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EricJara

ProfessorLoleneBlake

History1700
06/29/15
IndependenceDay?
Julyfourth,1776wasNOTthedaythattheUnitedStatesnation,andallofitspeople,
gainedindependencefromGreatBritain.ThefourthofJulywas,andis,acelebrationof
remembrancetothedaywhentheDeclarationofIndependencewassigned.Itrepresented,and
represents,freedom,butnottoallmen.Nottoallpeople.Thisdateandnationalholidayisnotall
thatgreat.Itisnotallthathappy.Itisntfree.ThistopicishighlightedinFrederickDouglasss
What,totheslave,isthefourthofJuly?speech.OnJuly5,1852,FrederickDouglassgavethis
speechinRochester,NewYork,claimingnoreasonforhimtocelebratealongsideeveryoneelse
onthefourthofJuly.InthemidstofNorthAmericanslavery,Douglasssaidthatthisdayisnot
ofhappiness,butofmourning.AlthoughthefourthofJulyisreferredtoasIndependenceDay,
totheslaveandslavedescents,thefourthofJulyisadayofforcefuldependence,injustice,and
strongmockery.
ThefourthofJuly,representstheindependenceofthewhitemenfromthe
Britannicempire.ItsadayofrememberingthattheUSisanindependentnationanddoesnt
needhelpfromanyonetofunction.Thatterm,independence,isntdefinedclearly.Itsthe
freedomfromexternalcontrol.Totheslave,thisdaymeansnothing.AsFrederickputsit,the

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blessingsinwhichyou,thisday,rejoice,arenotenjoyedincommon(Douglass).Toslaveand
slavedescendants,thisdayisonetorememberthattheyarentfree.Itshowsthatthewhiteman
isfree,andtheygetthatfactrubbedintotheirfacewhiletheyarestill,literallyandfiguratively,
tieddown.Astheslaveswishtobefree,theygetastrikeinthefacethatsays,no,onlythe
whiteshavetherighttofreedom.Thepeopleofwhiteskincolorcelebratetheirsocalled
freedom,andtheslavescannotcelebratealongsidethem.Itsbecausetheyreofblackskin.
Theyareinferiortowhites,anddontdeservetobefreed.Asthewhitemancelebratesthe
independencefromanothernation,theblackmanmournsthefactthathesbeeninchains,isin
chains,andwillprobablystillbeinchainstherestofhislife.Howdoesthisresembleliberty?It
doesnt.
ThefourthofJuly,totheslave,isunjust.Thewhitemanisfree,andtheblackmanis
stillworkingforsomeoneelsewithoutanycompensation.Eveninanewlyformednation,the
blackmanisaslavetoanotherhumanbeing.FrederickDouglassasks,wouldyouhaveme
arguethatmanisentitledtoliberty?thatheistherightfulownerofhisownbody.Youhave
alreadydeclaredit(Douglass).ThefourthofJulyisthecelebrationoftheDeclarationof
Independence.Inthisdocument,itclearlystates,weholdthesetruthstobeselfevident,thatall
menarecreatedequal,thattheyareendowedbytheirCreatorwithcertainunalienablerights,
thatamongthesearelife,liberty,andthepursuitofhappiness.Frederickgoesontoexplainthe
definitionofthisdaytotheslave.Douglassstates,(totheslave,thefourthofJulyis)adaythat
revealstohim,morethanallotherdaysintheyear,thegrossinjusticeandcrueltytowhichheis

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theconstantvictim(Douglass).Havingbeenaslavehimself,Douglassknows,howslaveryat
thetime,wasalmostinescapable,extremelyharsh,andinhumane.
AddressedtothewhitesocietyoftheUS,FrederickDouglassalsoexplainsthefalseness
oftheUSinitsirony.TheUSgainedindependenceclaimingthatitbelievesallmenareequal,
yettreatedtheAfricanAmericansasanimals.ThelargestfocusthatFrederickDouglasssfourth
ofJulyspeechisontheUSsatire.Frederickwrote,(totheslave),yourcelebrationisasham
yourboastedlibertyanunholylicenseyournationalgreatnessswellingvanityyoursoundsof
rejoicingareemptyandheartless(Douglass).Healsoclaims,(comparedwithanyother
nation)forrevoltingbarbarityandshamelesshypocrisy,Americareignswithoutarival
(Douglass).FrederickpointsouttheinconsistencyoftheUSpoliticsandalsowrote,youboast
ofyourloveofliberty,andyoursuperiorcivilizationandyourpureChristianity,whilethe
wholepoliticalpowerofthenationissolemnlypledgedtosupportandperpetuatethe
enslavementofthreemillion(Douglass).Couldhispointbemadeanyclearer?
Inconclusion,theWhatToTheSlaveIsTheFourthOfJuly?speechgivenby
FrederickDouglass,pointedouttheUShypocrisy,enslavement,andinhumanity.Frederick
Douglass,formerslave,talksnothingbutthetruthandcannotbeignored.Hisspeechoutlinesthe
darkhistoryoftheUS,aswellastheridiculethattheUSmakesoutofitself.Onecan
appreciatethisspeechforitsclarityanditspassiontowardsabolitionofslavery.Itcanbesaid
thatwhileFrederickDouglasswasafreeman,hispasthelpedhimcreatethisfeelingforthe
fourthofJulyandpossiblyevendisdaintowardsUSpolitics.FrederickDouglassconcludes,that

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eventhoughitiscalledIndependenceDay,thefourthofJuly,totheslave,isjustanotherday
inthefield.