What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? Themes

The concept of liberty is integral to Douglass’s speech; in fact, it can be argued that the entire speech revolves around it. The most obvious connection to liberty is that the speech concerns the Fourth of July, the anniversary of America’s independence. However, rather than uncritically celebrating America’s liberty, Douglass questions the entire idea of America as a free country by reminding his audience that freedom is not a reality for three million people…

“What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” is a speech patterned off of typical sermons of the day, complete with a multitude of references to biblical passages that support Douglass’s logic from a Christian perspective. This approach to his speech gives Douglass significant moral and religious standing to criticize the American church, which he does at length in the middle part of the speech. Douglass’s condemnation of the church, which largely supported…

The structure of “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” moves roughly chronologically through the history of the United States. First, Douglass discusses the history of the Fourth of July, focusing on the Founding Fathers’ strong belief in sovereignty that led them to fight back against the oppression of the British. This historical background forms an integral part of American identity, which Douglass heavily criticizes in the second part of his speech…