Declaration Of Independence Ethos Pathos Logos

The word “American” is often associated with words such as freedom, liberty, and equality. Using our mother document, the Declaration of Independence, the premise “all men are created equal” defined inalienable rights as a principle under which we stood. However, when the fight between slavery and freedom started to become more controversial, Americans referred back to the Declaration for guidance. Finding support for both sides in the writing of our fathers the debate blazed to life for all to see. With a large range of authors and speakers publicizing their arguments, the literature surrounding slavery is one of the most well-known in history. The mid-19th century was considered one of the most contentious pieces of history

Like a support beam for a building, ethos, logos, and pathos allow an author to capture the attention of an audience and effectively argue without large amounts of fallacy. As mentioned above Bledsoe uses emotion attached to the words duty and natural right to persuade his audience to support slavery. However, Douglass introduced the claim that America was built upon the premise of freedom. With freedom being a natural right to mankind, the United States society is hypocritical in demanding religious freedom for all but denying basic freedom to black Americans. Both authors targeted their audience’s basic beliefs of government and religion to explain the reasoning behind their arguments. However, the use of credibility and emotion is not the only thing that makes an argument effective, logic plays an important role in convincing an audience that an author’s reasoning is sound and factually correct. Bledsoe's argument of the natural right logically persuades the audience to believe that without rules and regulations of society, then society would be left to crumble under incompetent leadership. His use of metaphors and stories allows the audience to envision the society he speaks about and the effect on their lives and the county’s future. Douglass’s focus is rather on the rules and regulations the American people hold themselves to and their pride in their country. By insulting them and their actions

In opposition, Stewart took a different approach. Stewart uses a blend of all rhetorical appeals, devices, and strategies to create the vision of the present. By explaining the horror behind slavery, Stewart can present an argument that focuses on the treatment of slaves, and the current events that affect the nation as a whole. She calls out not only white people but free blacks as well and demands action. Her use of imagery directly evokes a sense of horror and sadness that shocks her audience and forces their attention toward her. Her speech aims to force the audience to use their voice for good by using her own experience to provide credibility. Then Stewart explains how the treatment of slaves compared to the treatment and rights of other Americans contradicts the beliefs of the American people. In conclusion, Stewart’s writings changed the way Americans perceived the slave trade and the slavery argument. The structure of her argument, logical, emotional, and credibility factors make her the most persuasive and effective compared to any other