Analysis+of++The+Hypocrisy+of+American+Slavery

The Hypocrisy of American Slavery

Frederick Douglass, a former American slave and an aggressive abolitionist, gave his famous speech, "The Hypocrisy of American Slavery" on July 4th, 1852, to a crowd of abolitionists at Rochester, New York. He changed the way slavery was viewed by Americans and pushed for freedom. He changed slavery forever! He was a firm believer in the [|equality] of all people, whether [|black], [|female] , [|Native American] , or recent [|immigrant]. He changed the way slavery was approached with just one speech. I was given the task of analyzing such a speech. I will show you why he was the greatest abolitionist of his time and describe his points more thoroughly. Frederick Douglass starts out his speech by asking questions. “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us” (Douglass1)? This question is the most important. In the Declaration of Independence it is stated, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”(Jefferson1). He is implying that these rights are not being extended to African Americans. When this country was created it was meant to be a place where everyone could be free and have the same rights. Frederick Douglass believes these rights have been taken away from African Americans and change is needed. Douglass next compares the United States of America to the nation of Babylon. He says, “example of a nation whose crimes, towering up to heaven, were thrown down by the breath of the Almighty, burying that nation in irrecoverable ruin” (Douglass1). Babylon was a city state of ancient Mesopotamia. It had many crimes that led to it eventual downfall. Douglass is foreshadowing the downfall of the United States. If the United States keeps this discrimination up, then the country will be unstable and collapse. This is one of his most famous lines because it shows the people what could happen to the United States because of this blasphemy. Douglass uses a lot of irony. Throughout his speech you see many examples irony. It is a heavily ironic reflection on the significance of Independence Day for slaves. In his speech he quoted saying, “that the character and conduct of this nation never looked blacker to me than on this Fourth of July” (Douglass1). He is using irony to ask the crowd what exactly is the fourth of July to African Americans. He points out that the Fourth of July came to be seen by abolitionists as a day suited to point out the nation's failure to live up to its promise of liberty for all. Douglass raises the issue of slaves' humanity by addressing the line between humans and animals. He does so, however, by refusing to argue such a self-evident point. Noting that it is against the law to teach slaves to read or write, he observes, "When you can point to any such laws, in reference to the beasts of the field, then I may consent to argue the manhood of the slave” (Douglass2). He then adds that "When the dogs in your street, 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 a slave is a man” (Douglass2). Douglas continues to heavily criticize the nation's policies of freedom and slavery. In the bible and the constitution the main focus is liberty. Douglass says these are often disregarded and trampled on. He states, “Dare to call in question and to denounce …everything that serves to perpetuate slavery” (Douglass1). He is basically saying if these are main documents in our country and are meant to deliver liberty, why we even have to question what slavery is. He questions if a slave is a man. Slave holders acknowledge it in there laws for their government. Yet slaves are treated less than men. Douglass says, “There are seventy-two crimes in the state of Virginia, which, if committed by a black, subject to him to punishment of death; while only two of these same crimes will subject a white man to like punishment”, (Douglass2). The manhood of slaves is conceded. In ending his speech he asks the question again. “What to the American slave is your Fourth of July? I answer a day that reveals to him more than all other days of the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim” (Douglass3). This one line changes the way the Fourth of July looks in African Americans eyes for eternity. The Fourth of July just isn’t a day to celebrate the independence and freedom in America. It is a day to look at what America could be and what it has to become. We can’t be a country that is divided between race. Frederick Douglass had a lot of criticism. He appealed variously to the political, sociological, and aesthetic interests of successive generations of critics; Douglass has maintained his celebrated reputation as an orator and prose writer. Douglass's critics viewed him primarily as a talented antislavery agitator whose abilities as a speaker and writer refuted the idea of black inferiority. This view persisted until the 1930s, when both Vernon Loggins and J. Saunders Redding called attention to the "intrinsic merit" of Douglass's writing and acknowledged him to be the most important figure in nineteenth-century black American literature. In the 1940s and 1950s, Alain Locke and Benjamin Quarles respectively pointed to the //Life and Times of// //Frederick Douglass// and the //Narrative// as classic works which symbolize the black role of protest and struggle in American life. Critics in recent years have studied douglass work's tone, structure, and placement in American literary history. As G. Thomas Couser has observed, “Douglass was a remarkable man who lived in an exceptionally tumultuous period in American history”. In conclusion Frederick Douglass was the best abolitionist and changed the way slavery was viewed forever. The speech he gave on July 4th, 1852 to a crowd of abolitionists at Rochester, New York was unbelievable. It is one of the best speeches given in the history of the United States. Through analyzing his speech, I see he persuaded a lot of people with his irony and symbols. With just one speech, he got more abolitionists to stand up and fight for their rights. He will never be forgotten.

Sources

· Douglass, Frederick. "Berkley Digital Library." //Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass//. 5/14/1997. SunSITE, Web. 18 Dec 2009. <[]>. · Douglass, Frederick. //The Hypocrisy of American Slavery//. 1st edition. New York, NY: Dover Publications, 1845. 1-192. Print. · Merriman, C.D. "Frederick Douglass." //Literature Network//. 2008. Jalic Inc., Web. 18 Dec 2009. <[]>. · "Frederick Douglass Quotes." //Brainyquote//. Unknown. Xplore, Inc., BrainyMedia, Web. 18 Dec 2009. <[]>.