Summary of what to the slave is the fourth of july
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HOMEWORK HELP > WHAT TO THE SLAVE IS THE FOURTH OF JULY?
What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July Summary
In Frederick Douglass's "What to the slave is the fourth of July?" what does he say the effect of slavery has on white people in the north?
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ASHLEY KANNAN eNotes educator| CERTIFIED EDUCATOR
One of Douglass' critical points in the speech is the idea that America has become desensitized to its hypocrisy. For Douglass, this is what has become of White citizens in the North. A nation that eloquently articulated the condition of freedom against the British failed to acknowledge the same in the issue of slavery: "Would you have me argue that man is entitled to liberty? That he is the rightful owner of his own body? You have already declared it." Given this reality, American citizens, especially those in the North, have lost a level of sensitivity to the issue. In the regaling of freedom in the 4th of July, Douglass suggests that American citizens have little ground to celebrate freedom, while the institution of slavery still exists. What is experienced by Northern and White American citizens cannot be experienced by those who are of color in America: