Rhetorical Analysis Of The Hypocrisy Of American Slavery

This speech, “The Hypocrisy of American Slavery”, was given by a man named Frederick Douglass on July 4, 1852. He was asked to give this speech to the citizens of Rochester, New York in celebration of the fourth of July. We’re going to be telling you what tone and appeals Douglass used to get his point across in this speech. Overall, the speech is about American slavery and how African Americans are treated as mediocre. Douglass’s main point was to stop slavery using the three appeals, such as ethical, logical, and emotional.
Frederick Douglass was the best known and most influential African American leader of the 1800’s. He was born into slavery in 1818 in Maryland. He escaped at age 20 and went on to become a world eminent anti-slavery activist.

The tone of this speech was serious and irritated. He was serious about fixing the problem and was irritated with the entire nation for the fraud they were committing. Douglass opens his speech by asking the people of Rochester why he was there to give the speech. He asks what he has to do with their national independence and their political freedom. He states that he isn’t going to be like all the other people in the nation he is going to use his fame for a good cause. He’s going to use his fame to help the people of America use their voice and free the slaves. In this speech he used three appeals of persuasion to stop slavery, while up against a majority of the nation. Douglass tells the people of Rochester that this is not his day it is theirs. Independence, justice, and liberty is shared by them not himself. He says this because at this time in American history it was illegal for black Americans to attend fourth of July celebrations in the north and south. They did not want their slaves to get an idea of freedom and rebel against them for freedom. His use of the words I am not, you, yours, and not mine all show that he is trying to get the American nation to stand up against slavery or that it is

He says this because the fourth of July is a terrible reminder of the ongoing cruelty that America continues to pursue on him and his people. He doesn't like the fact that whites and blacks do not have equal rights that's why the fourth of July is theirs not his. He makes the statement, “ I do not hesitate to declare, with all my soul, that the character and conduct of this nation never looked blacker to me than on this Fourth of July.” He says this because he sees this day of freedom and independence from a slave’s point of view. Slaves are not able to celebrate freedom because they simply do not have it. They are treated unfairly when they should have the same rights as everyone