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?”
“Atatimelikethis,scorchingirony,notconvincingargument,isneeded.Oh!HadItheability,and
couldIreachthenation'sear,Iwouldtodaypouroutafierystreamofbitingridicule,blasting
reproach,witheringsarcasm,andsternrebuke.Foritisnotlightthatisneeded,butfire;itisnotthe
gentleshower,butthunder.Weneedthestorm,thewhirlwind,andtheearthquake.Thefeelingofthe
nationmustbequickened;theconscienceofthenationmustberoused;theproprietyofthenation
mustbestartled;thehypocrisyofthenationmustbeexposed;anditscrimesagainstGodandman
mustbedenounced.”
‐FrederickDouglass,July5th,1852
Food For Thought
Answerthefollowingquestions,onaseparatesheetofpaper,orindiscussion.
1. Aneasydefinitionofironycouldbe,“Whentheoppositeofwhatyouexpecttohappen,happens.”
Ironyiswalkingintoacoffeeshopandfindingoutthey’reoutofcoffeebeans,orthatasaladshop
isoutoflettuce.Whatisironicabouthavingamanwhowasenslavedgiveaspeechatyour
IndependenceDaycelebration?(Hint:Thinkabouttheideaswearecelebratingonthe4thofJuly.)
2. Thispassageisacalltoaction.Whyisitimportanttocallattentiontounfairness?Whathappens
whenunfairthingsgouncheckedandunmentioned?
3. WhenDouglasssaysthatthe“nationmustbestartled,”heisbasicallysayingthattheUnitedStates
needstosurprised.Didyoueverlearnsomethingthatsurprisedyou,andifso,whateffectdidit
haveonyou?
4. Haveyoueverbeenangryaboutsomeone’streatmenttowardyou?Circleallthewordsthat
describethatfeeling.
HelplessWorthlessSmallAngryInspiredPowerful
PowerlessInfuriatedMotivated
Sympathetictowardothers
5. Lookatthewordsyoucircled.Doanyofthemsurpriseyou?Whyorwhynot?
*Academic Standard: CC.1.2.9-10.I
Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance, including how they address related themes and concepts.