Logical+Appeal

Logical Appeal: In Jefferson’s // Declaration of Independence, // he uses a lot of persuasive appeal, such as logical appeal, in order to accomplish his, and the signers of the Declaration’s, purpose. He wanted to convince the colonists to revolt against the King of Britain due to the grievances and restraints he had set upon the American colonists. “ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This quote from the // Declaration of Independence  // displays Jefferson’s appeal to the publics analytical and logical side due to what Jefferson believed was “unalienable” facts. His certainty and his play on the background of the colonists’ society helped him to persuade the vast majority of the American population to revolt against King George III. Also, the elegant writing and diction of Jefferson lent the document an official and educated air to the colonies, which were viewed by the British as the wild and unintellectual “step-child” of their country.  1) Do you think that these “unalienable rights” were fact- based evidences, or were they just beliefs that the American colonists shared because of the their deeply Christian backgrounds?      “  We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity.”    In this statement, Jefferson is again applying logic and intelligence in order to gain the people’s support as well as to remind the world that they tried again and again to reconcile the differences and the grievances that the British Empire was inflicting upon the American colonies but their response was to do nothing. The author’s control of language to create this appeal definitely magnified the weight of his argument against the British Empire.  2) Do you think the American colonists tried hard enough to try to reconcile with Britain or were they just using their few, feeble, failed attempts at compromise to spur their revolutionary movement?   “He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.”    “He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.”    “He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.”    All of these quotations, and twenty- four other clauses in the //  Declaration of Independence,  // were reasons, based on facts and contemporary events, that the Founding Fathers penned and showed to the world in order to rationalize their movement for independence from their mother country. These reasons were based on evidence and actions taken by the British Crown. The official and concise structure of this part of the document helped Jefferson’s point to be presented in an intellectual style.  3) Do you think all of these justifications and reasons were purely actions of King George II or was the British Parliament in part to blame also? If the Founding Fathers had included the Parliament’s role in their suppression, would that have helped or hindered their cause?     A. Declaration of Independence    a. Unalienable Rights Given by God   i. Logical appeal to people’s belief in God   b. Tried to Reconcile with British King but were Ignored  i. Logical appeal to People’s reasoning that, when ignored, they must act due to neglect  c. Reasons for Independence  i. Actions and Occurrences based on Facts that were against American colonists by the King