Rhetorical Analysis Of The Declaration Of Independence Essays

871 Words Jan 27th, 2015 4 Pages
Analysis of Rhetorical Devices in the Declaration of Independence

The importance of Thomas Jefferson and his contribution as the main writer of the Declaration of Independence in American history cannot be understated. As the most eloquent of the Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson was given the unenviable responsibility of writing the Declaration of Independence, arguably the most important document in American history. The declaration is a document that would not only declare the independence the American Colonies by accusing King George III of of heinous crimes, but would also seek to alter the negative reputation that Europeans and the rest of the world wrongly had of the American Colonies due to false rumors of their customs and the ways they carried themselves. Such as eating their own children in order to control overpopulation and starvation. The declaration also aimed to, and did set the standard for which the United States would be judged as a government and a nation. Jefferson 's primary job was to explain why the American Colonies were declaring independence and to actually declare independence, but his secondary job was to showcase the wit, cleverness, and intellectuality of the American people. For this secondary task he masterfully employed common rhetorical devices. These helped lend credibility and sophistication to the document. The credibility and sophistication in turn brought attention and believability. Jefferson wastes no time, by using the line “in…

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