To Thomas Jefferson To Benjamin Banneker Analysis

Article 1 – To Thomas Jefferson from Benjamin Banneker. 1791 The author of this letter is Benjamin Banneker, a black American born 1731 in Baltimore County, Maryland. Benjamin was a self-taught almanac author, naturalist and farmer born from a free African American woman and his father being a former slave. The letter Benjamin wrote was to Thomas Jefferson, to offer him a gift, an almanac that he painstakingly calculated and wrote by his own hand. In the course of picking up his pen, he claims to have been motivated further to write on â€Å"that State of tyrannical thraldom, and inhuman captivity, to which too many of my brethren are doomed.† Benjamin argues that he finds it strange, that while Jefferson fought for the inalienable born rights†¦show more content†¦Jefferson argues that because of the pains inflicted on slaves, when freed it would most likely result in a racial conflict that would destroy at least one of the parties involved. Further, he views the differences between white and black people as â€Å"fixed in nature†, concluding that â€Å"blacks†¦are inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind.† On these personal observations Jefferson claims that it would not be worthwhile to abolish slavery as he doubts that black people would add culturally, artistically or scientifically to society. It is clear that attempts were made to justify slavery through a perceived biological and cultural superiority of those of white or European decent at the time. Thomas Jefferson’s words were clearly influential as his opinion that emancipation would be too problematic was shared by those involved in the revision, and the motion was cast down. This document made clear the position held by slave owners and law makers. It also elucidated arguments from biological determinism to justify the continued suffering of African American slaves. Perhaps more importantly the document alluded to, perhaps a more poignant dispute to emancipation, that of the potential for social and economic strive. Gun Control – The Stono Rebellion The Stono Rebellion in a slave rebellion in South Carolina on the 9th SeptemberShow MoreRelatedThomas Jefferson Rhetorical Analysis1011 Words   |  5 PagesMy rhetorical analysis is about a free African-American almanac writer, naturalist, and farmer who fought against slavery and who earned the recognition of many high officials of the time, including Thomas Jefferson. As D.L. Chandler pointed out, Benjamin Banneker, wrote to Thomas Jefferson, on August 19, 1791, to condemn the practice of slavery in the United States. Banneker attempted to persuade Thomas Jefferson of his forbearance of slave practices and the fact that he owned slaves yet pronouncedRead MoreBenjamin Banneker Rhetorical Analysis1326 Words   |  6 PagesBanneker Analysis After the Revolutionary War, and while America was still trying to establish itself, it faced many problems in society, including the issue of race and slavery. There were many Americans who viewed blacks as inferior beings who should be confined to a life of slavery. Thomas Jefferson, the father of The Declaration of Independence, was one of those people. In 1791, Benjamin Banneker, a free and educated black man, responded to Jefferson’s work,c Notes on the State of Virginia, which