November
28
Declaration of Independence and Sentiments and Resolutions
You have two tasks.
1) Identify then describe one distinctive syntactic feature found in the Declaration of Independence. Once you identify this feature, explain the effect it may have created on the audience during the time just before the Revolutionary War. Why do you think Jefferson crafted this argument in this way? Did he achieve his purpose?
2) Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s Sentiments and Resolutions resembles the Declaration of Independence. Why specifically, do you think she chose to mimic Jefferson’s document? What is the significance of her doing so and how does this help to acheive her purpose?
Cite concrete details from both documents in your response. This is due by Friday morning. 🙂
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeegeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeei
follow me on insta @s.amcooper
Adiam Habtay
1) Thomas Jefferson emphasized many syntactic features in the “The Deceleration of Independence “. He often used parallel sentences in this document. For example “…that all men are created equal & independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the spirit of happiness; that to secure these ends…” (P. 163164). The colonies realized it was time to secede,from this country that striped their rights. So Jefferson wrote a formal break up letter towards England.He clearly stated that all that all men are created equal. This may have been the main reason for the support that England provided during the Revolutionary War.Jefferson crafted his argument in a brilliant approach,by using a ton of pathos. His main goal was to make England feel sorry for the colonies. And he achieved his purpose by doing so.
2)In the “Sentiments and Resolutions” Elizabeth Cady Stanton purposely mimics “The Deceleration of Independence”.During this time women were deprived for their rights in every aspect. Jefferson document was a success. So Stanton may have thought if she wrote a resemblance, women would also receive the same rights. She did not think that women was more superior than men.She viewed them equally by stating men and women,unlike “The Deceleration of Independence”.
Hannah Reddy
Ms. Keeble
AP English 11, Period 2
2 December 2012
Question 1 Revision
In Thomas Jefferson’s the Declaration of Independence uses a specific syntactic feature in the essay when he carefully states, “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,” (pg. 168). During this time, the thirteen colonies want to become their own country; they no longer want to have “support” from the King. In this excerpt, Jefferson uses “all men are created equal,” knowing that slavery as going on during the 1700’s. I also believe that he knew that the Declaration of Independence would stir up some problems, so the reason he worded the document like this was to get everyone’s support and help, specifically targeting the slaves and poor white men. The then anticipated crowd’s reaction would turn from hatred towards these men (the framers of the Declaration of Independence) to patriotic because they all now are all equal so they all now suddenly share the same mindset. Instead of the rich doing all the work, the poor can take care of it because who would miss them anyways?
The Declaration of Independence is enriched with emphasis. Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of this document, uses syntax so the audience can feel his feel his passion. One of his ways is repeating “for”. At the beginning, before he gives his points, Jefferson uses the word to add to his asserting tone. The usage of “for” when he discusses vital information adds more power to the points Jefferson is trying to prove. ” Another use of syntax is in the line, “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”. He consistently uses “that”. Jefferson’s lines are emphatic, direct, and the audience will remember this. He achieved his purpose by using this technique. The document and its most memorable lines uniquely embedded themselves in society’s mind.
Elizabeth Stanton was clever for mimicking the document. With women suffering injustice, men treating them with little to no respect, and hardly any or no jobs at all, this document was a big shift in a brighter tomorrow for women. She showed that women are entitled to everything a man is, and in this time era, women were lower than men. This was significant to her achieving equal rights for women because it did just that. This document and how she reworded it was the mark of when women’s progression in equality took a turn for the best.
Alexis L.
Ms. Keeble
AP English 11
12/2/12
1.) Thomas Jefferson agrues for the seperation from Great Britain in The Declaration of Independence. Jefferson strictly discusses the abusive actions that King George comitted. Jefferson stressesthe king’s abusive actions through his use of anaphora. Parallel sentences was the tactic that stuck out to me the most. For example, “…that all men are created equal & independant, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the spirit of happiness; that to secure these ends…” (Paragraph 2, P. 163-164). This most likely encouraged the people enough to support the war to receive the fair rights they were deprived of. I believe that Jefferson did get his point across when he wrote this.
Good job, Alexis. No personal pronouns in a response–unless it’s an argument and you are asked to provide personal experiential references. Otherwise–a no no. Just state your opinion as if you are the expert. I would say, He used parallel sentences extensively. You must be the expert here. You have your own ethos to carry.
Caleb Matthews
Ms. Keeble
AP English, Period 2
2 December 2012
In the “Declaration of Independence”, Thomas Jefferson incorporates a variety of different syntactic features. However, I found a few parallel structures that stuck out from the rest, which read: “He has refused his Assent to Laws… He has forbidden his Government to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance… He has refused to pass other Laws… He has dissolved Representative Houses…”. These parallel structures gave the readers of the time a specific image of the crimes that King George III had committed against the American Colonies, angering them in the process. Jefferson argued this way to gain more supporters in the Colonies, which I think he succeeded in doing.
2. Elizabeth Cady Stanton made the “Declaration of Sentiments” similar to the “Declaration of Independence” in order to show how hypocritical Thomas Jefferson and the leaders of the country were, specifically towards women. She most likely chose to mimic the “Declaration of Independence” because she knew it would have a greater impact on the American people. The quote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident:that all men and women are created equal…” would easily catch their attention. The significance of the document was that it helped enlighten how acts of unequality were happening within the Colonies by American leaders, instead of outside by the British government.
“variety of different” redundant–make every word count, Caleb. Focus.
Brittany-Ann D.
Keeble
AP English
3 November 2012
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson strongly stated the reasons why the United Colonies declared its independency. This famous document provided evidence of King George’s wrongdoings and the Colonists’ rebellion toward freedom. By doing this, Jefferson used a strategic way of writing. He used the syntactic feature of parallelism to emphasize rhetoric effect. The Declaration of Independence states, “He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his Government to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend them” (Pg. 168). By repeating “He has…” it highlighted why the United Colonies separated from King George’s control. This distinctive syntactic feature had the repetition and identical structure to achieve Jefferson’s purpose.
In the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions, Elizabeth Cady Stanton mimicked the strategy Jefferson used in the Declaration of Independence. Stanton used the syntactic feature of parallelism, to achieve the same outcome. She knew that if she used the same structure, she would achieve her purpose and win against those opposing her. The Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions states, “He has made her, if married, in the eye of the law, civilly dead. He has taken from her all right in property, even to the wedges she earns” (Pg. 359). By the repetition in “He has… “, it shows the significance and importance of why men as well as women should be equal.
Alicia O.
Ms.Keeble
AP English
2 December 2012
In the “Declaration of Independence”, Thomas Jefferson seeks to persuade the colonists to be independent from King George. This famous document written in 1776 provides many reasons for why the colonists had the right to be independent.
Jefferson persuades the colonists through the phrase, “We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independant, that from that equal creation they derive rights inheret & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the spirit of happiness..”(163). The effect it may have had on the audience during the time just before the Revolutionary War was that it made the people be sure that they had to keep fighting against the King. Them hearing that they had to have “liberty” is what made them want to fight. This made the audience remember what was the sole purpose against the war. He crafted this argument in this way to make the people more angry and passionate towards the fighting of the war. His purpose was to make them have more energy towards the war. Jefferson was able to do this by all the truths he states in the document.
In “Sentiments and Resolutions” Elizabeth Cady Stanton chose to mimic the writing of Jeffersons “Declaration of Independence” because it gave the sense of being a real document. Also, because it made her audience be more persuaded by her essay. Not only that but since the document Jefferson wrote did pass it makes people have confidence that this document will pass. ” He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise”(359). Her sole purpose for making it this way was just to get the peopls attetntion and see that just as much as the men need to have rights women need the same rights too.
Rachel N.
Ms. Keeble
AP English Language & Composition
3 December 2012
1) Of the numerous syntactic elements found in, “The Declaration Of Independence,” by Thomas Jefferson, periodic sentences was the tactic that stuck out the most to me. As Jefferson is explaining the offenses the King of Britain has expelled on them, he illustrates the actions that must be taken to protect their natural rights. “…& when occasions have been given them, by the regular course of their laws, of removing from their councils the disturbers of their harmony, they have by their free election re-established them in power…” (Jefferson 166). The effect this language must have implemented on the audience is pure empowerment. Not only was their voice being heard, but they were being encouraged to fight for their deserved freedom and justice. Jefferson formulated his argument this way because he wanted to be taken seriously. He desired to motivate people to see that their natural rights, rights they were born with, were being stripped away from them for the benefit of someone else. Now that the U.S. is it’s own country with this Declaration in place, Jefferson has more than achieved his purpose, but has influenced other countries to take the same route to social freedom and equality for all men and women.
2) Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s, “Sentiments and Resolutions,” is a document similar to Jefferson’s, “Declaration Of Independence.” Stanton chose to base her document off of Jefferson’s because she desired to portray that women are equally as human as men and therefore, should be equally protected under the law. She felt that if the Declaration Of Independence and Constitution says all people who are citizens deserve these rights, then all people can obtain them. Moreover, she yearned to reflect how much these documents contradicted themselves if they did not apply to women. Women played just as important a role in growing America both financially and physically. Why would they follow a government that includes them in only a segment of the laws, but not all of them? This helps to achieve her purpose because it highlights how much women have been excluded from being just as free as men. Stanton not only wanted to convey that women are equal to men, but that they have had their natural rights taken away from the U.S. government and society itself.
Jessica A.
Ms. Keeble
AP Lang. and Composition, Per. 5
2 December 2012
In Thomas Jefferson’s “Declaration of Independence, Jefferson attempts to expose all of King George’s wrong doings. He achieved his goal through the use of parallelism. For example, “He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries…He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures…” (Jefferson, 169) Jefferson’s reiteration of “he has” imposes a greater attraction to the text on the reader. His use of “He has” suggests a correspondence between similar phrases– both similar in context and syntax. The use of parallelism strengthens the text, and effectively combines his thoughts. During the time before the Revolutionary war, Jefferson incorporated parallelism into his text to build off of one idea. In the excerpt above, “He” is King George III. By using parallelism, Jefferson exposed all truths about the King in an effort to persuade the new Americans to converge with his thoughts and revolt against the King. Americans wanted to be freed from his rule. Jefferson crafted his text in this way to reiterate his initial ideas and to empower the audience to feel what he feels. From this syntactical feature, he achieved his purpose. For instance, I myself felt empowered as I read the phrase “He has.” Each time, I felt the urge to say it to myself with greater strength and emotion.
Sarai P. Says:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:23 pm Reply
Sarai P
AP English
Ms. Keeble
30 November 2012
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson uses a variety of different syntactic devices to stir certain feelings in those reading his work. Jefferson writes, “Future ages will scarce believe the the hardiness of one man, adventured within the short compass of twelve years only, on so many acts of tyranny without a mask, over people fostered & fixed in principles of liberty, (50 essays, 167).” In this sentence alone, Jefferson is attempting to appeal to the general population of the United States. It is widely recognized,
that those who immigrated to the United States were seeking refuge from persecution for having different views. Jefferson wanted to remind the people WHY they had left their homelands. No longer could rules from their past dictate them; the game, and the stakes were different. Jefferson formed his argument in this particular manner to not only make the King aware of his tyrannical acts, but also to remind the people that in order to succeed, there must be room to grow.
Elizabeth Cady’s, Sentiment and Resolution much resembles the Declaration of Independence. Many opinions can be had over this, negative and positive. However, such resemblance proves that not only was the Declaration of Independence successful, but it was also a primary example to very many other countries. Cady much like Jefferson was looking to present her causes opinion and beliefs, by not only confronting the problem, but offering ethical examples as to why they were wrong.
Amacalli Duran
Ms. Keeble
AP English
Thomas Jefferson, one of the Founding Fathers of America, was the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence written in 1776. Jefferson thoughtfully placed distinctive syntax features in the Declaration of Independence to provide a powerful tone in the document. Thomas Jefferson used the repetitive phrase “He Has” to emphasize the blame he was placing on the King. Jefferson states, “he has refused his assent to laws the most wholesome and necessary for the public good… he has… he has” (Jefferson 164). The audience reacted harshly to the repetition because it reminded them of how they were being imprisoned by The King’s tyranny. Jefferson’s main objective was to obtain freedom by stating the reasons the colonies would rage war against the King. Jefferson achieved his purpose because the colonies went to war against Great Britain and later obtained their freedom as independent states.
Cady Stanton mimics the Declaration of Independence between it is the first document man has ever written to oppose it oppressor. Staton states, “We hold truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…” (Stanton 358) By using the Declaration of Independence as an outline, Staton implies the message that woman’s rights are just as important as those of men and the United States. Staton exploited how sexist America was and how it needed to change. Mimicking the Declaration of Independence helped Stanton’s protest because it brought more awareness and support to her cause. In the end, woman attained many of the rights they fought and protested for.
Jashleen Singh
Ms. Keeble
AP English 11, Per 2
12/01/12
1) In “The Declaration of Independence” optimistic and determined writer, Thomas Jefferson, states legitimate facts to why the Colonies should break away from Britain. He uses parallel structure to exploit and emphasize the offenses of King George III. He states, “that all men are created equal & independent, that from equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable…” Jefferson used this feature to make the audience wake up and realize that they weren’t being given the rights that they had deserved. He did achieve his purpose, because this was the reason for our independence.
2) Elizabeth Cady Stanton chose to mimic Jefferson’s document because of the influence it had on America. Specifically, men and them being treated as equals. By using his sentence, she was able to bring the significance of women’s rights to everyone’s attention.