The essay following will look at the similarities and differences in the language, style and structure of Thomas Jefferson's American Declaration of Independence with that of John Winthrop's Model of Christian Charity. The essay will expose the type of language used and how the language and vocabulary contribute to the effectiveness of each document.
             Its solemn and dignified tone, its graceful and unhurried cadence, its symmetry, energy, and confidence, its combination of logical structure and dramatic appeal, its adroit use of nuance and implication all contribute to its rhetorical power. And all help to explain why the Declaration remains one of the handful of American political documents that, in addition to meeting the immediate needs of the moment, continues to enjoy a lustrous literary reputation. (Lucas 1989:7)
             As this quote suggests, the Declaration of Independence is a masterful document written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776. When the thirteen colonies of British North America decided to seek their independence from England, Thomas Jefferson was called on to draft a Declaration of Independence which was to be presented to the King George III. Although being known as the author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson's draft was heavily edited by the thirteen delegates of the Second Continental Congress, to arrive at the final document we see today.
             Thomas Jefferson was born in Virginia in 1743 and grew up on his family plantation in Albermarle County. Jefferson came from a well respected family and went to university in Williamsburg where he studied to become a lawyer. While in Williamsburg, Jefferson was admitted to the bar and met Dr. William Small, a Scottish philosopher who introduced Jefferson to the enlightenment philosophy, a philosophy that would help him with his writing of the Declaration of Independence.
             Like Jefferson, John Winthrop was also an educated man and had training as a lawyer. W...