What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?

Frederick Douglass’s “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” is a famous speech because of its strong arguments for the abolition of slavery and for its thoughtful rhetorical approach to convincing a wealthy White audience that the institution of slavery goes against the values they hold dear. The crux of the speech and its most cited section is an interrogative passage in which Douglass demands answers from his audience. This is the source of the oft-used title “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July.” In the passage, Douglass points sharply at the hypocritical nature of the request to have a formerly enslaved person speak about the “national independence” (6) that is “yours, not mine” (7). Douglass adopts a sarcastic tone before distinctly declaring his central point for speaking: “I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us” (7). Just as the titular question expresses, Douglass describes the ironic position of a person who is enslaved in a country that celebrates liberty and independence. Throughout the rest of the speech, Douglass masterfully weaves a larger, more complex argument around this central issue; much of the language in this passage reflects the other thematic elements in his speech.

Across three focused sections of the speech, Douglass uses a clear shift in tone and specific linguistic references and allusions to develop his arguments. Through these moves and others, Douglass crafts an emotional and philosophically sound speech that directly addresses the oppressive system of slavery and the need to see it abolished.

Although Douglass’s speech is not partitioned into formal sections, he follows three distinct argumentative paths: First, he addresses a general public audience; second, he addresses the church; and third, he addresses republican politics. By dividing his points into these sections, Douglass is more likely to convince a wider range of listeners—and, later, readers—of his perspectives. The structure also acknowledges that the political and religious are intertwined in the American psyche; therefore, it is possible to read the entire speech as an address to a general White American audience. Throughout the speech, Douglass uses the second person “you,” which aids in unifying his audience under one larger umbrella: White American citizens who are both Christian and interested in being seen as good.

One of Douglass’s most significant shifts occurs about a third of the way through, as he moves from a philosophical, positive tone into a critical, fast-paced voice. In the opening sections, Douglass sounds almost loving towards his audience: He describes the forefathers as “decorous, respectful, and loyal” (3), refers to his audience as “fellow-citizens” (1), and structures the argument to be very agreeable to a general audience. Then, as Douglass concludes discussing the forefathers’ reasons for leaving England, he makes a turn, moving the audience into the section where he will demand that they “do [their] work” (6). This is the precursor to his strong central claim that the Fourth of July is an ironic event. Douglass makes this specific rhetorical move to ensure that his audience feels safe and open before he begins making more pointed, critical arguments. As the shift occurs, it is possible to see Douglass’s audience feeling more and more uncomfortable; for this reason, Douglass ends his questioning quickly and moves into other ethical and political arguments next.

Over the course of Douglass’ speech, he employs a number of thoughtful referential techniques in order to engage his audience’s imagination and build an argument that stands on the foundation of other trusted texts and shared values. Many of these rely on a religious background: Douglass refers to the “weak against the strong” (2), the “national altar” (6), “the canopy of heaven” (8), and even closes the speech with an abolitionist’s poem that references God “speed[ing] the day” (18) that slavery will end. Both Douglass’s implicit and explicit references to Christian imagery and belief systems is an important strategy for gaining his audience’s favor. In a similar manner, Douglass makes frequent reference to the U.S. Constitution, a “glorious liberty document” (16). Since the Constitution is viewed as a righteous text, Douglass refers to it to lend validity and ethical justification to his arguments.