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Rhetorical Analysis Of The Fourth Of July

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Douglass utilizes the repetition of “your” and the irony in the founding documents to emphasize the immorality of slavery, exposing the hypocrisy of white, slave-holding American culture in hope that the original democratic principles that America was built upon will be reestablished and enforced. Throughout his speech, Douglass addresses American customs and holidays, such as the Fourth of July, as “your National Independence”, the day of “your political freedom”, liberation by “your fathers”. By repeating “your” when referencing these national events, Douglass establishes separation between him and his white audience, displaying their differences in attitude in regards to the Fourth of July. To the white Americans, the Fourth of July is a joyous celebration of their “deliverance” from their oppressors, Britain, able to free their inalienable, natural rights to liberty and justice; however, this observance is infuriating to a slavish, black population that dwells in America, for these inherent rights …show more content…

To further undermine the morals and values of the white civilians, Douglass calls into question how the white population can declare themselves human when they are demoralizing and abusing the vulnerable African Americans as if they do not carry any innate human ethics such as the fair treatment of others, pointing out the discrepancy in the white, American character. Therefore, this causes the white audience to reevaluate their stand point on the ethical righteousness of slavery, as their morality is challenged and the principles of equality and natural rights, embedded in the Declaration, contradict with their slave-holding

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