“What, to the American slave, is your Fourth 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 denunciation of tyrants, brass-fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery.” Identify and write the claim Douglass makes.

Frederick Douglass was an abolitionist, writer, orator and an American social reformer. His birth date is uncertain. He was born into slavery in Maryland. His mother was an African while his father was a white-man.

On July 5, 1852, Douglass gave a speech referring to the American Independence celebrations of 4th July.

On 4th July 1776, America became a free nation from the rules and oppression of the Great Britain.

He delivered this speech 'What to the American slave is your Fourth July?' in Corinthian hall, to Anti-slavery society. In his speech, Douglass is making comparison between the lives of American Slaves under the Britishers to that of the slaves in the United States.

Douglass in the given excerpt is saying that this day of independence of America is nothing more than a 'gross injustice' to the slaves living in the United States. United States Declaration of Independence states the rights and equality of all men as they are all created equal by God.

The point that he wants to make in his speech is that just like Americans fought for their liberty from Britishers, they should fight that same fight for the slaves of the United States. In short, slave trade should be abolished from America because they know what it means to be slave themselves.

JackelineCasarez JackelineCasarez · Answer 2 · 2021-08-23T07:25:40+02:00

In the given excerpt from Frederick Douglass' speech, the claim that he proposes is:

'The need of abolishing slavery.'

Douglass was very upset with the celebrations that were made on July 4 in the nation.
He calls it the 'bigotry of Americans to glorify the day 4th July as the day of independence when people are still enslaved and do not possess any liberty.'
He targeted the white audience and displayed that how this freedom is a 'sham' as it is not everyone and at the cost of the slaves' constant pain, suffering, and exploitation.
He believes that such a celebration of freedom is hypocrisy and therefore, to make it a true celebration, slavery must be abolished to give every individual the right to live life freely with joy and cheer.

Learn more about 'Slavery in America' here:

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