About a decade after the United States gained their independence from Britain, Americans have been enjoying a life free of oppression. However, Benjamin Banneker notes of the fact that his fellow brothers and sisters are still held in captivity. In his letter to Thomas Jefferson, Banneker asks of Jefferson to recall the time where he was oppressed by British officials and the tribulations that followed to set up the stage for his argument against the institution of slavery. Within his message to Jefferson, Banneker continuously emphasizes his respect while making note of the irony present in the United States—the talk of freedom while a great number of individuals are still enslaved—to rationalize the eradication of slavery. Before he enumerates
