Frederick Douglass’ speech is about condemning slavery in America. My interpretation of his speech is that it is ironic that America is the land of the free but utilizes slaves. He also tries to appeal to the people who are listening by mentioning the hard fought revolutionary war and what that freedom from Britain meant. A defining moment in this speech is when he mentions that the Fourth of July belongs to white men, and that it is ironic and also hypocritical to be called the land of the free when there are still slaves.

Quote 1: “This is , to you, is what the Passover was to the emancipated people of God. It carries your minds back to the day, and to the act of your great deliverance; and to the signs, and to the wonders, associated with that act, and that day.”

Paraphrase: July 4th is independence day for America, and it holds a deep meaning within every citizen because it was the day that America took her freedom from Britain. That will be a day forever remembered in human history because of the sheer importance of it.

Response: Douglass begins to highlight one of the main points of the speech which is based around independence day. He ensures the audience knows and remembers the importance of this day and how freedom is worth fighting for and how it felt to be oppressed. This appeals to the audiences empathetic side and opens doors for his anti-slavery notions.

Quote 2: “Oppression makes a wise man mad. Your fathers were wise men, and if they did not go mad, they became restive under this treatment. They felt themselves the victims of grievous wrongs, wholly incurable in their colonial capacity. With brave men there is always a remedy for oppression. “

Paraphrase: The oppressed have a duty to defend themselves. Our forefathers were adamant on not being oppressed and not to give into tyranny. He tries to describe how they felt being victims of oppression, and how they refused to be oppressed despite overwhelming odds of achieving freedom.

Response: He highlights the actions of our forefathers and how the actions of brave men helped us achieve freedom in America. He also briefly describes what it is like to be oppressed. This is important because he will make the comparison of white men being oppressed and slaves being oppressed.