
The movement in America during the 18th to free slaves, known as the abolitionist movement, was an agenda lead by many different people in many different ways. Fredrick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison as individuals lead a charge against the institution of slavery. However, there were many more groups of people that contributed to this movement like the Rochester Ladies Anti-Slavery Society who handed out pamphlets and had meetings to show and discuss the moral wrong that is slavery. This paper will discuss how Fredrick Douglass’s speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” is a clear example of a public relations tactic that was used by abolitionists. Douglass’s efforts to end slavery were done through speeches, writing, and inspiration. This paper will also highlight the various other public relations tactics the abolitionist movement used to their success. It can be seen throughout history that the best resistance movements were able to target key public figures and were also able to control the media in a way to manipulate the minds of the public. The research conducted directly parallels Douglass’s speech. Douglass’s speech is a perfect example of public relations. Also, other research done was about certain figures and Fredrick Douglass and his efforts were mentioned specifically on multiple occasions. “What to a Slave is the Fourth of July” by Fredrick Douglass makes a peaceful statement against slavery during the 18th century. Douglass influenced public relations tactics used by the abolitionist movement because he opened the world up to a whole new way to protest. 

Before the Civil War, the topic of slavery was a big political wall in congress, but not so much to the public. Tyler G. Page states in “Public relations tactics and methods in early 1800s America: An examination of an American anti-slavery movement” slavery had “Calling slavery a major political issue in early America would be a dramatic understatement. The issue was the proverbial elephant in the room in Congress from the Declaration of Independence until the secession of the confederate states” (2.2). It can be seen here that slavery was always a hot button issue within congress. Congress mostly saw slavery as ok where it existed and not ok where it did not. Other members found it to be morally wrong and wanted it to be abolished long before it did. In the north, movements against slavery formed and were seen as quite radical. These movements often handed out pamphlets in order to tell people about the wrongness of slavery. In order to combat these movements, southern states made laws banning pamphlets and allowing people to form groups like the ones that existed in the north. In the south, African American people were not allowed to be educated. The south also passed laws for when free African American people were coming into ports in the south, they were forced to remain on the boat until it left the south. The southern states did not want free men to be spreading influence on enslaved people in the south. 

In Douglass’s “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” the historical context is evident through the audience he is speaking to, through the fact he was one of very few black men who was literate, and through the careful wording of his speech. Douglass in many instances explains the difference between himself and the people he is speaking to. He, in a way, has to do this to make his point. Throughout the speech, he never speaks about America has his own nation. He always says “your nation” to show the inequality that exists between him and the people he is speaking to. The historical context contributes to this type of wording. It is impossible for Douglass to refer to America as his country when he has no way of knowing whether or not he will wake up the next day a free man or a slave. Douglass conducted his own movement against slavery, and this speech is an example of a public relations tactic he used to help him accomplish his goals. Speeches from key public figures, news papers, and using connections to gain funding and popularity were various public relations techniques used by various people and groups to push the anti-slavery agenda. The American Colonization Society is an example of a group which used all of these techniques to accomplish their goals. While the American Colonization Society and Fredrick Douglass did not use the same public relations module, they did both use a variety of public relations tactics to achieve. Douglass used his news paper the North Star to push his agenda, while the American Colonization Society used an in with the National Intelligencer to advertise their beliefs. 

In Douglass’s speech he is speaking to all white people at the Rochester Ladies Anti-Slavery Society. The fact that he is speaking exclusively to white people shows a sign of the times. Douglass continually highlights the parallels between the founding fathers and himself to make a point. Douglass states “The simple story of all that, 76 years ago, the people of this country were British subjects” (257). Douglass is making the point that himself currently is no different from white Americans 76 years before this speech. By saying this he is urging the people of the country to be understanding to that fact and realize what they have been doing since becoming a nation is wrong. Douglass is using an aspect of public relations to deliver this message that normally would be very difficult to convey without a gathering like the one he had on this day. This is also a tactic being used by the Rochester Ladies Anti-Slavery Society. They have targeted a key public figure in Douglass to give a speech to a group of people hoping to convince others to back the abolitionist movement. Since Douglass is such a prominent figure in abolishing slavery at this time, this speech becomes instantly classic and goes a long way in their movement against oppression. In another instance, Douglass notes how America needs to learn from its short past, Douglass says “We have to do with the past only as we can make it useful to the present and to the future” (261). In this passage Douglass is making clear that the American people in power need to realize what they once were, realize what they are doing to an entire race of people now, and change it for the future generations. He is saying the people in power can learn from the past to rectify the moral mistake they are making now. Douglass is trying to reach them by connecting his current situation with their previous situation. 

Research conducted on the American Colonization Society shows how public relations tactics made them a somewhat successful organization against slavery. While the Society’s views were slightly skewed in comparison to most abolitionist groups, the experienced success through their use of public relations tactics. Public relations tactics were not really considered a thing until about 1900, which shows why many abolitionist groups were significant in not only helping defeat slavery, but create methods for generations to use in order to protest and push agendas. The Society pushed effortlessly for big name endorsements as can be seen when Page writes “Eager to associate the revered name of Washington with the movement, Caldwell persuaded Bushrod Washington, veteran Supreme Court Justice and present squire of Mount Vernon, to endorse colonization. He also approached the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the shrewd and worldly-wise Henry Clay… Key approached his old friend, John Randolph of Roanoke, who consented to attend the same conference. After several days of intensive canvassing, Finley, Key and Caldwell secured enough names to secure a meeting” (4.2). Essentially this quote shows how securing endorsements helped an organization gain legitimacy. Important people carry with them lots of followers and having been endorsed by big names, their organization gained more followers. By getting all of these people’s interest and approval, the American Colonization Society was able to gain a lot of momentum and be highly talked about movement. Another aspect the American Colonization Society used was lobbying. Lobbying became an important part of passing favorable legislature and getting funding for their cause. The American Colonization Society also used many publications to their benefit. Pamphlets and journals were handed out to explain what they wanted to do with their movement and why it would be successful, a common tactic used during this time period. This is similar to Douglass, who in addition to his speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July”, wrote numerous journals on the abolishment of slavery. The ideas used by the American Colonization Society mirror those used by Douglass even though they were not necessarily on the same side. 

All in all, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” by Fredrick Douglass highlights what was wrong with America prior to the Civil War. This story also is a great example of how public relations tactics were used during this time period to fuel the abolitionist movement. The public relations tactics used during the time have become an integral part of our political society today and are used all the time, especially when candidates are vying for presidency. The speech by Douglass also contains important substance. Substance that is still relevant today. For instance, Douglass talks about remembering our past in order to move forward and not regress. Today more than ever this is an important concept to grasp, especially with some of the people that will be leading our country in the near future. It is also important to understand why we see the things we see on television or in our news papers. Lots of it comes from the work people like Fredrick Douglass and groups like the American Colonization Society did. Douglass influenced public relations tactics during the abolitionist movement because he was able to form a new way to achieve a political goal.
