Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us? I am not included within the pale of glorious anniversary! Two years before Douglass' famed speech, the U.S. government passed the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which required runaway slaves to be returned to their owners. Somehow I often find myself reading this paragraph and Im always struck by its prescience. Has the public reading of the speech each year on Boston Commonor the experience or meaning of itchanged over the years? But its quite another to change the way you see yourself and to grow into a person deeply committed to long-term interracial coalition building. Well, we have all come to understand that while on its face this amendment appeared to outlaw forever slavery and involuntary servitude, its exception for those serving a punishment for crime left open the door for what Douglas Blackmon has called Slavery by Another Name and Ana DuVernays so painfully rendered film, 13th, revealed as continued oppression in the 21st century. "[L]et me ask, if it be not somewhat singular that, if the Constitution were intended to be, by its framers and adopters, a slave-holding instrument, why neither slavery, slaveholding, nor slave can anywhere be found in it.". For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder, he said. This Fourth July is yours, not mine. During the Civil War he worked tirelessly for the emancipation ofenslaved African Americans and duringthe decades followingthe war, he was arguably the most influential African American leader in the nation. The time for such argument is passed. Yea! Fellow-citizens, above your national, tumultuous joy, I hear the mournful wail of millions! One of his famous speeches, called "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro," was given on July 5, 1852, in Rochester, New York, at an event in the Corinthian Hall. As with any great oration, Douglass builds to his point, which is to distinguish between the spirit of celebration typically surrounding the holiday and the misery suffered by enslaved people on that day and every day. How circumspect, exact and proportionate were all their movements! To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are, to Him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. For those who feel that way, July 5 may be an easier day to celebrate: on that day in 1827, 4,000 African Americans paraded down Broadway in New York City to celebrate the end of slavery in their state. On this, the bicentennial year of Douglasss birth, the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives and American Universitys Antiracist Research and Policy Center are honoring 200 Americans whose work best reflects his legacy. What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?, Watch: A Conversation with Ta-Nehisi Coates, Oprah Winfrey, Media Mogul and Philanthropist, National Museum of African American History & Culture, A Nation's Story: What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake., Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter. As with rivers so with nations. What are some of Frederick Douglass's most famous writings and speeches It is, he declares, the birthday of your National Independence, and of your political freedom.. Had I the ability, and could I reach the nations ear, I would, today, pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. And instead of being the honest men I have before declared them to be, they were the veriest imposters that ever practiced on mankind. The River Campus Libraries Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation's holdings includes a manuscript collection of Douglass's letters, photographs, and ephemera. It is the birthday of your National Independence, and of your political freedom. Summary Of Frederick Douglass Speech To Celebrate The - StudyMode So, all these years later, our massive system of incarceration echoes Douglasss charge that, There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody, than are the people of these United States, at this very hour. This is not to say there are not tyrannical regimes elsewhere in the world or that other nations do not abuse human rights, but it is the self-righteousness of our celebration in the midst of ongoing injustice that continues to resonate today. I am not included within the pale of glorious anniversary! Both critiques seek true fidelity to those principles we fail to keep. This power fuels modern abolition movements, whether of human trafficking, prison or police. Why is this speech still relevant today? Within twenty years Douglass was the one of the most famous men in the United Statesauthor of two widely read memoirs and an orator who commanded among the highest speaking fees in the nation. Above your national, tumultuous joy, I hear the mournful wail of millions whose chains, heavy and grievous yesterday, are, today, rendered more intolerable by the jubilee shouts that reach them. These rules are well established. In a case like that, the dumb might eloquently speak, and the 'lame man leap as an hart. Toward the end of the Civil War he delivered a speech, "What the Black Man Wants," discussing what the nation should do to help the newly freed . Is it that slavery is not divine; that God did not establish it; that our doctors of divinity are mistaken? The manhood of the slave is conceded. From what point of view does he look at it? Would to God, both for your sakes and ours, that an affirmative answer could be truthfully returned to these questions! Magazines, Digital From Boston to London is now a holiday excursion. And it also imposed severe penalties on anyone who helped enslaved people to escape. ': The History of Frederick Douglass' Searing Independence Day Oration. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. Each foe. Cling to this day cling to it, and to its principles, with the grasp of a storm-tossed mariner to a spar at midnight. He follows this observation by closing with words from William Lloyd Garrison, suggesting the new reach of the great abolitionist across the ocean as part of a global abolition movement. The far off and almost fabulous Pacific rolls in grandeur at our feet. Thoughts expressed on one side of the Atlantic are, distinctly heard on the other. Frederick Douglass published three autobiographies. Our ability to communicate has led to much greater organizing and mobilization. The arm of the Lord is not shortened, and the doom of slavery is certain. In their admiration of liberty, they lost sight of all other interests. They were great men, too, great enough to give frame to a great age. "It is," he declares, "the birthday of your National Independence, and of your political freedom." In doing so he sets the stage to distinguish the holiday for his audience and establishes the gulf between those in his audience and those who remain in bondage. Frederick Douglass, Fifth of July speech (1852) Given all that he has said in his speech, why does Douglass conclude on an optimistic note for black Americans. Now, take the constitution according to its plain reading, and I defy the presentation of a single pro-slavery clause in it. I am not that man. You may rejoice, I must mourn. Frederick Douglass delivered his famous speech "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" in 1852, drawing parallels between the Revolutionary War and the fight to abolish slavery. The time was when such could be done. Fellow-citizens! Writing before slaves were freed in the United States, Douglass' main objective in the Narrative is to dispel any notion that slavery is good for those enslaved. Why Frederick Douglass' famous 1852 anti-slavery speech is still read and still resonates in 2017. Frederick Douglass "What to the Slave" - Lesson Plan | Learning to It was a scathing speech in which Douglass stated, This Fourth of July is yours, not mine, You may rejoice, I must mourn., In his speech, Douglassacknowledgedthe Founding Fathers of America, the architects of the Declaration of Independence, for their commitment to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness:, Fellow Citizens, I am not wanting in respect for the fathers of this republic. Inches "What to the Slave Can the Fourth of July?" Frederick Duplex seeking not only to persuades my of the wrongfulness starting slavery but also to make abolition find acceptable for Northern whites. Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us? and am I, therefore, called upon to bring our humble offering to the national altar, and to confess the benefits and express devout gratitude for the blessings resulting from your independence to us?, Would to God, both for your sakes and ours, that an affirmative answer could be truthfully returned to these questions! Why Frederick Douglass Is Important? - FAQS Clear They loved their country better than their own private interests; and, though this is not the highest form of human excellence, all will concede that it is a rare virtue, and that when it is exhibited, it ought to command respect. But we also need to invest as a city and as a society into reading and learning more about the present realities of oppressed peoples. The first autobiography, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself, catapulted him to fame and invigorated the abolitionist movement. Magazines, 4,000 African Americans paraded down Broadway in New York City, Or create a free account to access more articles, 'What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? 2023 TIME USA, LLC. Crowd of men and women during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Washington, D.C., Aug.28, 1963, Get the latest information about timed passes and tips for planning your visit, Search the collection and explore our exhibitions, centers, and digital initiatives, Online resources for educators, students, and families, Engage with us and support the Museum from wherever you are, Find our upcoming and past public and educational programs, Learn more about the Museum and view recent news, National Archives and Records Administration, Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. Long established customs of hurtful character could formerly fence themselves in, and do their evil work with social impunity. On what branch of the subject do the people of this country need light? What is the main message of Douglass's speech? The purpose of Douglass' message was to inform abolitions of the inhumane treatment of slaves and to continue making progress in freeing slaves. To do so, would be to make myself ridiculous, and to offer an insult to your understanding. For decades, slaves fled the South . Why does Douglass appeal to the Constitution in the last section of the speech? This year we mark both the 400th anniversary of the arrival of captive Africans to the British colonies and the 65th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. In the orations most famous passages, Douglass discussed what it felt like to see such festivities and to know independence was not a given for people like him: What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? Rhetorical Analysis Of Frederick Douglass Speech The fact of slavery ruins the celebrations of the Fourth of July. As I mentioned earlier, the first reading was designed to the think about race in the Age of Obama. I remember that first year, looking out at the crowd I was filled with the kind of hope Douglass expressed at the end of his speech. I am not included within the pale of glorious anniversary! When the dogs in your streets, when the fowls of the air, when the cattle on your hills, when the fish of the sea, and the reptiles that crawl, shall be unable to distinguish the slave from a brute, then will I argue with you that the slave is a man! He was invited to give a fourth of July speech by the Ladies Anti-Slavery Society of Rochester. I take it, therefore, that it is not presumption in a private citizen to form an opinion of that instrument. Understanding contradictions such as this is critical for honest conversation. The iron shoe, and crippled foot of China must be seen, in contrast with nature. He point-by-point counters a. On the other hand it will be found to contain principles and purposes, entirely hostile to the existence of slavery. Th oppressd shall vilely bend the knee, He begins his speech by modestly apologizing for being nervous in front of the crowd and recognizes that he has come a long way since his escape from slavery. The eye of the reformer is met with angry flashes, portending disastrous times; but his heart may well beat lighter at the thought that America is young, and that she is still in the impressible stage of her existence. The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. This celebration also marks the beginning of another year of your national life; and reminds you that the Republic of America is now 76 years old. For the present, it is enough to affirm the equal manhood of the Negro race. Frederick Douglass, America's most famous anti-slavery activist and fugitive slave, saw no ground to celebrate: he saw the octopus arms of slavery stretched everywhere, exposing the hollowness. we wept when we remembered Zion. God speed the hour, the glorious hour,When none on earthShall exercise a lordly power,Nor in a tyrants presence cower;But all to manhoods stature tower,By equal birth!That hour will come, to each, to all,And from his prison-house, the thrallGo forth. -douglas was trying to to reach to people who didn't agree with slavery, but never did anything to fight against it How does the struggle for freedom change with history? To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, is inhuman mockery. There is blasphemy in the thought. Nor in a tyrants presence cower; America has been working to fully live up to the ideals laid out in the Declaration of Independence ever since the document was printed on July 4, 1776. Indeed, his speech, which warns that Your republican politics, not less than your republican religion, are flagrantly inconsistent, should be required reading for any such commission. Do you think that section has any lessons for us today? An edited version of Douglasss speech is provided below. The Compromise of 1850 had failed to resolve the controversy over the admission of new slaveholding states to the Union. "For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder," he said. In a case like that, the dumb might eloquently speak, and the "lame man leap as an hart." The political party system was beginning to tear itself asunder over the expansion of slavery, he says. Can you tell me about the origins of the Reading Frederick Douglas Together project? By equal birth! In every clime be understood, Wind, steam, and lightning are its chartered agents. GAZETTE: This is your second year as host of Reading Frederick Douglass Together in Somerville. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth." To man his plundered fights again They were statesmen, patriots and heroes, and for the good they did, and the principles they contended for, I will unite with you to honor their memory. On July 2nd, people from across Massachusetts will gather at noon on Boston Common near the State House for the 11th annual public reading of Douglasss historic address. At the time of the delivery of this speech, Douglass had been living in Rochester, New York for several years editing a weekly abolitionist newspaper. "The arm of the Lord is not shortened," and the doom of slavery is certain. What point in the anti-slavery creed would you have me argue? The fact of slavery ruins the celebrations of the Fourth of July. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour. (modern), Frederick Douglas addressing an English audience during his visit to London in 1846., Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. In Douglass' speech, his tone mainly appeals to emotions. Although the . He wrote a glowing letter of encouragement to Harriet Tubman, which served as the preface to Sarah Bradfords 1869 biography about Tubmans life. What characteristics does he praise about them? One of the biggest challenges we face in our present moment is building sustainable movements that fundamentally change peoples minds about race and racism. He further says, the Constitution, in its words, is plain and intelligible, and is meant for the home-bred, unsophisticated understandings of our fellow-citizens. Thoughts expressed on one side of the Atlantic are, distinctly heard on the other.. When from their galling chains set free, that he is the rightful owner of his own body? Host called senior colleague a C-word in text message obtained by lawyers as part of Dominion lawsuit Tucker Carlson's firing from Fox News came after he used vulgar language to describe a . 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. My original thought was a public reading prior to the holiday, which would prompt people to incorporate the speech or a discussion of its meaning in their holiday observations, whether in the back yard or the local library. Your fathers were wise men, and if they did not go mad, they became restive under this treatment. What is the main message of Douglass's speech? Frederick Douglass was a freed slave in the 1800's who was famous for his ability to read and write, uncommon of a black man at the time. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. Of Douglass's many speeches, "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" was perhaps one of the most well-known. They believed in order; but not in the order of tyranny. The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. How unlike the politicians of an hour! Many of you understand them better than I do. The sunlight that brought light and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. And change into a faithful friend Douglasss searing ability to cut through the rhetoric of freedom and democracy lives on in works like these that reveal the enduring cruelty of the exemption as it continues to haunt our flawed legal and punishment systems. Oh! I attended in 2008 and was deeply moved by the experience. Allow me to say, in conclusion, notwithstanding the dark picture I have this day presented of the state of the nation, I do not despair of this country. Formerly . It does not often happen to a nation to raise, at one time, such a number of truly great men. So its important that our city and our society are outraged by the recent murders of unarmed black people. With them, justice, liberty and humanity were "final;" not slavery and oppression. We have a precise date for that first, momentous vote, which set the pattern of exclusion with which we still live, but no such precision marks the arrival of 50 captive Africans sometime in August, 1619. Members of the public will take turns reading parts of the speech until theyve read all of it, together. Fellow Citizens, I am not wanting in respect for the fathers of this republic. The testimony of Senator Breese, Lewis Cass, and many others that might be named, who are everywhere esteemed as sound lawyers, so regard the constitution. The sunlight that brought light and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. Frederick Douglass Museum in Rochester NY: Fundraising underway Interview was lightly edited for clarity and length. This speech is now remembered as oneof Douglass' most poignant. It were considered radical, extreme, and risky. Fellow Citizens, I am not wanting in respect for the fathers of this republic. Read by Ava Yuninger, Music by Ava Yuninger 00:00 00:00 Mark them! Across the country, people were thinking and arguing about slavery, abolitionism, and the future of the nation. There is not a man beneath the canopy of heaven that does not know that slavery is wrong for him. American abolitionist Frederick Douglass, circa 1855. is the popular name of a speech delivered by Frederick Douglass on the Fifth of July 1852 in Rochester, N.Y.. Who so stolid and selfish, that would not give his voice to swell the hallelujahs of a nations jubilee, when the chains of servitude had been torn from his limbs? With them, nothing was settled that was not right. What, am I to argue that it is wrong to make men brutes, to rob them of their liberty, to work them without wages, to keep them ignorant of their relations to their fellow men, to beat them with sticks, to flay their flesh with the lash, to load their limbs with irons, to hunt them with dogs, to sell them at auction, to sunder their families, to knock out their teeth, to burn their flesh, to starve them into obedience and submission to their masters? Frederick Douglass's 4th of July speech still burns with his spirit Cling to this daycling to it, and to its principles, with the grasp of a storm-tossed mariner to a spar at midnight. And the contradiction of Americas just ideals and unjust realities endures, too. God speed the day when human blood I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! It is neither. Douglass printed the speech in his newspaper, Frederick Douglass' Paper, and published 700 copies of it in pamphlet form. I generally try to avoid speculating about current or historical figures I dont know. Heavy billows, like mountains in the distance, disclose to the leeward huge forms of flinty rocks! Space is comparatively annihilated. Why do you think he does so? What was the purpose of Frederick Douglass's slave narrative Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass An American Slave? What feelings is he appealing to in his audience in this section? Who can reason on such a proposition? What did he say and in what context? Standing with God and the crushed and bleeding slave on this occasion, I will, in the name of humanity which is outraged, in the name of liberty which is fettered, in the name of the constitution and the Bible which are disregarded and trampled upon, dare to call in question and to denounce, with all the emphasis I can command, everything that serves to perpetuate slavery the great sin and shame of America! "I will not equivocate; I will not excuse"; I will use the severest language I can command; and yet not one word shall escape me that any man, whose judgment is not blinded by prejudice, or who is not at heart a slaveholder, shall not confess to be right and just. and am I, therefore, called upon to bring our humble offering to the national altar, and to confess the benefits and express devout gratitude for the blessings resulting from your independence to us?, I say it with a sad sense of the disparity between us.
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