In July of 1852, Frederick Douglass delivered a speech titled “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?,” a call for the promise of liberty be applied equally to all Americans. Douglass’s speech emphasized that American slavery and American freedom is a shared history and that the actions of ordinary men and women, demanding freedom, transformed our nation. Text Frederick Douglass, “ What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? ” An Address Delivered in Rochester, New York, on July 5, 1852. Text Complexity Grades 11-CCR complexity band. For more information on text complexity see these resources from achievethecore.org. Text Type Speech, historical, informational. Click here for standards and skills for this lesson. Introduction to Douglass’s Rhetorical Strategy Douglass uses the second person pronouns with words including “you” and “your” instead of the first person plural “we” and “us” because Douglass is primarily delivering this speech to his “fellow citizens” which not only includes his fellow slaves but also some of the Americans and figures responsible for writing the On Monday, July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass gave a speech to the “ Ladies of the Rochester Anti-Slavery Sewing Society, ” which arguably became his most famous public oration. Rather than a celebration of the Independence Day holiday, Douglass asked an obvious, simple and damning question: What, to the slave, is the Fourth of July? In “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?,” otherwise known as “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro,” Frederick Douglass outlines a careful argument against the institution of slavery and more specifically the Fugitive Slave Act. Weaving together ethical, religious, and sociopolitical threads of argument, Douglass points out the ironies of American values, particularly On July 5, 1852, abolitionist and ex-slave Frederick Douglass gave a speech at an event commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, held at Rochester, New York's Corinthian Hall. Surname 3 In conclusion, Fredrick Douglass' "What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July?" is a passionate plea for Americans to address their country's history regarding slavery and take serious action to secure civil rights for all of its people. Douglass uses potent rhetorical devices like ethos, pathos, logos, irony, and allusion to craft an emotionally charged argument that challenges his " What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? " [1][2] was a speech delivered by Frederick Douglass on July 5, 1852, at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York, at a meeting organized by the Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society. [3] In the address, Douglass states that positive statements about perceived American values, such as liberty, citizenship, and freedom, were an offense to the enslaved Frederick Douglass's essay "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" is a powerful piece of English rhetoric and scathing condemnation of slavery. Frederick Douglass was born an enslaved person in Maryland, later escaping into freedom and emerging as one of the leading abolitionist voices in the nineteenth century. In June 1852, he delivered this Independence Day address to the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society. It became one of Douglass’s most famous speeches—criticizing the chasm between America’s Founding principles and FREDERICK DOUGLASS'S “FOURTH OF JULY” SPEECH (1852) July 5, 1852 Mr. President, Friends and Fellow Citizens: He who could address this audience without a quailing sensation, has stronger nerves than I have. Douglass opens his speech by introducing himself to the crowd and discussing the Fourth of July. He describes the holiday as the anniversary of America’s freedom and reflects on how the country’s young age means that it still has the potential to either become a great nation or wither away. From there, he discusses the Revolutionary War, highlighting how the Founding Fathers succeeded by In an Independence Day address in 1852, abolitionist movement leader Frederick Douglass famously asked a gathering in Rochester, New York “What to the slave is the Fourth of July?” Answering his own question, it is a day, he said, “that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.” Douglass’ speech laid bare ‘What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?’ is a persuasive speech delivered by Rev. Frederick Douglass on the 5th of July, 1852 in Rochester, New York in front of a crowd of 600 American Citizens. The speech ‘What to the Slaves is the Fourth of July’ projected the American Day of Independence from a slave’s point of view and brought to light the horrific experiences of slavery. To Frederick Douglass’s “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” is a famous speech because of its strong arguments for the abolition of slavery and for its thoughtful rhetorical approach to convincing a wealthy White audience that the institution of slavery goes against the values they hold dear. Need help with 1. The Present in Frederick Douglass's What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?? Check out our revolutionary side-by-side summary and analysis. Frederick Douglass delivered his famous speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” in 1852, drawing parallels between the Revolutionary War and the fight to abolish slavery. He implored the Rochester, N.Y., audience to think about the ongoing oppression of Black Americans during a holiday celebrating freedom. “Whether we turn to the declarations of the past, or to the professions What to the Slave is the Fourth of July, also known as the “Fourth of July Speech” is a public oratory piece Frederick Douglass gave at the Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York on an invitation by the Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society on July 5, 1852, to celebrate 76 years of the American independence. Over the course of five lessons, students will read, analyze, and gain a clear understanding of the speech Frederick Douglass delivered on July 5, 1852, in which he asked, “What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July?” The first four lessons require students to read excerpts from the speech “like a detective.” Through summary organizers, practice, and discussion, they will master Frederick Douglass was a fiery orator and his speeches were often published in various abolitionist newspapers. Among his well-known speeches is "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro," presented in Rochester, New York, on July 5, 1852, a version of which he published as a booklet. It is often studied in literature classes today. Douglass moved to Rochester in 1847, when he became the
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