Today, we, as a society, take our freedom, rights, and opportunities for granted. Every American citizen: black, white, man, woman, has all the same rights. Back in the 1800s, the same could not be said. Slavery could be found in 16 states and other areas and territories around the US. It was continuing from the beginning of America’s time, and it had yet to be changed. The Founding Fathers of the United States created and published the Declaration of Independence in 1776 which stated “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” On July 4th, 1852, these words were put to the test when Frederick Douglass gave a speech to the “Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society” in Rochester, New York. The speech, titled, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July”, tackled that Declaration, Constitution, and many minds in America to try and make it clear how hypocritical this country was at the time. In the following analysis, the hypocrisy of the nation and the issues of equality in this era are exposed through Douglass’s patriotism and Jefferson’s irony. 

In Douglass’s powerful message, he explains how the celebration of freedom is different for blacks than for whites. It is explained that for him and other people that stem from slave families, the 4th of July is the least bit of a celebration. In fact, he calls the day a reminder of "the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is a constant victim," (Douglass 257). While the white people celebrated their freedom from the British rule, slaves were still being treated like property. He claims he has respect for our Founding Fathers and every man and woman who fought for the Revolutionary cause stating, “They were great men too — great enough to give fame to a great age. It does not often happen to a nation to raise, at one time, such a number of truly great men.” (Douglass 259). Aside from this, the freedom that resulted from the revolution did not even give Douglass the rights that others got, and that is what this speech is all about. The gift of freedom was something only granted to the whites, leaving the slaves with no sense of liberty or justice. The significance of the Fourth of July has a variety of meanings. For most, it signifies the freedom of a new country, a new home. For slaves, it is an unfriendly reminder of the hypocrisy and segregated ways of America. 

Despite the segregation, unfair treatment, and total disregard for his kind, Frederick Douglass had an absurd amount of patriotism. Obviously, the Fourth of July is the most patriotic day of the year, but back then, as aforementioned, slaves saw the day differently. That, however, does not interfere with Douglass’s sense of patriotism. In “Frederick Douglass’s Patriotism”, an excerpt from the book The Journal of Ethics by Bernard Boxill, Douglass is portrayed as a patriotic figure. He loves his country in spite of the fact he is not technically a human in society. Many abolitionists claimed that the Constitution was pro-slavery, supporting the idea that slaves in society would not have the same rights. Most of the United States followed slavery as a cultural norm. Boxill explains: “Given that the US supported slavery, despite having a constitution specifically designed to end slavery, he would have to suppose that his government and people were wickedly misreading, misinterpreting, or simply ignoring its constitution,” (Boxill 304). This shows that the whites of the country were so blinded by the idea of slavery that it repelled them from the truths of their own Constitution, however Douglass was provoked to prove otherwise. According to Boxill, “…Douglass eventually fully and enthusiastically concurred, the Constitution was really, when properly read and interpreted, radically anti-slavery,” (Boxill 303). This being true adds insult to injury as there is no designated right to keep slaves from being free American citizens. Douglass practiced the idea and made it known to the public that it was against their constitutional right to not be able to have the same rights as whites on the Fourth of July. 

In his speech, Douglass mentions the Founding Fathers of this nation. He praises them and calls them “great men”. The hypocrisy of the Fourth of July is perfectly exemplified by Thomas Jefferson. In The Journal of Negro History by Leonard Sweet, it explains: “The slaves of Thomas Jefferson exhibited the irony of the Fourth of July in their own lives. Even the author of The Declaration of Independence was unwilling to declare an independence ‘for all’…” (Sweet 257). Not only does this demonstrate the hypocrisy of the “holiday”, but it also shows the irony of society during the time of Frederick Douglass’s speech. To add on to the irony, Americans during this time also had segregated holidays. Initiated by the whites, “[they] usually insisted on segregated festivities,” (Sweet 257). This just provides more proof that whites men, whether it be Thomas Jefferson or a regular slave owner, all share the same morals of irony in a matter that they ultimately control: the freedom of blacks.

In the aforementioned details, “What to a Slave is the Fourth of July” is investigated and the significance of the relevant cultural and historical context is discussed and analyzed. Frederick Douglass presented a speech in 1852 but the principle of what he said is still discussed to this day. Irony, hypocrisy, and unfairness were evident in that time and are still found in todays society. Frederick Douglass’s speech will live on forever as a significant event in the rise of equality.
