



I read “What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July” by Frederick Douglass. The speech takes place in the civil war era of America and explains that the fourth of July has essentially no meaning to a slave. The founding fathers of America had a plan for this country and it was all based off freedom. But the problem remained that slaves were not freed and the country needs to change to fully represent what America Stands for. 

To begin with, I found an article called “Southerners Against Secession” by James L. Huston. Not everyone in the south during the civil war had wanted to keep slavery in America because it is morally wrong and not what this country was founded for. The article takes action right after the compromise of 1850 the law that decided which states were slave states after the Mexican American war in (1846-1848). The states below the line would remain to use slaves were Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Missouri. But some of the citizens wanted change and did not want to secede from the north because they saw the benefits of a united country and were anti-slavery some evidence that they wanted to change the south “The unionist parties dramatically triumphed in these deep South states. In Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia in 1849, the Democrats elected thirteen representatives while the Whigs only elected six.” (285 Huston). Not all people wanted slaves and it took courage for people in the south to start the change. Frederick Douglass wanted to people to realize that slaves are people also and  that they have rights. America wanted to leave Great Britain’s rule which they eventually did. But now America is treating slaves the same way and that was the reason for them to have the courage to fight back. By electing Democrats southerners realized it was time to change and that the way they treat slaves is wrong and that they need to be freed as well. Abraham Lincoln was the president that had the courage to take action and acknowledged that slavery needed to end because they are people also and America is a free country so slavery should be abolished. Lincolns arguments when asked about slavery and expansion were hard to understand “The Constitution does not expressly say. May congress prohibit slavery in the territories? The Constitution does not expressly say. Must Congress protect slavery in the territories? The Constitution does not expressly say. One section of our country believes slavery is right and ought to be extended, while the other believes it is wrong and ought not be extended. This is the only substantial dispute.” (298 Huston). That is what lead to the civil war to ultimately abolish slavery and give African Americans their rights. Frederick Douglass most definitely was proud of Lincolns leadership and honor to not let the south secede and get African Americans there deserved rights and something to celebrate for. Because the fourth of July is national holiday but not for slaves because they were not freed. Also the secession of the southern states would have caused so many problems for the south because runaway slaves would just go north and the south would have no way to recover them so the unionists knew the souths plan was broken here is some support “ A Southern nation could never have the prosperity the South enjoyed while a member of the Union. Reclaiming runaway slaves would be impossible once the Southern states became independent of the United States. That separation also would not be peaceable. Additionally, some argued, the value of slave property would plummet so that emancipation would become inevitable--exactly the outcome the states righters hoped to forestall.”  This shows the south had a clever plan but with the union it almost seemed impossible for somethings to get done. Showing that the goal to free slaves was looking bright. Ultimately giving up Frederick Douglass’s argument that slaves are not really free and change is what need to happens in America because it is not right that slaves are imprisoned.

Following that, I found another article supporting Frederick Douglass “Introduction: Historical Perspectives on African American Education, Civil Rights, and Black Power” By Dionne Danns and Michelle A. Purdy. This article brings together that rights of African Americans are still limited even after they are free.  Such as their schooling For example, “‘Clothing Themselves in Intelligence’: The Freedpeople, Schooling, and Northern Teachers, 1861–1871,” explored the fervor with which the freedpeople pursued education and literacy during and following the Civil War.5 Heather Andrea Williams argued that despite the financial challenges of utter poverty, dilapidated and poorly constructed buildings, long distances, and apprehension about attending school, African Americans sought formal schooling because they recognized that it was inextricably tied to their freedom.” (Danns and Purdy 575) If slaves and African Americans were educated they saw that as an opportunity to escape slavery and be used for something else to benefit to escape their past life’s. If African Americans had the education or at least access citizens could realize they were much more than slaves. They just could not get past their skin color. By educating slaves citizens could of realized that they did not need to enslave these people and they could help benefit the country in other ways. Fredrick Douglass would have fully supported this because he was an educated former slave and was an excellent writer and abolitionist and he was a key reason people were aware and supporting the anti-slavery movement to turn America into the country it stands for the Land of the Free. Also former slaves that were educated had limited rights and had to put up with segregation. So they had to educate themselves so they could fight for their freedom. In "I Must Learn Now or Not at All’: Social and Cultural Capital in the Educational Initiatives of Formerly Enslaved African Americans in Mississippi, 1862–1869,” Span argued that African Americans in Mississippi mobilized their cultural capital, built school buildings, and established other institutions.8 Promoting schooling became a grassroots economic enterprise that addressed the needs of African Americans who sought to guarantee their freedom. African Americans provided financial support for schooling despite their low wages, the depressed economy, and the taxes they had to pay to support white public education.” (Danns and Purdy 576). Freedom is what the slaves deserved so they tried to educate themselves to better their lives and fight for their rights. Change is needed for America to fully represent what they stand for.

At last, Frederick Douglass just wanted America to change. The 4th of July means nothing to a slave which is ironic because was founded and based on freedom. The unionists wanted to prevent the secession of the south and the blacks wanted to be educated and have the same rights as whites. The fourth of July means nothing because the problem remained that slaves were not freed and the country needs to change to fully represent what America Stands for.



