Summary Of Benjamin Banneker Letter

In a letter written to Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Banneker addresses his strong feeling of disgust toward the system of slavery. In order to successfully convey his message to Jefferson, he speaks directly to Jefferson, to invoke emotion in Jefferson, as well as refers to him as “sir” to give him a sense of importance.

In Banneker's letter, he writes specifically to Thomas Jefferson. He does this to convey a sense of guilt that Jefferson should feel for not acting upon the issues of slavery. Jefferson, being the framer of the Declaration of Independence has spoken upon the rights he believes every man should have. Banneker is sure to include these important words in his letter. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” These words state that every man is created equal, but with the system of slavery still intact, those words have no meaning. Banneker accuses Jefferson of saying these words but not acting upon them. “You should . . . be found guilty of that most criminal act which you

He does this to generate a sense of importance for Jefferson. He wants Jefferson to feel as if he is very respected, as well as important. This allows Banneker’s message to hopefully be more well received by Jefferson. This softens the attack of Banneker, as it shows the amount of respect he has for Jefferson. His words are not meant to insult Jefferson, he only attacks Jefferson due to the importance of the matter at hand. Not only does he use “sir” to make Jefferson feel important, but he encourages him that he is the right man for the job. By saying “I suppose that your knowledge of the situation of my brethren is too extensive to need a recital here”, Banneker solidifies his trust that Jefferson is responsible for solving this