




The passage “What To A Slave is the Fourth of July?” by Fredrick Douglass takes place in Rochester, New York, in the year 1852. Inside of a still slavery-stricken United States during the 18th century, Douglass is summoned to give an Independence Day speech to the northern masses in Rochester. During the delivery of the speech, it becomes evident how Fredrick Douglass’s tone transforms, going from a more positive and honorable attitude to a rebuking, angered, and defensive mood. This mood shift however, could be confusing to a reader who is unaware of the historical context that surrounded that time period in the United States. By looking at some sources, one being a recreation of the Declaration of Independence, and the other being an excerpt from “From Emancipation to Equality: Alexander Clark’s Stand for Civil Rights in Iowa,” and observing the historical background of this time period, there can be reasoning given to the dynamic change in Douglass’s projected attitude. 

After being requested to give a speech to the masses of Rochester in the state of New York, Fredrick Douglas starts his speech off traditionally, as any great orator would. Beginning cordially, he addresses his hosts and thanks the crowd for their attendance. Douglass continues to praise our nation’s founding fathers, referring specifically to the writers and signers of The Declaration of Independence. He salutes them, calling them patriots, and then continues on to endorse the natural rights that they had written into the declaration. He praises them for the three special principles they included in the document, declaring that every man has the natural rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”  Douglass places emphasis on this part of the Declaration of Independence, describing these three elements as the “saving principles”. Douglass is strategic in his word choice when he says “saving.” Through looking at the Declaration of Independence with a closer, more detailed eye, the reader can see Douglass’s reasoning behind the word choice. This passage supports the text because it represents exactly why he views those principles as “saving” ones. Douglass is encouraging the United States of America, to save the principles that all men are created equal, and are granted life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Without knowledge of the historical context, being the Declaration of Independence, the reader would not know what “saving principles” Douglass would be referring to, which would prompt the overall message to be frayed. Throughout the beginning of his speech Fredrick Douglass maintains a respectful, commending tone. His intent is to bring honor to the men and woman who took action to emancipate the United States from Great Britain. Fredrick agrees that they are heroes for standing up when being oppressed by their mother country overseas.

After honoring the founding fathers, Fredrick Douglass moves into the meat of his message, about what the fourth of July really means to a slave, or freed black person during the 18th century. Douglass’s tone during the second half of his speech however, takes a turn in a negative direction, displaying a more defensive, scornful attitude. Some the first evidence of this attitude change becomes evident when Fredrick Douglass asks the crowd rhetorically if they are attempting to mock him by asking his to deliver the Independence Day speech. With a harsher, scornful tone, that rhetorical question would come off offensive to a listener or reader. Without knowledge of what black people were going through, and the history of this era as a whole, one wouldn’t understand his reasoning for the question. Douglass’s anger would be misunderstood, and looked at as underserving. 

During the eighteenth century, the lives of black people were split, between the majority still being in the enslaved southern states, and the freed men of the northern region of the country. Fredrick Douglass was a now free man, who had escaped as a slave. With that knowledge alone, it becomes clearer to see where Douglass’s angered tone derives from. When looking at an excerpt from “From Emancipation to Equality: Alexander Clark’s Stand for Civil Rights in Iowa,” one can justify Douglass’s attitude even more so. The story follows a man named Alexander Clark during the 1800s. Alexander Clark was born after his parents had been emancipated, in Pennsylvania during 1826. Later he moved to Iowa, where black people were free, but had no voting rights, rights to education, or rights to hold office. To add to the negativity, in 1839 there were “Black Codes” (Frese, p. 82) being passed requiring black people to pay $500 before they could be free, even though slaves had technically already received emancipation. Being a similar advocate for black equality like Fredrick Douglass was, Alexander Clark worked with to get the law repealed. In 1857, Clark addressed the court, with 122 signatures from both blacks and whites. Voters still rejected black suffrage, but Clark proved to be resilient, and his efforts proved to be not in vain in the long run. 

Knowledge of scenarios like these provide support for why Fredrick Douglass felt so insulted. In a country where his ancestors arrived as enslaved Africans, where his parents and grandparents worked against their will with no pay, where he himself had to escape from enslavement, he is expected to be celebratory. He sees few reasons for his people to be celebrating, especially with a lot of them still being trapped in slavery. Alexander Clark is similar to Fredrick Douglass, as is reaching out to the general public to help do something about the race inequality issue during the 18th century. Elements in this article clearly support those of the Fredrick Douglass text. They also provide insight into other scenarios blacks were still experiencing during their “emancipation”. Knowing slaves had to pay $500 just to be free, even though they had no money because they had recently been forced to work against their will, Fredrick Douglass has good reason to be outraged, and upset with how white society was treating the slavery issue. They expected Douglass to be grateful, and thankful that he is finally “included” in part of the country who enslaved him initially, the same country that was allowing prejudice laws do be passed against his people.

The dynamic tone shift in Fredrick Douglass’s “What To A Slave is The Fourth of July is effective in asserting Douglass message across to his audience in New York and across the country. His strong diction, and word choice prove to have an important role in his speech. But without knowledge of the historical context surrounding his subject, and the time period, the reader may not realize their importance. 



