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Essay on frederick douglass speech What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July
Analysis of what to the slave is the fourth of july by fredribk douglas
Essay on frederick douglass speech What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July
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Civil disobedience is defined as the act of refusing to obey laws, pay taxes using a nonviolent means of protesting or of attempting to achieve political goals (“Civil Disobedience”). Thoreau shows the act of civil disobedience in Civil Disobedience. Douglass also demonstrates civil disobedience in “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”. There are also many famous figures that practiced civil disobedience. Harriet Tubman was also a well- known civil rights activist that helped many slaves escape through the Underground Railroad. Rosa Parks displayed civil disobedience when she refused to give up her seat to a white passenger, creating the Montgomery boycott intending to end segregation. Many of these civil rights activists have influenced the way things are today. Civil disobedience has forever affected our society in many ways. Civil disobedience is appropriate and justified under certain circumstances. In Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience, the act of civil disobedience is displayed when he does not feel the proper reason to pay the taxes. Although another man does pay the taxes, he does not think it is necessary. Thoreau states, “I declined to pay. But, …show more content…
Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience, Douglass’s “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”, Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks portrayed cases in which civil disobedience is justified. These people go against the law is some way to do what they believe is right. They risk the chance of being punished for, not only themselves, but others too. Without these acts of civil disobedience, others would not feel that it is okay to speak up for their beliefs. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws” (Tag). Do not be afraid to stand up for what it right and against what is unjustified. It is a big responsibility to go against the law but in the end, it could very much be worth
Martin Luther King and Henry David Thoreau each write exemplary persuasive essays that depict social injustice and discuss civil disobedience, which is the refusal to comply with the law in order to prove a point. In his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” King speaks to a specific audience: the African Americans, and discusses why he feels they should bring an end to segregation. Thoreau on the other hand, in “Civil Disobedience,” speaks to a broader, non-addressed audience as he largely expresses his feelings towards what he feels is an unjust government. Both essays however, focus on the mutual topics of morality and justice and use these topics to inform and motivate their audience to, at times, defy the government in order to establish the necessary justice.
In 1848, David Thoreau addressed and lectured civil disobedience to the Concord Lyceum in response to his jail time related to his protest of slavery and the Mexican War. In his lecture, Thoreau expresses in the beginning “That government is best which governs least,” which sets the topic for the rest of the lecture, and is arguably the overall theme of his speech. He chastises American institutions and policies, attempting to expand his views to others. In addition, he advances his views to his audience by way of urgency, analyzing the misdeeds of the government while stressing the time-critical importance of civil disobedience. Thoreau addresses civil disobedience to apprise the people of the need for a civil protest to the unjust laws created against the slaves and the Mexican-American war.
Thoreau wrote "Civil Disobedience" in 1849 after spending a night in the Walden town jail for refusing to pay a poll tax that supported the Mexican War. He recommended passive resistance as a form of tension that could lead to reform of unjust laws practiced by the government. He voiced civil disobedience as "An expression of the individual's liberty to create change" (Thoreau 530). Thoreau felt that the government had established order that resisted reform and change. "Action from principle, the perception and the performance of right, changes things and relations; it is essentially revolutionary" (Thoreau 531).
Throughout history, many historical figures that has had a very astounding impact on the world today were people who were willing to go against the norm or sometimes even the law. This act of civil disobedience is not a crime but rather it is a eye opener. This is because sometimes it takes breaking the law to show the flaws hidden within the law itself. In the case of Rosa Parks, her civil disobedience is what sparked change and allowed the nation to see the unsightliness of the law that put her and others into confinement.
To begin with, Thoreau expresses that civil disobedience should be more implemented when the just resistance of the minority is seen legally unjust to the structure conformed by the majority. Supporting his position, Thoreau utilizes the role of the national tax in his time; its use which demoralizes the foreign relationship
n Frederick Douglass’ What to the Slave is the 4th of July, he presents a simple yet morally complex argument. In his letter, Douglass states that it is hypocritical for a country to celebrate its freedom and separation from another country, yet still have slavery alive and well in the United States. Morally, this issue is a pretty straightforward argument and the very definition of hypocritical. Douglass also touches upon his belief that all men and women are equal, as stated in the constitution, yet slaves are subhuman. Another topic touched on is the contributing factors that perpetuate the constant and unjust nature of how slaves are treated, such as religion, agricultural, and over all demeanor towards slaves.
Frederick Douglass's "Fourth of July" Speech is the most famous speech delivered by the abolitionist and civil rights advocate Frederick Douglass. It attracted a crowd of between five hundred and six hundred. Douglass’s speech to the slaves on the Fourth of July served to show the slaves that there is nothing for them to celebrate. They were not free and the independence that the rest of the country celebrated did not apply to them.
Thoreau was once sent to jail for refusing to pay his taxes and I support this episode of civil disobedience as justified. Thoreau did not pay his taxes because he objected the use of the revenue to finance the Mexican War and enforcement of slavery laws. He did not request for his money to be used for the enforcement of slavery laws, therefore felt he had the right to protest and act out civil disobedience. Paul Harris defines civil disobedience as "an illegal, public, nonviolent, conscientiously motivated act of protest, done by someone who accepts the legitimacy of the legal and political systems and who submits to arrest and punishment" (2). Before I supported his civil disobedience, I opted to see if it was justified.
In the past in this country, Thoreau wrote an essay on Civil disobedience saying that people make the law and have a right to disobey unjust laws, to try and get those laws changed.
The political concepts of justice and how a society should be governed have dominated literature through out human history. The concept of peacefully resisting laws set by a governing force can be first be depicted in the world of the Ancient Greeks in the works of Sophocles and actions of Socrates. This popular idea has developed over the centuries and is commonly known today as civil disobedience. Due to the works of Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. civil disobedience is a well-known political action to Americans; first in the application against slavery and second in the application against segregation. Thoreau’s essay “Civil Disobedience” and King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” are the leading arguments in defining and encouraging the use of civil disobedience to produce justice from the government despite differences in their separate applications.
In the speech, “what to the slave is the Fourth of July?” which Fredrick Douglass gave he emphasized how the fourth of July is not a celebration to the slaves but an insult and ridicule. Douglass uses logos and pathos to make the audience understand his point of view and how this so called “independence day’’ is for whites only because the black people in America are still slaves , which in turn means they can’t celebrate this day. Using these rhetoric’s he conveys his point on how this day is adds insult to injury.
Back in history, many people demanded change. They wanted equal rights and most importantly freedom. In order to gain that, the people has struggled and faced many difficult challenges. The following resources demonstrate some of the difficult events that occurred and the way people were treated. They also show how the struggle for the change made a difference in history.
Civil disobedience is just because one should not follow laws that cause or lead up to slavery. The aftereffects of civil disobedience are not god-awful owing to the fact that when comparing an abusive treatment with a consequence of going against it; it is clear that it is better to practice civil disobedience than to not practice it and remain in pain of such that can be caused by slavery. Thoreau disputes his idea of revolting against a government during rough times by utilizing metaphor, imagery, and rhetorical questioning.
Civil disobedience: refusal to obey governmental demands or commands especially as a nonviolent and usually collective means of forcing concessions from the government. (Merriam) Henry perceives that if the law is of discretion, then the people should not subside. Henry chose to not participate in such evils, that he even failed to pay his taxes and was jailed for a night. He substantially argues that the United States government fits the profile of an unjust government. He appeals the support of slavery, and practice of war. Thoreau believes that one cannot see government for what it is if
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Many of this protests were led by some greatest people who