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Rhetorical Analysis Of July Fourth Of A Negro

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Essay # 2 Frederick Douglass’ July Fourth of a Negro
Equality is a moral value that people considered the best trait to have, but what does it mean to other people? The honorary Frederick Douglass, an orator and abolitionist spoke about what the Fourth of July means for the black people in America. He addresses what the founding fathers did for the country and America’s attitudes towards slavery. July Fourth of A Negro was one of Douglass’ most famous speeches. The speech was given on July 5th, 1852 in Rochester, New York. The premise of the speech was his refusal to celebrate the 4th of July until all slaves were freed because freedom is defined when everyone is free, not just some people. As a result, it forms questions from the legendary …show more content…

He considers that both democracy and freedom is both a joke and a contradiction. In his perspective, freedom and democracy isn’t given nor granted to everyone even if it’s promoted. Douglass concludes back on a positive note. He believes that anti-slavery views will eventually win over the people for slavery because many countries were over slavery in the middle 19th century. He argues that the brutalities of slavery can’t be hidden anymore.
After reading this speech, Frederick Douglass defines the United States as “hypocritical”. This is evident because Douglass asks a rhetorical question that states "Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence extended to us blacks? Douglass thinks that America is hypocritical because the African Americans were not free when the nation was based on freedom. In a way, Frederick Douglass challenges the “all men are created equal” quote from Jefferson because he realizes that there were no equal rights to blacks even before, during and after …show more content…

With equality, this includes freedom, democracy and equal rights to all people no matter what race, gender or class they fall on. Unfortunately, the rise of slavery made it apparent that the “all men are created equal” didn’t mean anything among African Americans based on their unequal treatments. Like we discussed in class, slavery created tension between the North and South especially when the Second Middle Passage took in effect. The Second Middle passage was a horrifying event and the slaves were treated like cargo on the ships for months on their way to America. It was important because millions of African Americans were forced to leave their families, transported on ships to get beaten, face physical and mental abuse and sold alive or dead. In a way, this lead to dehumanization among black people because of the harsh treatments during the slave

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Douglass establishes his credibility and authority on the issue of slavery and inequality in the United States by drawing on his own experience and expertise. He begins the speech by introducing himself as a former slave and expressing his sadness and disappointment at the Fourth of July festivities which celebrate the nation’s independence while ignoring the ongoing oppression of African Americans. He says, “I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us.” By acknowledging his own identity as a former slave, Douglass gives himself immediate credibility on the issue of slavery and inequality.

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He declares, “to forget them [the slaves], to pass lightly over their wrongs and to chime in with the popular theme would be treason most scandalous and shocking, and would make me a reproach before God and the world,” (para. 5). He discusses that slavery is unjust, and says that celebrating freedom with slavery would be treason. This helps the audience realize that celebrating freedom in their country is not a peccadillo, and they naturally will try to right the wrong because of their moral instincts by stopping their celebration. He also says, “to him your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mock; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy - a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages,” (para. 15). In this quote, Douglass says that celebrating liberty is covering up a crime: slavery.

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