On July 4th, 1952, Frederick Douglass delivered a powerful speech in Rochester, New York. He carefully crafted an argument aimed at persuading his audience that the United States must abolish slavery. Douglass strategically focused on highlighting the faults of American slavery, and in doing so, he uses important features such as vivid imagery, emotional appeals, and historical references to build a powerful case for the urgent need to end slavery. One of the most relevant features of Douglas's argument is the use of the imagery. Throughout the speech, he explains a well-focused picture of the brutality faced by enslaved individuals. By describing the brutal whippings, separations of families, and the dehumanizing conditions slaves were forced …show more content…
Moreover, throughout Douglass's speech he depends on emotional appeal as an important part in his persuasive strategy. He shares personal antidotes and experiences throughout the speech to humanize the issue of slavery, which then makes the story to be more heartfelt and relatable for his audience. A part of the speech that persuades the audience’s emotions is Douglass’ emphasis on the pain of separating from a loved one. It shows the reader that the slaves were denied basic human rights. By using these emotional appeals, Douglass encouraged his audience to view slavery as an injustice and inhumane that affects real people everyday. Furthermore, Douglass skillfully adds historical references throughout his argument, particularly by using the principles of the Constitution. He highlights the contradiction between the nation's ideas of freedom and equality when the government then denies these principles to a significant portion of the population. By showing the audience the nation’s founding values and the fight against slavery, Douglass challenges the audience to live up to and prove the idea of the country’s