Emotional+Appeal

=Emotional Appeal =

In //The Declaration of Independence// Jefferson uses emotional appeal to rationalize and persuade the rest of the colonies to fight for their independence against Britain. Jefferson constantly brings up the King’s actions and the wrongs he has committed against our people.

“The State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within. ”

“He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.”

“He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.”

Jefferson basically states in these three quotes that the King feels nothing when he is committing immoral acts against our people. He uses emotional appeal when using words such as “burned” and “plundered” and “ravaged” to get the people and angry and fired up to fight for their independence.

1. Was Jefferson’s use of emotional appeal in //The Declaration of Independence// accurate or do you think he exaggerated in order to gain the respect of the colonies and to have them stand up against Britain?

“He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.”

“He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.”

“A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”

Jefferson used emotional appeal while stating the King’s actions and the wrongs the King committed against the American people. He describes the King as a tyrant because of the way he treats his people.

2. Do you think that Jefferson had the right to make accusations against the King?