Thinking About the 4th of July

In 1852, Frederick Douglass was asked to give a 4th of July speech to an audience of white abolitionists. The title of his speech was "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" Douglass's speech emphasized that the 4th of July was only for those who were free: not for the slaves in the United States. He said, "What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim." Frederick Douglass would want all of us to remember on this day that freedom means freedom for all, not just some.

Frederick Douglass grew up as a slave in Maryland. He was separated from his family when he was a baby and he only saw his mother during visits a few times before she died when he was 7. He was worked hard on the plantation of his owner and was forced to eat food out of a trough, like a farm animal. He was eventually sent to the home of Hugh Auld in Baltimore. Mrs. Auld began to teach him to read which lead to Frederick to learn more about his situation and the injustice he faced as a slave. Douglass eventually escaped slavery and fled to New York. Douglass went on to become a famous abolitionist.

Find out more about the history of the 4th of July from Frederick Douglass's perspective using the library's TexShare databases:  

Chavis, Jr., Benjamin F. “July 4th: Taking Our Cue from Frederick Douglass. (Cover Story).” Jackson Advocate, July 2, 2015.

Dolet, Tia C. 2016. “What’s July 4Th to Black Folks?” Washington Informer, July 28.

Pelton, Ted. 2010. “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.” Masterplots, Fourth Edition, November, 1–3.