Question

Read the excerpt from "What the Black Man Wants."

[W]hen any individual or combination of individuals undertakes to decide for any man when he shall work, where he shall work, at what he shall work, and for what he shall work, he or they practically reduce him to slavery. [Applause.] He is a slave. That I understand Gen. Banks to do—to determine for the so-called freedman, when, and where, and at what, and for how much he shall work, when he shall be punished, and by whom punished. It is absolute slavery. It defeats the beneficent intention of the Government, if it has beneficent intentions, in regards to the freedom of our people.
How does Douglass appeal to the audience’s sense of logic in the excerpt?
by using his own personal experiences to gain their trust
by recounting emotional events to evoke sadness
by explaining the reasoning behind his argument
by describing how he plans to effect change in the US

Answer 1

In the excerpt from "What the Black Man Wants," Douglass appeals to the audience’s sense of logic **by explaining the reasoning behind his argument**. He logically outlines how imposing restrictions on when, where, and how a person can work equates to reducing that person to slavery. His argument is based on the fundamental principles of freedom and autonomy, which he articulates clearly, making a rational case against the practices that he believes undermine true freedom for formerly enslaved individuals.