On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass gave a famous speech that rallied many to believe in the end of slavery. This speech is titled "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" and is one of the most memorable speeches for its time.
Frederick Douglass, born Frederick Bailey, was born into slavery, but escaped from it in 1838. After slavery, he spent time working on books, reading and writing speeches. As an abolitionist, Frederick Douglass wanted to persuade people to join the cause, and what better way to spread the word about abolitionism than to persuade an audience with an exemplary speech. Rhetoric was indeed the best friend of Douglass. Below is a short clip of history about Frederick Douglass that will help you understand his background.
"What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" is a beautifully crafted speech that not only recognizes the history of the nation, but also calls out the mistakes and tragedies that befall the nation. At the time, Douglass was working as an abolitionist, and he wanted to make it known how freedom did not ring through the entirety of America. Douglass wrote "I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought light and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth [of] July is yours, not mine." This quote shows the power of Douglass' words. Frederick Douglass did not want to diminish the celebration of the country's freedom, but he did want to make a point that not all in the United States were free, so the celebration was not shared.
To gain believers in abolitionism, Douglass used his power of rhetoric to create a persuasive speech that made people realize freedom was not shared in slavery. Douglass begins the speech with asking the question of what to the salve is the fourth of July? He follows the question with instances of slavery torment and how the day of celebration is not shared among the enslaved people. Douglass continues with his speech by answering his own question by stating:
"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. 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 denunciations 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."
With Douglass showing how cruel and corrupt slavery is, while also denouncing the very act of it, he is using rhetoric to persuade his audience to follow the abolitionist movement . Douglass' persuasion was a success eventually, for he did get to see the official end of slavery in 1865. Douglass also worked closely with Elizabeth Cady Stanton for the rights of women and colored people. Overall, Frederick Douglass was a man of rhetorical talent. Below is an Epic Rap Battle of History that has Frederick Douglass and Thomas Jefferson compete against each other. It helps show just how awesome Frederick Douglass was.
Fredrick Douglas is truly a paradigm of how rhetoric can be used effectively to rally the people. Though the practice of rhetoric had its detractors throughout history, Douglas's role as an orator and author in the civil rights movement indicates just how powerful rhetoric can be as a persuasive tool. His role is especially poignant given how much the odds were purposefully stacked against him.
ReplyDeleteI think Douglas's situation echoes much of what we have seen in history prior to this time period, especially in regards to the lack of education afforded to minorities, even if who made up these groups changed over time. It just goes to show that keeping education from these individuals had far more to do with the power it would give them rather than the education itself. With education (such as Douglas learning to read a write), the lower classes are able to utilize rhetoric to point out the injustices of the current system.
I think the argument Douglass makes is still difficult for Americans today, that patriotic symbols (the Fourth, the American flag, what have you) are symbols of oppression and colonization, as the "freedom" these symbols boast applies only to a select few. I feel that pointing this out attracts a lot of conservative backlash; anyone who criticizes our history "hates America" or is a Socialist/Communist. (I'm of the mindset that knowing and criticizing our history and even our present is integral to being an American, but I digress.) I wonder if Douglass' speech was met with similar backlash.
ReplyDeleteAnd just a small note that "people of color" (or, if you're speaking about anything unique to a specific group, the name of said group rather than generalizing i.e. "Black people") is preferable to the outdated term "colored people"! Great post. :)
I'm glad you put the ERB video in this post, if I had done this week's blog post on Douglass I would have done the same as I've been binge-watching ERB lately. :)
ReplyDeleteSome of the most powerful rhetoric, in my opinion, is that which doesn't beat around the bush and makes arguments that are blunt and clear; pointing out blatant hypocrisies or discrepancies is a great way to persuade people. Douglass does this eloquently here. There are people I know who believe that one shouldn't question or criticize America if they're truly patriotic, but this is a regressive and harmful mindset to have. No matter who is running the country, there's always bound to be some kind of injustice or corruption going on--it's up to the people to hold the ones in power responsible. This was a brave and important speech for Douglass to make at that time.