What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? Summary

Douglass opens his speech by introducing himself to the crowd and discussing the Fourth of July. He describes the holiday as the anniversary of America’s freedom and reflects on how the country’s young age means that it still has the potential to either become a great nation or wither away. From there, he discusses the Revolutionary War, highlighting how the Founding Fathers succeeded by sticking to their ideals despite retaliation from England and outcry from opponents, which he illustrates by using the metaphor of a ship weathering a cold storm. Douglass urges the audience to embody this patriotism and integrity in order to steer America in the right direction, comparing the country to a young river that can either flourish or dry up.

After his introduction, Douglass discusses the present state of America, telling the audience that they have the responsibility to carve their own path now that the Founding Fathers are gone. Then, he angrily asks them why he’s been asked to speak in celebration of a holiday that does not include him, accusing the audience of mocking him in their celebration of the Fourth of July. He reveals that the true subject of his speech is not the Fourth of July, but slavery, which he calls “the great sin and shame of America.” He states his refusal to debate the humanity of slaves or the immorality of slavery, instead asserting that America needs scathing criticism in order to wake them up to the hypocrisy of the country. He continues that, to the slave, the Fourth of July is a reminder of the freedom that they lack; the holiday celebrations are a mere cover for America’s brutality.

Next, Douglass discusses the domestic slave trade. Although many Americans contrast this trade with the foreign slave trade, which has a reputation for being barbaric, he argues that American slavers are just as brutal. As an example of this, he describes in vivid detail the practice of driving slaves down highways using violence and threats, even against vulnerable slaves such as young mothers with babies and the elderly. Douglass reveals that he knows these details firsthand due to witnessing the slave trade and hearing the cries of slaves being driven in the night. He then moves to criticizing the Fugitive Slave Law, which mandates that escaped slaves must be returned to their owners, and argues that no other nation has such a brutal law.

After discussing the slave trade in detail, Douglass discusses the religious aspect of the slave trade. Specifically, he criticizes the pro-slavery American church, which he believes only cares about the externals of Christianity rather than its principles. He feels that pro-slavery Christianity is a corruption of religion that is even further from God than atheism is. He blames the American church not only for supporting slavery, but for refusing to call for abolition, since the church’s societal influence means that it could easily eradicate slavery. He also blames Americans as a whole, calling them hypocrites due to the disparity between their ideals and their complacency in slavery. He warns them that slavery is an enormous obstacle to America’s progress and implores them to stop it.

In closing his speech, Douglass discusses the Constitution, which he calls a “glorious freedom document.” He rejects arguments that the Constitution supports slavery, stating that a common-sense reading of the document disproves such a theory. He concludes by telling the audience that he has hope for America despite his anger, as he believes that the country’s fundamental ideals as well as increasing globalization will lead to the end of slavery.