The Meaning of the 4th of July to the Enslaved

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Danielle Patterson

Western Civilization II

Paper: “The Meaning of the 4th of July to the Enslaved”

        When one thinks about the life of Fredrick Douglass, especially me, he or she possibly thinks about the strength, power, and a “tell it like it is” attitude. Douglass changed history in a major way. He let it be known that color should not have to be a factor when determining whether who should receive justice and who shouldn’t. His writings in “The Meaning of the 4th July to the Enslaved”, opens the eyes of many people, letting them know that the so-called Independence Day is not a day of freedom and justice, but in fact, a day of cruelty and ignorance.

        In his writings about the 4th of July, Fredrick Douglass refers to the hypocrisy of the American colonies. In his words, why bother celebrating? The particular day is filled with nothing but hypocrisy and two-faced liars. He talks about how the American people are basically wasting their time while they are saying their hymns and prayers because they are nothing but mockeries.

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        Fredrick Douglass’ life was far from a fairy tale. It was a life full of hard work, poverty, and most importantly, a drastic hunger for knowledge. Now of course, a slave who has been through so much turmoil and unhappiness in his life would have a thing or two to say about Independence Day. But it was different in Douglass’ case. Douglass had a strong urge to express whatever was on his mind. Since Douglass was a slave and went through all the hardships that slaves go through, his reactions to Independence Day weren’t good ones.

        Douglass’ master’s {Mr. Auld} ...

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