Banneker's Rhetorical Strategy
How can an African American write a letter to a well-known white aristocrat about racial issues without intimidating the reader by giving direct facts? In a letter to Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Banneker attempts to promote Jefferson's belief of wanting to better the Black's situation. Using strategies to indirectly convince Jefferson, Banneker uses quotes from the Bible and refers to past experiences and situations to encourage Jefferson to believe the content of the letter without feeling threatened by it.
The role of the plantation owned slave was in no way simple; the economy was built around the efforts of the workers and was successful because slaves were not paid, thus allowing labor to grow crops without the expense of having to pay the workers. Unfortunately, slaves neither treated well, nor acknowledged for their efforts to create a solid economy. Although Banneker was well educated and well devoted to his beliefs, he was not treated like someone who could possibly some day be president; with all of his diplomas he still was not equal to the average white citizen.
As an African American in the 1790's, Banneker's writing was at a disadvantage only because of his color. Being well educated, Banneker had to step down onto a lower level when writing, or else his writing would have been considered too threatening. By saying "Sir" in every paragraph, the feeling of respect is kept obvious between the introduction where he boosts Jefferson's self esteem and a conclusion in which Banneker refers to himself as Jefferson's "most Obedient humble Servant" (192). By lowering his own self worth Banneker was able to get the respect that he would otherwise not have been able to receive, a respect equal to him being a educated white aristocrat.
Banneker recites several bible passages, one of which being, "`Put your Souls in their Souls stead'" (191), a phrase meant to make Jefferson think about what prejudices would feel like if they were directed towards him. The condition that the Black slaves and Black freed-slaves had to live in was not thought of much by such men of Jefferson's stature. Banneker also refers to a time when Britain had control over the state and relates the unwanted mercy that Jefferson was held under to the unwanted mercy that slaves are held under. By allowing the reader to think about possible and past situations, he can feel sympathy for those in the mentioned circumstances.
To convince Jefferson that equality should be set in place, Banneker writes about God created man. He states that, "
[God]
hath not only made us all of one flesh, but that he hath also without partiality afforded us all the Same Sensations" (190). With similar religious to the settling Puritans, Jefferson had strong religious beliefs, and to be told that a slave has every sensation that the richest white aristocrat has is a powerful statement. The borderline between the common white slave holder and a black slave could not be more than just color if all else is equal between the two.
Banneker used an indirect strategy to allow his words to slip into Jefferson's mind and be thought about once the text is read; in a way, Banneker attempts to give the reader the feeling that they are realizing injustices on their own. This approach to writing is very appropriate considering the bias that an African American's writing is given due to stereotypes common to the time. Perhaps this type of deception was the only way for Banneker to get the respect that he deserved.
Works Cited:
Banneker, Benjamin. "Letter to Thomas Jefferson." Negotiating Difference: Cultural case studies for composition. Ed. Patricia Bizzell and Bruce Herzberg. Boston: Bedford, 1996. 189-192.
