Thomas Jefferson Literary Response

Steve Epting
AP English
Thomas Jefferson Literary Response
This passage is from Thomas Jefferson’s autobiography. Thomas Jefferson wrote some of the Declaration of Independence. The American colonies were tired of the way that the king of Great Britain was treating them. They wanted to take a stand in separating themselves from British rule. The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776 and then was engrossed on parchment and signed again on August 2nd. The passage stated everything the king did that the colonies wanted to change. One of the complaints stated “He has refused his assent to laws the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.” That means that King George III has ignored the laws that keep the society in order.
Thomas Jefferson only wrote some of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson had a major influence as he was writing. His influence was a man named John Locke. Locke believed that all people have natural born rights and Jefferson basically got some of his political ideas from Locke. Jefferson stated, “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.” The reason of this entire plea to the king is so that every citizen can have equal rights. Every human was born with natural rights to be an equal citizen.
The passage was not very hard to understand even though the Declaration of Independence was written a long time ago. The word usurpation was being used in the passage. When they use this word they are talking about the way the king is using his power. The passage appeals to ethos because Jefferson and the other writers were trying to strongly persuade the audience to feel how they were feeling. They wanted some changes to happen and they’re doing it very calmly. The writers wrote a lot of complaints. Basically all the citizens want is to be treated right.