




The Fourth of July marks the day when America became an Independent nation, free from its tyrannical ruler, the British. This day in America is looked at to be a day where all Americans became liberated, but on this day not all Americans became free. Though stated in the Declaration of Independence that all men would have liberty and equality it was only the white American that would feel the freedom this Declaration stated. Americans of color were denied their freedom and the Fourth of July, described by Fredrick Douglass in 1852, was a day that only evoked the pain of being oppressed by white Americans.  In Fredrick Douglass’ speech “What to the Slave is Fourth of July?” it highlights the hypocrisy of the American people, the inequality extended to Americans of color and the unjust laws placed upon them and gives an understanding of how the culture of white Americans only continued to keep the liberties of colored Americans away from them. 

The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776 to justify Americas separation from the British rule with a list of complaints against England. The Declaration spoke of two grievances against colored Americans that they felt were cruel. The writers of the Declaration condemned King George II of England for participating in and supporting the slave trade throughout the world and thought it cruel that the King impose it upon those in America (African American Registry). Though the writers felt the support of the slave trade was wrong, in 1852 slaves were still being traded within the country. In Fredrick Douglass’s speech he speaks on the hypocrisy of the slave trade in America. Douglass theorizes that the slave trade in America is now called the “internal slave trade” instead of the “foreign slave trade” in an attempt to deflect the horrific thoughts and opinions that were associated with the foreign slave trade throughout America. The American government had considered the foreign slave trade piracy and was denounced from places and people of the highest standing in America as an “execrable traffic” (Douglass 265). The foreign slave trade was spoken of as inhuman and everyone apart of it was cursed by the American people, but those who were apart of this internal slave trade were deemed honorable and passed through society with no condemnation. This speaks volumes to the American people’s hypocrisy in the way that they demoralized and condemned people for participating in the slave trade on a global scale, but the slave trade within America was described in Douglass speech by ex-senator Benton as being “especially prosperous,” “the price of men was never higher than now,” and mentioned the fact that slavery was in no danger (Douglass 265). The movement of slaves throughout America brought a great deal of wealth to several states and for some states it was the chief source of wealth shaping a southern society and culture that was dependent upon slavery and would at all costs be protected to try and keep the slave trade in existence. An example of this determination to keep slavery and the slave trade alive was the Civil War. Though ending slavery was just one cause of the Civil War, it showed southern Americans were not willing to change their views on white superiority or change their framework of hatred throughout the communities. 

The second grievance that the writers stated in the Declaration that affected everyone in America, but especially Americans of color was the absence of liberty and equality for everyone. The writers of the Declaration of Independence noted that “all men are created equal” and with the separation of America from British rule all Americans expected to gain their equality, for Americans of color this did not happen (@HISTORYUK). Thomas Jefferson had over 170 slaves while helping to write the declaration of independence showing that they did not intend for freedom and equality to extend to all Americans, just white Americans.  Still 76 years later in 1852, when Fredrick Douglass had written his speech, there were still slaves being denied their right to equality and free slaves were looked at as second class citizens. During the time of Douglass’ speech most were only writing about the cruelties of slavery and freed slaves were showing their intellectual competence, but not many violent actions against slavery were being performed. Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, in 1852, in an attempt to focus the Nation’s attention on slavery, especially white Americans, through relatable sympathetic characters and easily recognizable situations to all people (Uncle Tom’s Cabin). Many freed slaves showed white Americans that they were equal in intelligence with the charter of colleges for Americans of color, Lincoln University was one of the first of these colleges, located in Oxford Pennsylvania (African American Perspectives: African American Pamphlets - Time Line Page One). The knowledge and competence of people of color in America only increased this longing for their rights to be given back to them. In Douglass’ speech he wrote of the men of color’s intellect by saying that it is acknowledge by the white men when they place laws upon him because they must be responsible and intellectual beings to uphold the law (Douglass 263). The colored Americans being aware of their rights and being deprived of them, while on Independence Day fellow citizens are celebrating their liberty and equality because they are white only amplified the feelings of injustice and cruelty they felt on a daily basis (Douglass 265). 

Fredrick Douglass’ speech, while not speaking directly on the Fugitive Slave Act it spoke directly on the freedoms that were being denied to the freed slaves and those still in captivity. The Fugitive Slave Act was another law that continued to take away from colored people in America. Douglass told that calling on colored Americans to participate in the anthems of freedom was inhuman because slaves freed or captive had not been able to enjoy the freedoms they were given by the Constitution. With the passing of the Fugitive Slave Act it only took away the independence that slaves had risked their lives to finally have and was rightfully theirs. The speech, “What to a Slave is the Fourth of July,” by Fredrick Douglass and the article on freed slaves fleeing from America to have freedom magnify the oppression in which colored American citizens suffered from and how the celebration of Independence only reminds them of their liberties they are denied every day.

The time in which Fredrick Douglass wrote his speech was full of American hypocrisy, inequality, black intelligence and unjust laws against people of color. Douglass’ speech provides a better understanding of how and why Americans of color felt that Independence Day was a day only for white Americans to be joyous of their freedom and for them to be reminded of the injustice they were victim to. 






