LAD #16: Frederick Douglass' "5th of July" Speech

Summarize Frederick Douglass' 5th of July Speech

Frederick Douglass posed the question of what a slave is in the context of the 4th of July. Douglass expresses his contempt towards the practices of the people of the US concerning slavery. He feels that his emotions are intensified by the celebration and claims of independence which supposedly successfully eliminated tyranny. Douglass reminds the country that even though most Americans are celebrating their freedom, there are neglected blacks slaves who have and still are feeling the injustices of America. Americans treated black people as inferior to them, but Douglass reminds the people that they have no right to think that way considering black people have been just as successful as white people, and also do the same things as the white people, like build houses, have families, farm, and worship God. Douglass states that Americans have made noble claims for their independence, but they are have also committed hypocrisy because there is no other country that has allowed such injustices on human lives like America.