Imagine you were a slave in the 1850’s, and were asked to celebrate the Fourth of July, despite the fact that you still didn’t have your own freedom. Would you do it? Frederick Douglass stands up to this question, when he gives his, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July”, speech in 1852. Douglass is not only speaking to a crowd of abolitionists, but also a crowd filled with anti abolitionists. Douglass is speaking, to share his bold argument on this topic, and support anti slavery.
Mr. Frederick Douglass’s main point was slavery and that the celebration of Independence Day did not hold the same meaning for African Americans, free and slave, as it did for whites. He expressed that asking him to speak about the Fourth of July was a mockery. Mr. Douglass criticized the concept of celebrating independence in America. He questions how one can celebrate independence when African Americans were enslaved for years, oppressed and were not granted the same liberties and rights as those granted to whites. Mr. Douglass pointed out that slavery makes the celebrating of the Fourth of July disingenuous.
The fourth of July and slaves really don’t mix. Frederick douglass was born as a slave and he does a speech on the fourth of july and they are thinking that he is going to give a whora speech but he dont do that it 's the complete opposite of what they thought. In frederick douglass, Hypocrisy of American Slavery he attacks the hypocrisy of a nation celebrating freedom and independence with speeches, parades and platitudes, while, within its borders, nearly four million humans were being kept as slaves. Overall douglass has explained his speech through emotional,ethical,logical appeal and through rhetorical questions.
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.
In conclusion Fredrick Douglass uses logical appeal, ethical appeal and antithesis to support his claim about how white people are wrong to celebrate the Fourth of July when half the American population is still enslaved. This may leave the reader upset with how the past was hard for many black slaves who were mistreated and may leave them wanting to read more on how people solved this
Many people in America take their freedoms for granted and fail to realize that some people don’t share those freedoms. Fredrick Douglass intended to remind Americans that the Fourth of July is not a day of celebration for African Americans, but a day of mourning. Douglass uses varied syntax, rhetorical questions, and appeals to emotions and logic to prove that slaves are human and that their manhood should be recognized, and to show the irony behind asking a slave to speak at a celebration of independence. Douglass uses short syntax to display the differences between himself and his audience, as well as long syntax to exaggerate the neverending struggles of African American slaves. Douglass states “I am not that man.”
In “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” Frederick Douglass deconstructs the whole idea of the meaning of the holiday. The holiday was meant to represent the American dream of freedom and independence, but at that time, it was limited to only the white man. Frederick Douglass critiques the hypocrisy of celebrating the independence of America while so many African Americans were enslaved, but he also challenges the reader to think about the injustices within American society. In this essay, I will argue that Frederick Douglass utilizes irony, pathos, and critical thought in “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” to shed light on the injustices and systematic oppression of African Americans within American society.
When most people hear the words “Fourth of July” they think about fireworks, cookouts, and sparklers. During the 1850’s, the Fourth of July served as a reminder of the many horrors and injustices in the world. On July 4, 1852, Frederick Douglass-- a former American slave, abolitionist leader and adroit speaker-- spoke in Rochester, New York about the affectation of celebrating independence. In his speech, “The Hypocrisy of American Slavery”, he claims celebrating independence is unethical when slavery is widespread. To convince the reader of his claim, he uses rhetorical questions, emotional appeal, and antithesis in hopes of shedding light and sparking action on the wrongful situation.
The 4th of July marks the historic day in the United States in which the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continent Congress, and this date marks the beginning of a new era for the American people. Former slave Frederick Douglass delivered a speech in 1852 on the Fourth of July, the main focus of this speech was to open the eyes of American citizens to what the meaning of freedom means and what slaves aren’t able to partake in due to the ignorance and irony of the white Americans, celebrating the liberty and freedom slaves don’t have in comparison to them. Slaves in the South have no access to any freedom or liberty white Americans are used to every day of their lives, Frederick Douglass’ speech brought the attention of the white
Douglass expresses to his spectators, while they dwell in the luxurious ability to partake in this joyous celebration of freedom for a nation, not everyone in that nation is sharing in the celebration. In The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro, he writes “The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you and not by me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn” (Douglass 1).
What to the Slave is the Fourth of July Introduction The 4th of July is an important day in American history it represents freedom and is usually associated with fireworks, parades, alcohol, and concerts. Those activities more or less represent today’s culture. When Fredrick Douglass made his speech he talked about American values such as liberty, citizenship, and freedom. The irony of this speech was that at the time white Americans in the south were still participating in slave trading.
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.
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.
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, Frederick Douglass, a former slave, was called upon to deliver a speech to celebrate America’s independence; however, 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. He uses emotional appeal, ethical appeal, and rhetorical questions to convince his audience that Americans are wrong celebrating freedom on the 4th of July when slavery exists in their country.
In Frederick Douglass’s The Meaning of Fourth of July for the Negro, he exposes the hypocrisy and iniquity that is infused into considerably one of the most prolific American moments in history known as The Fourth of July. Douglass, who was a former slave that eventually reached freedom, was invited to speak about what Fourth of July meant for the black population within America. Although Douglass provided much gratitude to the Founding Fathers for their courage and ability to oppose oppressive systems, he criticizes the American country for its involvement within slavery. Slavery served as the foundation that constructed America, allowing for it fuel the economy and develop into a cultural and political norm within society.
