Reflection: Declaration of Independence

Everyone knows the date of when The Declaration of Independence was signed. We have a holiday devoted to it. Not everyone knows the contents of it though and more specifically the writing technique behind it. This was my first time really analyzing The Declaration of Independence and looking at it with a goal perspective really opens your eyes.

There are several uses of propaganda and errors of faulty logic in The Declaration of Independence. The first example that I noticed was during the first few paragraphs. Here it mentions "the opinions of mankind" and "all men". This is a type of errors to the reference called appeal to the people (Recognizing Propaganda Techniques and Errors of Faulty Logic). In this technique, the writer tries to persuade you by including the popularity. In this case, is it referring everyone. Another technique used towards the beginning was testimonial. In this case, it talked about God entitling the nature of their laws.This is used towards the end of the writing as well when it refers to the court and government. "We, therefore, the representatives of the United States, in general Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world.." (Jefferson, 124). The use of transfer propaganda was also used. This was not apart of the document itself, but in our books, the title of The Declaration of Independence does use our country's flag as the background.

One of the main uses of propaganda/ errors of faulty logic I found while reading, was "name calling". This is a technique in which the author pins negative images and thoughts to a person or idea that they are against. This is usually due to the fact that they cannot support themselves so they tear done others, but I think Thomas Jefferson was justified in the way that he talked about Great Britain because he did have evidence to support his negative remarks towards them. He even starts this section of his speech with "To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world" (Jefferson, 122). He then goes on to explain how the King of Great Britain is tyrant who is only hurting his people. Jefferson backs this up by providing examples of this including that he has forbidden to assent laws, refused his governors to pass laws, and neglects to attend to the suspended laws. (Jefferson) Jefferson continues to rant about the King of Great Britain's failure to meet the needs of the people and provides evidence for every slam he makes. "He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people" (Jefferson, 124).

The use of propaganda and errors of faulty logic can really affect the reader's reaction to it. I never really thought to compare The Declaration of Independence to it though. This was a new approach to reading something we are all familiar with. I can definitely see how propaganda and errors of faulty logic can persuade a reader to agreeing with, voting for, or buying what the author is saying.

"Recognizing Propaganda Techniquesand Errors of Faulty Logic." Recognizing Propaganda--Guide to Critical Thinking--Academic Support. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2012. http://academic.cuesta.edu/acasupp/as/404.htm.

Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., Douglas Fisher, Kathleen A. Hinchman, David G. O'Brien, Taffy Raphael, and Cynthia Hynd. Shanahan. Glencoe Literature. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009. Print.