in very high regard. His argument against slavery was also riddled with numerous examples of emotional diction used. to describe the true impact of slavery. Banneker describes slavery as a "criminal act that you declared to hate towards others over yourselves." This crime committed by Jefferson has long gone unchecked in Banneker's eyes. The “cruel oppression” of slavery was a major crime against humanity. These powerful words represent the plight of slavery as well as the horrific lives those affected must endure daily. He goes on to strengthen his argument by making many connections about how Jefferson's actions affected him on a very personal level. He effectively transformed the slave population from mere property to actual human beings by championing a policy of kindness to all humanity. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay A Modest Hero, Benjamin Banneker, was a revolutionary figure in American history and the fight against slavery. His letter to Thomas Jefferson is probably the match that lit the fire of..