Analyze Frederick Douglass’ “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” speech, and answer the following questions. Use at least one direct quote from the text to help answer each question.
- Who was Frederick Douglass? What audience was he giving this speech to? What was going on in the United States at the time he was speaking? (You may need to cite an outside source for this.)
- What is Douglass’ central argument? Why was he giving this speech? How does it help us to understand more about the time period?
- Why do you think this speech continues to resonate with many Americans today, even removed from its specific historical context?
Douglass’ “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” speech link is here:
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2927t.html