 
Frederick Douglass was an integral part of the abolitionist movement in the 1800s. Born into slavery, he escaped in 1838, and later had his freedom bought by a group of British men who were interested in his speaking engagements. In Douglass’ speech “What to a Slave is the 4th of July”, we can see a former slave's lack of patriotism and devotion to the country where he was once considered property. He feels that his country betrayed him because while the Constitution was an anti-slavery document, the generations after the founding fathers interpreted the text differently, continuing slavery for years.

Slavery was an important topic during the founding of this country. The abolitionist movement began in the 1830s and called for an end to slavery and the racial injustices in this country. Abolitionists believed in the creation of programs that promoted social equality through education and religion. The ideas were prominent in the Northern churches and politics and could be seen on pamphlets, which were distributed to the people. In 1831, William Lloyd Garrison published the Liberator, which was a weekly anti-slavery newspaper. The majority of the subscribers were black, and in fact, it was considered to be the spokesman for the black community. He is quoted saying “your moral and intellectual elevation, the advancement of your rights, and the defense of your character, will be a leading object of our paper” (Jacobs 260).  This quote and Garrison’s paper were important to the emancipation of slaves and the abolitionist movement as a whole. Another renowned abolitionist was Frederick Douglass. He was a former slave, who would travel throughout the country preaching the ideas of the abolitionism.

The ideas of abolitionists movement were evident in one of Douglass’ speech that took place on July 5th, 1852 in Rochester, New York. He was speaking to a crowd about the meaning of 4th of July to African Americans. He began the speech talking about how the Revolutionaries fought for freedom against British rule, and that in doing so they assumed the risks that came with it. This served as an example so that he could later compare it to the abolitionist movement, and the risks they assumed by fighting for the emancipation of slaves. He then urged the audience to continue the work of the founding fathers, and put the country’s well-being, before their own. Bringing up the question “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?” (Douglass 262). This quote highlights the message of abolitionism, and questions the foundation of the country. The Declaration of Independence, along with the Constitution, were the founding documents of this country, yet neither specifically, mention African Americans as equal. Douglass continued his speech by mentioning that America was deceitful with its founding principles. He explains to the audience “your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy” (Douglass 265). Douglass is explaining his frustrations towards the country, and the people because America was built on three principles: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, yet they only applied to whites.  But throughout his speech he kept reminding the audience that the nation is young and like a young child, will make mistakes, and over time will be able to learn from those mistakes and create change.

Born into slavery, Frederick Douglass understood the hardships of being an African American. He became a freeman on September 3rd, 1838, but never fully understood what it meant to be free. Although Douglass was free of slavery, he wasn’t granted the same rights under the Constitution as white folk. The Constitution is the framework of the national government, originally comprised of seven articles, it currently has twenty-seven amendments. Regarded as a pro-slavery document, the Constitution contained several slavery clauses, such as: “the “three-fifths” clause (art. 1, sec. 2, cl. 3) counting only three-fifths of a state’s slaves for purposes of congressional representation; the “fugitive slave” clause (art. 4, sec. 2) providing for the return of slaves who escaped from one state to another; and the “slave trade” clause (art. 1, sec. 9, cl. 1) preventing any elimination of the importation of slaves prior to 1808” (Waldstreicher). These clauses help the belief that the Constitution was created with the intention of continuing slavery. The idea that Douglass wasn’t truly free was apparent in his early work when he argued that, “To have patriotism is to love one’s country; consequently to have patriotism one must have a country; but he had no country; consequently he had and could have no patriotism… “A traitor is a betrayer of his country; consequently a traitor must have a country; but he had no country; consequently he was not and could not be a traitor” (Boxill 301). Rather than considering himself an American patriot, Douglass believed that England was his true home because the country wasn’t built around a document that considered him property. Douglass believed that until African Americans were granted the same rights as white people they should not be celebrating the freedom of their country when they truly aren’t free.

Douglass’ beliefs on the American Constitution and the founding fathers evolved over time. While he traveled the country, and England engaging in speeches about slavery and abolitionist movement, Douglass realized that the Constitution was an anti-slavery document, instead of a pro-slavery document which he believed prior. This made him change his beliefs on patriotism, also allowing him to reflect on the people that populated the country. While he still considered himself an English patriot, he gained the love for the country he once felt betrayed by. His speech “What to a Slave is the 4th of July” comes after his change in beliefs, which at first is hard to tell because he criticizes the holiday as a celebration of white man’s freedom. He later stated in his speech that “the people of the North have allowed themselves to be so ruinously imposed upon, as that of the pro-slavery character of the Constitution. In that instrument I hold there is neither warrant, license, nor sanction of the hateful thing; but, interpreted as it ought to be interpreted, the Constitution is a GLORIOUS LIBERTY DOCUMENT. Read its preamble, consider its purposes. Is slavery among them?” (Douglass 273). This quote explains Douglass’ change in beliefs and realizing that the people of the South were the ones interpreting the text in a way that allowed for the continuance of slavery. The founding fathers wrote the preamble to introduce what would be contained in the Constitution. It states “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America” (U.S. Constitution, Preamble). Like Douglass said, nowhere in the text does it refer to slavery, rather it talks about the freedom of all future generations. 

During the time of Douglass’ change in the beliefs, the Civil War was occurring around him.  The war was fought from 1861 to 1865 and consisted of the Union against the Confederacy. The war began because of the election of Abraham Lincoln, and the formation of the Confederate States of America. At the root of the divide in the country was slavery, the North wanted to end slavery, whereas the South wanted to continue slavery. Instead of conforming to the new president and his policies, the South decided to create their own nation.  This relates to Frederick Douglass’ change in beliefs on the Constitution because he realized it was the people interpreting the document who allowed for the continuance of slavery. Before the war, the South overpowered the North, which is why slavery continued in the United States. Rather granting the wishes of the founding fathers, and ensuring the liberty of all future generations, the South interpreted the Constitution in a way that allow for slavery to continue. 

Frederick Douglass’ was born into slavery and experienced the injustice against African Americans. A former slave, he fought for his freedom, and later traveled the country and England speaking about the abolitionist movement. After being freed Douglass was critical of the country and the Constitution, but later would change his beliefs praising the founding fathers. At first, Douglass believed the Constitution was a pro-slavery document, due to the numerous clauses that supported slavery, causing him to consider himself and English patriot. While speaking to numerous other abolitionists, Douglass regarded the Constitution as an anti-slavery document because it called for the freedom of all future generations. He believed that it was the people who created the divide allowing for the continuance of slavery. This divide is what led to the Civil War, and the separation of a nation. All of these factors are evident in Douglass’ speech “What to a Slave is the 4th of July”, because he begins with being critical of the celebration of an American patriot holiday, but then talks about the Constitution being a “Glorious Liberty Document.” Douglass’ speech was more that words, it was his life experiences as a slave who never felt a love of his country of birth, to an abolitionist who began to find the love and patriotism for that same country.
 