Rhetorical Analysis On Thomas Jefferson

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Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and a founding father of the creation of America, was a slaveholder. He held many contradictory views on slavery and on racism, such as defending the practice while simultaneously speaking down on it. Thomas Jefferson authored his opinions of slavery and his attempts to justify the prejudice of the many characteristics that he believed only pertained to that of a black American, and how those characteristics limited the holder of living in harmony and equality to the average white American. Thomas Jefferson started his scientific observations by starting with the focus of this prejudice, which was skin color. To Thomas Jefferson, the skin of a darker complexion limited the ability to show emotion and beauty outwardly. He …show more content…
Thomas Jefferson continued to say that if the skin were taken away, and their consciousness and personality were all that was left, they could be seen as equal to that of a white person. The only flaw with this opinion is that skin will always be present. Consciousness, personality, and beliefs will be present along with skin, and together they cannot coexist and be treated with the equality that only their mind could in a prejudiced nation. The reason for this document and the reason why it was authored is that the creator attempted to give white Americans a reason for the enslavement of a person. The intended audience at the time would be white people with connections and direct use of slavery. By listing all these non-accurate scientific beliefs in his writing, the readers would feel as though they received an adequate amount of explanation and understanding as to why black people were treated the way they were at the time. This gave reason for white Americans to use slavery and the labor that derived from the practice for their own personal and economic
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