Blog #17: Frederick Douglass' "5th of July" Speech

Frederick Douglass' "5th of July" speech is significant, because the fact that it was said on the day after Independence Day represents two important ideas. One is that behind the celebration of liberty is the true hypocrisy of America, and the second is that after such hypocrisy, there is hope for a better future and independence for slaves. Douglass begins his speech by establishing that he has much respect for America's founding fathers, yet he goes on to say that he is not included in that independence because while America has provided many citizens with prosperity and freedom, it has only provided him with blood and death. He explains that to make him celebrate the Fourth of July is almost mockery, and he questions whether the people mean to mock him by making him speak on this day. He compares this to the Hebrews remembering Zion and saying, "How can we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?" In other words, Douglass cannot celebrate the land in which he has been tortured. Rather, he explains that he views this day as a reminder of true liberty, and in the name of crushed slaves, the Constitution, and the Bible, Douglass states that he will not stand for the horrors going on within the country. 

Douglass goes on to explain that every man knows in his heart that slavery is wrong. In fact, if slaves can be punished with crimes, it only proves that they are moral, responsible, and intellectual beings. Douglass explains that he will not argue any more in depth to convince America that slavery is wrong, because it was America who came up with the principle of "all men are created equal," and therefore to explain this would be an insult to the country. Rather than argument, action must be taken. The Fourth of July is only a seemingly joyous cover for the horrible consequences of slavery on many African Americans. 

Nonetheless, Douglass explains that while these crimes are bloodier than any other nation at this time, he has hope for the future and respects the genius ideas that are stated in the Declaration of Independence. He ends his speech with the aspirations of William Lloyd Garrison, which express hope and overcoming the institution of slavery.

Frederick Douglass

Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was written to challenge the institution of slavery that tortured and killed so many people in America. This is similar to the purpose of Frederick Douglass' speech, which expressed the reason he could not celebrate Independence Day with the rest of the county- because the horrors of slavery still raged within America.