Rhetorical Analysis Of The Declaration Of Independence

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“All men are created equal” proclaims the Declaration of Independence, America’s guiding document; a statement confirming the unalienable rights of all Americans, penned by one of the most revered figures in American history (dec). Those infamous words were written by the architect of liberty himself, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson’s message is deeply woven into the American social consciousness, allowing for the near godlike image of him to prevail as fact. A shining example of democracy for future generations to imitate, blindingly accepting him as near perfect as his legacy transcends time. But lying right underneath the golden shroud lies almost too many paradoxes, contradictions and moral ambiguities to count. Rereading the sentence “All …show more content…
A man whose fortune and legacy was built off the back of slaves, yet who also advocated for the abolition of slavery. He called for the abolition of slavery, but only ever freed two slaves in his lifetime. “We have the wolf by the ears,” he said of slavery; “we can either hold him or safely let him go”(erw). Such is the enigma of Thomas Jefferson; one of the most loved, hated, confused and undeniably integral pillars of American history. There are many different levels and complexities to this diversion of thought in practice, but this paper will first try and explain Jefferson’s view on humanity and how he deplored the institution of slavery, then completely switch and analyze Jefferson’s implementation of scientific racism and his explanations for the necessity of slavery and last possibly reconcile the two in terms of his legacy and the possible effect it has on American history. In order to understand and possibly decipher all of the contradictions and complexities that lie within Jefferson’s mind, one must understand Jefferson’s attitude toward both human nature and
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