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Summary Of What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July

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A man born into slavery, Frederick Douglass, gives a speech which is based upon the ideals of the Founding Fathers. In Douglass’ speech of What to the Slave is the Fourth of July, he talks about what the Fourth of July means for America's black population and gives us many examples in his speech of what the Founding Fathers wanted for our country. He says the Fourth of July, “is the birthday of your National Independence, and of your political freedom.” His speech quickly shows how black slaves were treated unequally by the white American society. Douglass spoke on behalf of other slaves for their rights, which challenged American social policies regarding the declaration of independence, the constitution, and the bill of rights within his speech. …show more content…

He says that the “Declaration of Independence is the ring-bolt to the chain of the nation’s destiny” because the “principles contained in it are saving principles.” What he means by saving principles, he is referring to the preamble, when the founding fathers said, “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” He refers to this part of the Declaration, because it says how all men are created equal, and if we are equal then why are we prejudice towards slaves? Douglass referred to the unalienable rights in his speech, because those are rights that cannot be taken away from you, or denied. Many black slaves were treated as if they didn't have unalienable rights, and Douglass wanted to reassure in his speech that they still

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In 1776, on July 4th, the 13 English colonies officially declared their freedom from England. However, as the years progressed, slavery became incorporated into everyday American life. In 1852, former slave Frederick Douglass gave a speech to celebrate America’s independence; however, instead of praising the country, he censured Americans for saying they were a “country of the free”. In the speech, Hypocrisy of American Slavery, Frederick Douglass declares that Americans should not be celebrating their freedom when there are slaves living in the country. To convince his audience that Americans are wrong celebrating freedom on the 4th of July when slavery exists in their country, he uses emotional appeal, ethical appeal, and rhetorical questions.

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“I didn't know I was a slave until I found out I couldn't do the things I wanted,” Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglass an escaped slave gave his speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” to a group of White Americans to try to convince them to support abolitionism. Throughout his speech Frederick Douglass talks about the treatment of the slaves and how even though slaves are human they don’t get the same rights as Whites do. In his speech Douglass effectively uses his experiences to prove his credibility, evoke emotion from his audience, and uses logic and reasoning throughout his speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July.” First of in his speech Frederick Douglass starts off by asking rhetorical question about why he is here

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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.

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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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