In the eighteenth century, colonists were subjected to the harsh mercantilist policies of the British. After many years colonist grew weary of these oppressive acts and responded with the Declaration of Independence. Written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, the Declaration of Independence stated the natural rights of all human beings, and the countless acts of oppression on the colonist by King George III. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson persuades Britain to grant colonial America its Independence because George III is un-fit to hold the governmental power of colonial America.
Jefferson uses repetition to persuade Britain to grant colonial America its Independence. For example, “He has” is repeated multiple times after Jefferson clearly states what “He has” is referring to, and that is the oppressive acts of George III. The repetition will display the countless acts of oppression by George the III on colonists throughout history. Thus, convincing the audience that George III has committed many acts of oppression. The multiple acts of oppression will expose the misuse of power by George the III, and convince the audience that governmental power should not be controlled by George III.
After reading the Declaration of Independence, Britain will grant colonial America its Independence because George III has demonstrated that he is unfit to hold governmental power. In addition, Jefferson uses words with negative connotations to persuade Britain to give America its Independence. For instance, the past-tense verbs “refused” and “dissolved” are followed after two separate repetitions of “He has”. The word refused means to decline, and dissolved means to melt or break up.
Clearly, these chosen words describe the action George III took in a negative way. The use of these words will radiate a sense of negativity toward George III, which will expose his cruelty. Thus, persuading the audience that George III is a cruel monarch. Obviously, a cruel monarch is not the ideal person to hold governmental power, thus convincing Britain that George III is not fit to hold governmental power.
After viewing the Declaration of Independence, Britain will grant America its Independence because George III has committed negative actions that have deemed him as un-fit to hold governmental power. Lastly, Jefferson uses credibility to persuade Britain to grant America its Independence. For example, Jefferson was well known having been the elected to the House of Burgesses in 1769, and later a delegate of the Second Continental Congress in 1775. Over the years until Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he had been establishing a reputation as one of the most eloquent advocates of the American cause.
Given the conflict between colonial America and Britain in the eighteenth century, Britain knew of Jefferson’s credentials. This gained the trust of Britain because the Declaration of Independence was written by Jefferson who was highly credible. With the knowledge that Jefferson wrote the document, the statements of George III’s acts of oppression will be believable, thus convincing Britain that George III is un-fit to hold governmental power of colonial America.
After reading the Declaration of Independence, Britain will grant America its independence because George III is un-fit to hold the governmental power of colonial America. Jefferson directly persuades Britain to give colonial America its Independence because George III is clearly un-fit to control the governmental power of colonial America. If the Declaration is a success, colonial America will gain their Independence, and monarchy will be further proven to lack efficiency. Despite George III’s unpopular rule, he has helped to demonstrate the inefficiency of monarchy.
