| The
Reading Selection:
This reading is condensed from a famous speech by Frederick
Douglass, an escaped slave who became a key figure in the abolition movement.
The speech was made in Rochester, New York, where Douglass
ran his abolitionist newspaper, The North Star. He was invited
to speak for the city's Fourth of July celebrations in 1852. His
words are a stirring call for the nation to see the contrast between its
ideals and the reality of slavery.
The life of Douglass is one of the most remarkable in
American history. He left a riveting account of it in an autobiography
that is available in most libraries.
The
Picture:
Frederick Douglass, an escaped slave who played a major role in ending
slavery in the U.S. |
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Group
Discussion:
Douglass tells the people of Rochester
that their celebration of liberty is not one he can join in, because slaves
are denied their freedom. He says that slavery is an outrage against
humanity, the Constitution, and the Bible.
Further, he argues that the nation
must be awakened by "biting ridicule," "fire," "thunder," and "earthquake,"
If anyone in the audience was expecting
a polite praise of America's great accomplishments since 1776, they were
surely disappointed. Douglass declares "the character and conduct
of this nation never looked blacker to me than on this Fourth of July."
The great abolitionist delivers
a searing indictment of the celebration as a "sham" and a "mockery" of
the reality experienced by slaves.
Douglass does not deny that American
ideals are high and noble. Indeed, he says his task as a speaker
would be light and delightful if those ideals were fully applied.
His speech is powerful because it contrasts those ideals, which were shared
by him and his audience, with the fact that slavery was still widespread
and accepted in many states.
Douglass declares that "the hypocrisy
of the nation must be exposed." He is not calling for some new or
strange ideas about liberty and justice. He is calling on Americans
to put their existing ideals into practice for everyone, including those
held as slaves. |