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What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July, By Frederick Douglass

908 Words4 Pages

The adage “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” by Frederick Douglass is a story on how slaves are treated and the impression of the fourth of July to slaves. Douglass talks about how he, as well as other slaves, do not feel the need to celebrate like the white people. “You may rejoice, I must mourn” (Douglass 378). This is a compelling piece of writing because he speaks for the slaves, how slaves are treated, his background as a slave, and the extraordinary qualities of America. Douglass starts off the story with reasons about why the slaves do not feel the same as the white people. How Douglass analogizes this is by saying, “The sunlight that has brought life and healing to you has brought stripes and death to me” (Douglass 378). While speaking for the slaves he talks about how slavery is the biggest disappointment in America (Douglass 379). Throughout the Fourth of July, white people talked about equality for all but to the slaves they knew that no such thing …show more content…

Douglass refers to the slave trades as “man-drover” instead of a “swine-drover” (Douglass 382). He says this because, “men and women were reared like swine for the market” (Douglass 382). The slaveholders were cruel people. They had all different types of torture devices they could use on the slaves. He then goes on to talk about, the sights and sounds. Cries from those who have been torn apart from their families. The yells from the slave masters as they give orders to the slaves. The sound of the whip echoed through the land followed by a scream of pure pain. That scream was from a woman who had a child and chains. Therefore, her speed of walking slowed and she received the whip to her shoulders (Douglass 383). All of these things happened not in fields, but on the way to New Orleans so that the slaves could be sold. Finally, they made it to New Orleans only to be treated like animals. The men and women were looked at like a piece of meat. Only wanted for work, nothing

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