Frederick Douglass Reading

In the Frederick Douglass reading, What to the Slave is the Forth of July?, Douglass makes a compelling and passionate speech about the hardships, unfairness and unjustness of slavery. He starts his speech off by praising the bravery, determination and intelligence of the founding fathers. This is a particularly effective tool to use, considering the fact that his audience was probably made primarily of white people who had their freedom and took it for granted. 

Douglass then goes on to say that, "the eye of the reformer is met with angry flashes, portending disastrous times; but his heart may well beat lighter at the thought that America is you, and that she is still in the impressible stage of her existence." This lets the audience know that he understands the difficulties ahead for those who believe in abolitionist causes, but he believes that the United States is new enough in its existence as a nation to be able to make a positive change in such a hot button and important issue as slavery. 

Overall, I really believe that the speech is powerful and moving. If I had been there when it was delivered, I think that I would have been inspired. Just reading it was inspiring. I just find it extremely interesting that Fredrick Douglass, a man who was born into slavery and later escaped, to speak at a Forth of July celebration for the President of the United States and other important officials. Did they not see the hypocrisy in asking a man who spent the beginning of his life legally treated like an object to speak about freedom and liberty? Nevertheless, I think that the speech was eloquent and well written.