Part 1:

From reading “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”, I believe Frederick Douglass is arguing how hypocritical it is for Americans to celebrate the fourth of July as the day their forefathers took their independence from another country but cease to understand or accept why slavery should be abolished. He argues that slavery in itself is a contradiction to the core principles with which America was founded on.

Quote 1: “You declare, before the world, and are understood by the world to declare, that you “hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal; and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; and that, among these are, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;” and yet, you hold securely, in a bondage, which according to your own Thomas Jefferson, “is worse than ages of that which your fathers rose in rebellion to oppose,” a seventh part of the inhabitants of your country.” (Douglass 17-18)

Paraphrase: The way in which you treat a great number of the people who inhabit this country not only goes against your own declaration to the world but is also the exact reason that your forefathers rebelled against as told by one of your very own founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson.

Response: Frederick Douglass is using America’s own principle to show how it is a contradiction to how America truly is. He also uses a direct quote from Thomas Jefferson to show that what he wants is aligned with what the founding fathers of America believed in. Doing this not only demonstrates how ironic it is that white Americans do not see what is wrong with slavery according to their very own declaration, but also that abolishing slavery is not a crazy radical idea because it is essentially what America was founded on, which was freedom.

Quote 2: ” While I do not intend to argue this question on the present occasion, let me ask, if it be not somewhat singular that, if the Constitution were
intended to be, by its framers and adopters, a slave-holding instrument, why neither slavery, slaveholding, nor slave can anywhere be found in it.” (Douglass 19)

Paraphrase: By reading the Constitution exactly how it was written, if slavery were to be part of it, why is it that there is no mention of it? Slavery, slaveholding, and slave does not appear anywhere on it and surely it would have if it was written for it.

Response: Even in the Constitution, which is regarded as the supreme law of the land, does not mention slavery. The Constitution is has been clear with what it says, and if we are to regard it as being plain and clear then there should be no debate whether slavery should be abolished. Douglass uses the Constitution make white Americans truly question why is the abolition of slavery a radical idea. He uses it to show that the mere concept of slavery cannot be found on it so it should not be difficult to end it.

Part 2: 

Quote 1: “The crack you heard, was the sound of the slave-whip; the scream you heard, was from the woman you saw with the babe. Her speed had faltered under the weight of her child and her chains! that gash on her shoulder tells her to move on.” (Douglass 12)

Writing Strategy: Imagery

His use of imagery is very effective because it creates a vivid image of a very horrid scene. It makes the listener or reader come face to face with reality and how cruel what is happening truly is.

Quote 2: ” I see the bleeding footsteps; I hear the doleful wail of fettered humanity, on the way to the slavemarkets, where the victims are to be sold like horses, sheep, and swine, knocked off to the highest bidder.” (Douglass 12)

Writing Strategy: Simile

His comparison of people to animals is useful to show how dehumanizing slavery is. It forces you to view people as animals and that is very effective when trying to get an emotional response from the audience.