
Fredrick Douglass, an educated freed slave, gave a speech to women in Rochester, NY on July 5, 1852 about issues of slavery, freedom, and change. As an abolitionist, his goal of the speech was to stress the importance of human freedoms. His focus of his speech, “The Meaning of the Fourth of July for the Negro” was that although the Fourth of July is a celebration of freedoms and democracy, it is the listener’s job to continue the fight the revolutionaries started towards equality. He calls out the irony of the founding principles of the country. The rights and freedoms did not apply to slaves or women. He gives his speech to these women because they can relate to one another. He knows that the women have the same motivations and interests as he does, although they are in different situations. Through Douglass’ speech to the women of Rochester, he successfully uses his knowledge of the women’s rights campaign and the irony of the Declaration of Independence to form his arguments and unify the groups. 

The beginning of the women’s rights movement is credited to women in the state of New York. The first meeting among them was in Seneca Falls. The women of the movement met for years to discuss the injustices they faced because of their gender. Here they prepared a statement of grievances. Using the Declaration of Independence as an outline, Elizabeth Cady Stanton changed just the words “King George” to “all men.” The women called attention to the irony of the declaration in that it could aid in women’s fight for independence against men. The group of women drafted the Declaration of Sentiment with their concerns for their rights as well as female suffrage. By pointing out the injustices made against them, they were able to call attention to the issue. It is important to notice the motivations and interests the women had in changing society. They were tired of their home-binding roles and strict rules. To change the just two words of the document, the women are able point out the irony of the fight for freedom as a country. The arguments towards the King are then changed to arguments against men. 

The Declaration of Independence was also used as a metaphor for slavery. Jefferson was aware of the dangers of slavery but also knew he could not just lead a revolution against it because the southern states had acquired to interest in the use of slaves.  He referred to slavery as a wolf, that you hold on to its ears and want to let go, but you are too in fear of what may happen when you do let go. It was safer at the time to not directly address the issue. In not directly addressing the issue, the country is left to interpret the document on their own and in their own interest. In an ironic way, the colonies were requesting their freedom from the King all while preventing the freedom of another group. Many also think that the line “all men are created equal” was either idealistic or hypocritical. To say that all men are created equal while treating another group as property is pretty hypocritical. However, once this hypocrisy was discovered, those apposed to slavery had a strong and powerful argument. The people in power were wealthy white males that wanted revolution and freedom against Great Britain. These arguments were expanded to apply to all humankind. It is all dependent on interpretation, wither the document is read closely or loosely. 

Douglass was smart in referring to the Declaration of Independence in his speech to the group of women. The document can be used to address the irony towards slavery as well as the irony towards women. By addressing women who wanted their rights toward equality and voting, Douglass is able to unify the two minority groups on the same similar issues. The women use the Declaration in their fight against men, changing the wording of the document to directly address the oppressing men. Douglass uses the Declaration in his fight against the institution of slavery, by calling out the irony of the fight for freedoms and independence. By interlacing the two, both groups help each other’s arguments. They use the document in the sense that it may be ironic and somewhat hypocritical. His speech is successful in being a call to action, as well as calling out the issues both women and slaves faced. He addresses their cause to fight for their rights as humans because after all those rights were addressed in the Declaration of Independence. 
