Estarlin De La Rosa

Eng 1121

Prof:Jessica Penner

Quote 1: Douglass said “is the 4th of July. It is the birthday of your National Independence, and of your political freedom. This, to you, is what the Passover was to the emancipated people of God.”(par4)

Paraphrase: Today, 4th of July is the independence of the United States of America, the freedom of your nation, but it is not our liberty of the slavory in this country.

Respond: Douglass know that the 4th of July was a day of liberty, but part of this nation still been under slavey during decades.

Quote 2: Douglass said “Seventy-six years, though a good old age for a man, is but a mere speck in the life of a nation. Three score years and ten is the allotted time for individual men; but nations number their years by thousands. According to this fact, you are, even now, only in the beginning of your national career, still lingering in the period of childhood.”(par4)

Paraphrase: Seventy-six years, sounds a lot for a good man at this time, but for a nation this is just only the beginning. Nations have to be free for thousands of years to know really good ways to grow. This nation with just Seventy-six years still is just in the beginning.

Respond: This is a great quote where Douglass expresses that he is happy about the freedom of the country, but has a lot to learn about how to run a nation.

Quote 3: Douglass said “The evil that men do, lives after them, The good is often interred with their bones.”

Paraphrase: bad actions often go further than good actions.

Respond: Often many people only remember the bad actions of a person and almost never the good ones, since many of us live with that resentment that we were hurt and we do not forgive our aggressors.

Quote: Douglass said “Your fathers staked their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, on the cause of their country. In their admiration of liberty, they lost sight of all other interests.” 

This quote states the sacrifice of other people who fought for our freedom. For this reason we need to honor their memories with good deeds among us.