Frederick Douglass
“What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”
BorninFebruaryaroundtheyear1818,inChesapeake,
Maryland,FrederickDouglasswasoneofthebest
speakersandwritersofhisday.Whateverhewrote,
peoplewantedtoread.Whenhespoke,people
listened.HiswordswererespectednotonlybyAfrican
AmericansbutbymanywhiteAmericanstoo.Soyou
mightbesurprisedtolearnthatFrederickDouglass
wasalsobornaslave.
Douglasswasbornatatimewhenmostblack
Americansweretreatedhorribly,deniedtheirrights,
thoughtofasanimals,andwerebylawconsidered
property.Duringhislifetime,manyanti‐slaverygroups
wereformedandworkedhardtomakelifefairerfor
BlackAmericans.However,justiceandchangewere
slowtotakeeffect.In1852,lifewasnowhereeven
closetofairformostBlackAmericans.
Becausetherewerelawswhichsaidblackpeoplewerenotallowedtolearntoreadorwrite,
Douglasshadtolearninsecret,sometimeseventrickingpeopleintoteachinghim.Byreading
anybookhecouldgethishandson,helearnedquickly,andbeforelong,herealizedhow
unnaturalitwastobeaslave.DouglassmadeadangerousescapetoNewYork,astatewhere
slaveryhadalreadybeenabolished.Here,hedazzledmanyinanti‐slaverycircles.Hequickly
becamevocalinspeakingoutagainstslaveryandthetreatmentofBlackAmericans.
ManypeoplelookedatDouglass’lifeandallthatheaccomplishedandthoughtofitasasortof
“feel‐good”story,completewithahappyending.Manypeopledidnotseethatdespitehis
personalsuccess,DouglasswasstillinpainoverthetreatmentofotherBlackAmericans.So
whenhewasinvitedbytheLadiesAnti‐SlaverySocietyofRochestertogiveaspeechatan
IndependenceDaycelebration,thespeechhegavewasnotwhatpeopleexpected.
Farfromjoininginthecelebration,Douglassrebukedtheaudiencefortheircelebratory
attitude.Hecriticizedtheirinsensitivityandwhathesawasover‐complicatedideasabout
Liberty.Hesaid,“Theblessingsinwhichyouthisdayrejoicearenotenjoyedincommon.This
FourthofJulyisyours,notmine.Youmayrejoice,Imustmourn."Heaskedthem,"Doyoumean,
citizens,tomockme,byaskingmetospeaktoday?"
WecelebrateBlackHistoryMonthtofillinstoriesthatwereleftoutofourhistorytextbooks.In
hisFourthofJulyspeech,FrederickDouglassaccomplishedthisverything.Hetalkedopenly
andcriticallyaboutthestoriesthatwerenotbeingtold.
Turnthepagetoreadasmallexcerptofthisfamousspeech.
Frederick Douglass
“What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”
“Wouldyouhavemearguethatmanisentitledtoliberty?Thatheistherightfulownerofhisown
body?Youhavealreadydeclaredit.MustIarguethewrongfulnessofslavery?Isthataquestionfor
republicans?Isittobesettledbytherulesoflogicandargumentation,asamatterbesetwithgreat
difficulty,involvingadoubtfulapplicationoftheprincipleofjustice,hardtounderstand?
HowshouldIlooktodayinthepresenceofAmericans,dividingandsubdividingadiscourse,toshow
thatmenhaveanaturalrighttofreedom,speakingofitrelativelyandpositively,negativelyand
affirmatively?Todosowouldbetomakemyselfridiculous,andtoofferaninsulttoyour
understanding.Thereisnotamanbeneaththecanopyofheavenwhodoesnotknowthatslaveryis
wrongforhim.”
‐FrederickDouglass,July5th,1852
Food For Thought
*Academic Standard: CC.1.2.6.
Answerthefollowingquestions,onaseparatesheetofpaper,orindiscussion.
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
1. Thetoneofthispassageis:
a. Happyb.Encouragingc.Frustratedd.Celebratory
2. FrederickDouglassthinksthatallpeopleareentitledtolibertyandfairtreatment.Hethinksthis
ideais:
a. Confusingb.Obviousc.Complicatedd.Upfordebate
3. Ifsomeonetoldyoutowriteapersuasivepaperonwhetherornotyou’reaperson,whatwould
youthinkofthatprompt?Howwouldyouanswerit?
4. Didyouhavetroubleansweringthelastquestion?Whyorwhynot?
5. Douglasssaysthatallhumanbeingshaveanautomaticrighttofreedom.Healsosaysthatto
explainthisideawouldbeaninsulttohisaudiences’intelligence.Whywouldtryingtoexplain
thisconceptbeinsultingtoaperson’sintelligence?
6. Thefirstandlastlinesreallysumupthecentralideaofthispassage.Putthemeachinyourown
words.
Standard: CC.1.2.6.D
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.