An American Slave, Frederick Douglass, in his speech, “What To The Slave Is The 4th Of July?”, denigrates the Fourth of July and what it’s meaning is and what it represents. Douglass’s purpose is to show his audience the meaning of Fourth of July to slaves. He adopts a pressing tone in order to show what slaves think and feel about the Fourth of July in his speech to the President, friends and the people of the US. Douglass throughout his speech lionizes the impact that Fourth of July has on slaves. According to his speech he says, “Attend the auction;see men examined like horses;see forms of women rudely and brutally exposed to the hocking gaze of American slave-buyers.
Imagine you were a slave in the 1850’s, and were asked to celebrate the Fourth of July, despite the fact that you still didn’t have your own freedom. Would you do it? Frederick Douglass stands up to this question, when he gives his, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July”, speech in 1852. Douglass is not only speaking to a crowd of abolitionists, but also a crowd filled with anti abolitionists. Douglass is speaking, to share his bold argument on this topic, and support anti slavery.
In his speech, “What to a Slave is the Fourth of July?,” Douglass creates a strong piece through structure, rhetoric, carefully crafted arguments. In the first section of his speech, Douglass
Mr. Frederick Douglass’s main point was slavery and that the celebration of Independence Day did not hold the same meaning for African Americans, free and slave, as it did for whites. He expressed that asking him to speak about the Fourth of July was a mockery. Mr. Douglass criticized the concept of celebrating independence in America. He questions how one can celebrate independence when African Americans were enslaved for years, oppressed and were not granted the same liberties and rights as those granted to whites. Mr. Douglass pointed out that slavery makes the celebrating of the Fourth of July disingenuous.
Aren’t the blacks human beings too? Weren’t they men? Although this speech was called the “Fourth of July Oration”, it wasn’t made on the fourth of July. Frederick made his speech the day after because
Rhetoric Project: Written Analysis Fredrick Douglass, in his speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July,” exhibits a prime example of effective rhetoric. In examining the effectiveness of rhetoric, it is essential to seek out the invention, arrangement, and style of the given speech. In section nine of Douglass’ speech, Douglass specifically emphasizes the past as a call to action for his audience. Speaking to a group of abolitionists, Douglass utilizes rhetoric to display the purpose behind abolition and why it is necessary for his northern crowd.
The next paragraph is where he uses logical appeal more like common sense but frederick douglass says that “ this fourth of july is yours, not mine” saying that the fourth was not made for him but for the white people because they are treated different from the whites and they are not free like them even tho all people should be free because that 's why we have the fourth of july to celebrate the independence and freedom of america not the free and the enslaved of people and this really has an impact on the audience because it makes them wonder why did we have slaves why did we not free everyone like what if we were in that position that they are in during this time like would we have done the same thing as frederic or say what they wanted to hear a big lie because blacks are not part of the celebration your just there for them when really it 's a big big disappointment to the country and the people
To many, the Fourth of July was a day to celebrate the anniversary of the United States signing the Declaration of Independence in 1776. However, to others it was a day to realize the injustices and brutality that many people lived in. Frederick Douglass was not only an African American political activist, but also an extraordinary speaker who desired to abolish slavery. He addressed the problem of American slavery from a slave 's point of view throughout his notorious Independence Day Speech At Rochester when he said, “What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.”
“If there is no struggle there is no progress” this is a quote from Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglas was born into slavery. Frederick worked at Talbot maryland. Frederick was 20 years old when he ran far away from his master. Mr douglas is an inspiration to many slaves.
His famous Fourth of July speech in 1852 came from a political and cultural standpoint as he said “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn,”. Right after he accused his audience in Rochester New York of mockery for inviting him to speak. However, Douglas was very ironic in speeches he gave. To understand racism and fredricks point of view there are better starting points than his definition of racism as a diseased imagination.
Throughout Douglass's speech, he exceeds expectations by adding excellent examples of ethos, pathos, and unique tone. These examples help the audience see his viewpoints and helps him connect with them. The literary devices used in his speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”, aided in his fight against
Douglass expresses to his spectators, while they dwell in the luxurious ability to partake in this joyous celebration of freedom for a nation, not everyone in that nation is sharing in the celebration. In The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro, he writes “The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you and not by me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn” (Douglass 1).
What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? Throughout his sermon, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July, Fredrick Douglass devotedly argued that to the slave and even the liberated African American, the Fourth of July was nothing more than a holiday of a mockery of the crudest kind. Through his use of several rhetorical devices and strategies, Douglass conveyed his perspective on the concerning matter as if he were the voice of the still enslaved, both physically and logically. Prevalently, he presented an effectively argued point using ethos, logos, and pathos through credible appeals, convincing facts and statistics, and by successfully employing emotional appeals.
Rhetorical Analysis Frederick Douglass composed a speech for the 4th of July for the citizens of Rochester, New York. He emphasizes the hypocrisy of the American Government in his "What To The Slave Is The 4th Of July?". The people of Rochester thought that it would be suitable for Douglass to write the speech because he was a slave. Fourth of July is a celebration marking America's independence from Great Britain.
In Frederick Douglass’s The Meaning of Fourth of July for the Negro, he exposes the hypocrisy and iniquity that is infused into considerably one of the most prolific American moments in history known as The Fourth of July. Douglass, who was a former slave that eventually reached freedom, was invited to speak about what Fourth of July meant for the black population within America. Although Douglass provided much gratitude to the Founding Fathers for their courage and ability to oppose oppressive systems, he criticizes the American country for its involvement within slavery. Slavery served as the foundation that constructed America, allowing for it fuel the economy and develop into a cultural and political norm within society.
