Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter To Benjamin Banneker

In the letter to Thomas Jefferson from Benjamin Banneker, it is evident that Banneker uses the rhetorical strategies of humility, religious references, and historical references to create a foundation for a rational and favorable argument against slavery.

Banneker is clearly a well-educated man with a background of respectable talents (“…farmer, astronomer, mathematician…” etc.). However, he does not allow his knowledge to condescend towards the white man to whom he is writing. Banneker’s humility is a rhetorical device that contributes to the argument against slavery. Never in the letter does Banneker refer to Jefferson by name. He only refers to him as “sir”. In fact, Banneker begins each paragraph with “Sir… Here, sir… This, sir…”. Banneker is clearly doing this as to not step out of the place given to him by society. He is clearly fighting a fight he alone is not likely to win, and as history will tell us, he didn’t win for another seventy-two years.

Banneker compares his people to Job, “a righteous man who endures much suffering.” He then refers to a quote from Job, “put your souls in their souls stead,” encouraging Jefferson to look at the situation from the perspective of a black man. Banneker also calls out Jefferson by claiming he is “so fully convinced by the benevolence of the Father… at the same time counteract his mercies…”. By this statement, Banneker is blatantly calling out the United States Government’s hypocrisy and is so bold as to say that Jefferson “should at the same time be found guilty…” Guilty. Banneker is calling the Secretary of State a criminal, and is using religious references to do so. It can be considered very admirable that Banneker would be willing to point an accusatory finger at someone inherently superior in this society the way he