On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass gave a keynote address at an Independence Day celebration and asked, “ What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? ” Douglass was a powerful orator, often traveling six months out of the year to give lectures on abolition. 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. Text Frederick Douglass, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?: An Address Delivered in Rochester, New York, on July 5, 1852” Background At the invitation of the Rochester Ladies Anti-Slavery Society, Frederick Douglass delivered this speech on July 5, 1852, at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York. ‘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. Douglass's central goal in What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? is to unveil American hypocrisy in its ongoing participation in an internal slave trade. In the speech, he praises both the founding fathers of the United States and Christian ideology to which many Americans subscribed. On July 4, 1852, eleven years before the Emancipation Proclamation and 13 years before the abolition of slavery, Frederick Douglass, a former slave and leading abolitionist was invited to deliver [] Over 200 years after Frederick Douglass questioned “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” in an act of resistance to Independence Day, Black Americans are still grappling with how to In “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” Frederick Douglass sought not only to convince people of the wrongfulness of slavery but also to make abolition more acceptable to Northern whites. 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?” 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. . . . I will not enlarge further on your national inconsistencies. Get all the key plot points of Frederick Douglass's What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? on one page. From the creators of SparkNotes. On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass addressed the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society. In what is one of his most widely known speeches, “ What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? ” was a powerful rhetorical demonstration that effectively illustrated the paradox of a nation of enslavers declaring itself to be free. 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. Every year, the Fourth of July rolls around with all its fanfare—flags waving, fireworks bursting, parades marching. But for many Black Americans, this national holiday brings a different emotion: reflection. Frederick Douglass delivered his speech “What to the slave is the Fourth of July?” on July 5, 1852, in Rochester, New York. At a time when it feels like the president, Congress, and the judicial branches of government have collectively declared war on Black and brown America — actively The best study guide to What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? on the planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need. To help you plan your Fourth of July weekend, we put together a day-by-day breakdown of the fireworks shows Kansas City has to offer. In this Breakdown Short, Coach Jones analyzes passages from Frederick Douglas's famous speech about the July 4th holiday. from What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? Read this excerpt from a campaign speech. What do we value as a society? Is it opportunity, security, good fiscal stewardship, peace? Washington can work for the people, despite what naysayers proclaim. Any and all of these goals are within our reach if we work together. Which rhetorical devices has the writer incorporated? A. rhetorical questions Why would Douglass want to deliver this speech on July fifth instead of the fourth? What are the meaning and significance of the Fourth of July from the slave’s point of view? Why did Douglass call slavery a violation of the principles of the Declaration of Independence, and why did he call the Founders “statesmen, patriots and heroes”? Why did Douglass believe that the Constitution is
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