Varuzza 1

Patrick Varuzza
Mrs. St. John
AP English Language
22 January 2016
The Threat to Justice
Benjamin Banneker, a son of former slaves and an intellectual, argues against prevalent
slavery in his letter to Thomas Jefferson. Throughout his letter, Banneker presents a professional,
straight-forward tone along with a complex syntax that effectively communicates his argument to
align Jefferson with his own views.
Initially, Banneker calls upon Jefferson to recall the days of the revolution; a time when
the British were encroaching Americans freedom. Banneker desires Jefferson to remember the
variety of dangers to which [he was] exposed; reflect on that time in which every human aid
appeared unavailable. By doing so, Banneker hopes that Jefferson will realize the similarities
between the revolutionary period and slavery as he remembers what it felt like to live under a
shadow of uncertainty. By driving Jefferson to recall these memories through this clear tone,
Banneker pushed him to understand the commonalities of injustice and lack of security that
Jefferson had only recently escaped. In asking Jefferson to recall the past, Banneker recounts the
time when Jefferson was under the arms of tyranny of the British Crown [that] exerted every
powerful effort in order to reduce [him] to a State of Servitude. Banneker describes those who
ruled over Jefferson with a disdainful tone associating them with a role of the bad guy. Upon
Banneker revealing the similarities of the two instances of injustice, Jefferson is prompted to
understand the wrongs of slavery and the point of view of those enslaved. Soon after, Banneker
incorporates a quote: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and

Varuzza 2
that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This quote, taken from Jeffersons own work, the
Declaration of Independence, is used to reveal to him that his fight against Britains tyranny is
applicable to the institution of slavery, producing an incentivizing tone that pushes Jefferson to
respect his own beliefs.
The manner in which Banneker argues his point that slavery must be abolished, through
long sentences, emphasizes his points and causes them to be more convincing. In one sentence,
Banneker appeals to Jeffersons proper ideas of the great valuation of liberty, how he views the
benevolence of the Father of Mankind and of his impartial distribution of those rights and
continues to address the cruel oppression of slaves. All of these points are incorporated into a
single sentence. Complex syntax creates a quick narrative pace and a resolute tone. This
overwhelms Jefferson with evidence and allows for Bannekers argument to have a significant
effect in swaying his view. Through this rapid-fire appeal, Jefferson only has the chance to
comprehend that slavery is immoral when juxtaposed with the British crowns rule over America.
Benjamin Banneker invokes an upfront tone along with intricate syntax when writing to
Thomas Jefferson intending him to realize slaverys violation of basic human rights. Through
such rhetoric Banneker communicates his point in a persuasive fashion knowing the importance
of presenting sensible arguments to influential individuals in order to commence change.
Banneker, and leaders similar to him, proved critical in persuasively lighting the flames that
would convince others of the injustices of slavery and eventually lead to its abolishment.