Douglass delivered his speech on Fifth of July “What To the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” Douglass shows that democratic ideal of Liberty and Justice were not honest of equality. Because these rights only apply to the white American and excluded the black members of society which mean the slaves. During Douglass speech, he exposes the paradoxical of the Fourth of July. Because he thinks that day only for the whites commenced to celebrate their freedom, not for the blacks. The blacks continued to faced gross injustices and were denied basic right thing of human right as American celebrate for. Frederick Douglass shows the real honest and deep racial in American society behind the curtain of national celebrations the Fourth of July. Also, John F. Kennedy said “The cost of freedom is always high but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission. Follow the quotes as JFK said is true, because the racial still going on out there in America, It’s a problem very difficult to solve. But America stills the great country in the world. Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland, around 1818, his mother is the slave also, and, probable he is the …show more content…
He used the strategy on his audience and parallelism achieves logical appeal. His audience shared his belief that slaver was a moral sin and should be ban immediately. Douglass was increase the number of Americans who heard and understand his words. However, Douglass was ingenious asking rhetorical questions to the audiences: “Do you mean, citizen, to mock me, by asking me to speak today?. All his audiences were in silence because they knew what’s wrong and what Douglass did punchline on his question. That is rhetorical question. As I researching more than seven hundred copies of his speech were
The author Kevin Bales ,and co-writer Ron Soodalter, discuss the issues pertaining to forced labor in “Slavery in The Land of The Free”. Free The Slaves is a non-profit organization in Washington that Bales founded to help end slavery not only in the United States, but around the world. The Abraham Lincoln Institute has the honor to have the established historian, Soodalter, serve on it’s board.The two authors also wrote a book by the name of “The Slave Next Door: Human trafficking and Slavery in America Today” (2009). One of the issues that Bales and Soodalter effectively touch on is how widespread the issue of human trafficking and slavery is in
In that very speech, Douglass made it clear that, like countless African Americans during this time period, he did not feel like he could join White Americans in the celebration of the 4th of July. Douglass had a primary objective of calling to question the validity of celebrating the 4th of July while there were many injustices still in practice. He aimed to make it clear to the audience that, it was a mockery to expect or even invite African Americans to partake in the celebration of the 4th of July because it was not theirs to celebrate. His objective shaped his speech dramatically. It allowed him to bring up the history behind the 4th of July and call to question why the ideologies that brought out the Nation’s liberation were not being used to liberate the slaves.
Frederick Douglass’s speech was given to so many of his own people. The fact that Douglass speaks so harshly to them proves that he has passion for what he talks about through-out. “What to the slave is the Fourth of July”, compares and contrasts the different meanings the Fourth of July shared between Whites and African Americans. Douglass says “What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim”. Frederick Douglass was not striving for the attention, he just wanted to get across that the Fourth of July is not a day of celebration to African Americans and the respect he shared with them, having once being a slave himself.
1.) Fredrick Douglass’s purpose in this speech was to explain the wrongfulness of slavery in America. Fredrick Douglass states in his speech “Are the great principles of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?” and “The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity, and independence, bequeathed by your fathers is shared by you, not by me.” These prove that the freedom and independence Americans have aren’t shared with the Africans when it should be that Africans have those rights as well. Frederick Douglass then talked about how badly whites treat blacks and how wrong it is. “There are 72 crimes in Virginia which, if committed by a black man, subject him to a punishment of death, while
Douglass was born February, 1818 in Maryland. He was born into slavery and taken at a young age, from his mother to live with his maternal grandmother. At age seven he was sent with his master, Aaron Anthony, to Wye House plantation until Anthony’s death. Douglass was given to Lucretia Auld, and then to Auld’s brother-in-law, Hugh, in Baltimore. Auld’s wife taught Douglass the alphabet....
The “Fourth of July Oration” and the gathering that Douglass was attending was constructed to serve an early ceremony for Independence Day. He begins his speech with the subject of America’s independence. Specifics of the nation such as the memories of the Revolution, the model of freedom for all individuals, and religious support were spoken about. Frederick shares his experiences as a child. He believed that the American slave-trade was a horrific event that became real for a majority of individuals. When young, Douglass witnessed the disgust that all slaves had to experience, “my soul was often pierced…” (p. 267) He would watch the slave ships being anchored, ones that held innocent individuals. It was difficult and absolutely absurd for anybody to watch such torture take place and not be able to do a single thing ...
Frederick Douglass was an enslaved person and was born in Talbot County, Maryland. He had no knowledge of his accurate age like most of the enslaved people. He believed that his father was a white man, and he grew up with his grandmother. Douglass and his mother were separated when he was young, which was also common in the lives of the enslaved people. This concept of separation was used as a weapon to gain control of the enslaved people. In short, despite the obstacles he had to endure, he was able to gain an education and fight for his freedom in any means necessary.
The concept of the Other is dominant in Frederick Douglass’s text “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro”, for it determines the main conflict and illuminates the issue of intolerance and even blasphemy regarding the attitude of white Americans towards Negroes. The text was written as a speech to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence and delivered at Rochester’s Corinthian Hall on July 5, 1852. It was a remarkable articulation of the Black people voice living in the United States of America at that point of time because Black people were going through too much humiliation on physical and moral levels (Andrews, 1991, p.46).
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.
He points out that the Fourth of July came to be seen by abolitionists as a day suited to point out the nation's failure to live up to its promise of liberty for all. Douglass raises the issue of slaves' humanity by addressing the line between humans and animals. Frederick Douglass' point in "The Meaning of Fourth of July for the Negro" is that America was being incredibly hypocritical in their celebration of the Fourth of July. The whole point of that holiday is to celebrate that all people in the country are free from Great Britain. while they are sitting there celebrating their own freedom, slaves are being held captive in that same country that seems to value freedom so greatly.
Frederick Douglass was an incredibly influential part of the abolitionist movement. He has seen the harshest acts induced by slavery, even in the kindest of people. Douglass worked his entire life to get away from slavery and secure his freedom. With this new found freedom, he chose to speak out against the institution of slavery and inform the public of the evil truths that lay within slavery. He used wit, humor, pathos, ridicule, satire, mimicry, intellectual and emotional appeal to reach out to his audience in hopes of enlightening them (Douglass, July 146). On July 5th, 1852, he gave a speech to whites in New York about the injustices of slavery and how inhumane it was. He did this to open the eyes of Americans who had not been fully exposed
The effectiveness and excellent structure of Frederick Douglass’ Fourth of July speech is apparent. His rhetorical arguments served as powerful rebuts to opposing contentions and forced his audience to consider the undeniable error in their nation’s policy and approach regarding slavery. Douglass also compelled his audience to take his words seriously by establishing his credibility, recognizing his audience, and skillfully constructing and executing his speech. The end product of his efforts became a provocative speech at the time and a historical delivery in the future. Douglass succeeded in giving a speech that clearly and effectively argued the absurdity of the institution of slavery in America, leaving it up to his audience to consider his position and decide for themselves how to act in the future.
First of all, the early life of Frederick Douglass was horrible and very difficult. He was born on February 1818 in Tuckahoe, Maryland. 7 His parents were from two different races. His father was white while his mother was a African American. At that time period slave auctions were held to sell black slaves to white land owners. It was at a slave auction that as a child Frederick Douglass was separated from his Negro mother. His mother was sold and Douglass never saw an inch of her again in his entire life.
Douglass was born a slave in 1817, in Maryland. He educated himself and became determined to escape the horror of slavery. He attempted to escape slavery once, but failed. He later made a successful escape in 1838.
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.