order of importance: a method of organizing an essay according to the relative significance of the subtopics
"To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors 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
to them..."
-The Declaration of Independence
by Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence with some element of order of importance. What is considered most grievous is listed first and then the offenses are listed in descending order. Jefferson wants to grab the King's attention by listing the worst first. He also wants to let the King know as soon as possible that the colonists are serious and have legitimate reasons for declaring independence. Listing the grievances by descending order, he is organizing the paper, which also increases its legitimacy, making the argument seem more logical and well thought out.
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