53 pages 1 hour read

Frederick Douglass

What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?

Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1852

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Introduction

“What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”

  • Genre: Nonfiction; essay/speech
  • Originally Published: 1852
  • Reading Level/Interest: College/adult
  • Structure/Length: Approx. 20 pages; approx. 1 hour, 10 minutes on audio
  • Central Concern: Frederick Douglass argues against slavery and the Fugitive Slave Act, pointing out the hypocrisy of celebrating freedom in a country where so many are enslaved.

Frederick Douglass, Author

  • Bio: Born into slavery about 1818 in Talbot County, Maryland; escaped from slavery and became an abolitionist leader; founded and published The North Star, an antislavery newspaper; became the first Black US marshal; died in 1895 in Washington, DC
  • Other Works: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845); My Bondage and My Freedom (1855); Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1892)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

  • Celebrating and Acknowledging History’s Legacy
  • The Appropriate Response to Oppression
  • The Idea of America as a Child

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

  • Develop an understanding of the political, social, and cultural contexts of the antebellum United States that inform both the rhetoric and the content of Douglass’s speech.
  • Study the US Constitution and short, paired texts to make connections via the text’s various themes and evaluate the validity/persuasiveness of Douglass’s argument regarding the Constitution.
  • Analyze Douglass’s rhetorical and literary choices in structured essay responses regarding language, persuasion, and the speaker-audience relationship.

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