Fredrick Douglass’ “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Introduction
The effects of slavery on black people
American betrayal of blacks
The reason why black people talk about religion
Racism – 72 laws that are punishable by death for blacks
America should live up to its promises
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Slavery in America remains a controversial issue. It started way before the country was founded. Today there is debate about affirmative action for the races that were under slavery. This arises from the fact that those who founded the nation failed to abolish slavery in a country that is dedicated to human liberty. During the era between 1776 and 1865, there were many slaves in the southern states, and some prominent founding fathers of the American nation owned slaves for instance George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. During this era people who were opposed to slavery for example Benjamin Rush led a campaign against slavery in the year 1774. With the revolution for the abolition of slavery, blacks were serving in the army and a policy to free the slaves was proposed by Alexander and George Washington supported that policy and in 1786 he wrote against slavery and came up with a plan to change his slaves to paid laborers. Many states supported the motion about the emancipation of slaves and laws against slavery were written down. However, there were still pro-slavery proponents and they had sections in the constitution that supported slavery as well as the slave trade. The black man bore the brunt of slavery by being turned into an object that could be owned by another human being. They were denied their freedom and liberty by being looked down upon. They were considered less human because they were thought to possess the sheepish attributes of a human being (Douglas, 1). They could not choose when and where to work as well as the type of work. This era saw the black community face gross prejudice from the white community. his paper will look at slavery and its effects on black people. How blacks look for something to connect to. Importance of religion to the black community. racism and discriminatory laws against blacks. Finally why America should live up to its promises.

The effects of slavery on black people

The black man in America lacks a sense of belonging. This is because they are seen as aliens while in Africa they are seen as foreigners who do not belong to the African culture. Therefore the blacks look for something to connect to. They were and some are still discriminated against because of their black color. The discrimination led some African Americans like David Walker to speak strongly against slavery. David was born a free man but as a black man, he witnessed the atrocities that were suffered by the black men. He issued a warning to the white man. It was published in the Appeals. In his statement, he told the whites that someday the very blacks they enslave due to their skin color would one day root them out of the face of the earth. This statement was very radical and the boldest at that time against slavery. The statement caused trepidation among the slave owners in the south as well as the slaves (McElrath, 1). On the other hand, Fredrick Douglas also spoke against slavery and showed how the black needed something that he could connect to. This is because for a long time the blacks were only treated as citizens in the time of need by the whites. For example, they were citizens when the nation was experiencing struggles during its infantry; the black man was allowed to vote during the drafting of the American constitution; allowed to fight in 1812. However, during peace, the black man becomes an alien who is discriminated against and could only live in certain areas. The black man needs to feel as part and parcel of this country by enjoying the rights contained in the constitution as well as the natural laws without feeling as if that is a privilege.

American betrayal of blacks

The American betrayed the black man. After the declaration of slavery to be illegal the blacks continued to suffer from post-slavery discrimination. The blacks who managed to go to school soon realized that they could not get the jobs they desired simply because of their skin color (Mjagkij, 4). They had to contend with a racist culture and dehumanizing practices. The way to escape from the feeling of inferiority that slavery had rubbed into their minds was through education (Mjagkij, 2). Therefore the freed blacks devoted their energy and time to open schools and give support to teachers so that they could rise out of their present condition. The government betrayed them because from 1865 to 1870 the resources they got from the federal government were limited and given halfheartedly. Therefore their learning institutions lacked the necessary resources (Mjagkij, 3). In addition, the blacks found it very difficult to acquire formal education as they faced many severe limitations. The whites wished to curtail blacks from accessing the public schools by coming up with regulations that limited them during the reconstruction of the south. The blacks were denied a chance to attend schools that they had helped to put up. This did not deter them and they sought education from the philanthropists from the north as well as from the state (Mjagkij, 3). Furthermore, the blacks were betrayed by the Americans with their double standards in the application of the principles based on the constitution as well as the bible that they righteously claimed. Walker as well as Douglas challenged the whites to uphold these principles for both the blacks and the whites equally. Walker challenged the whites about the declaration made on the fourth of July 1776 which states “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! “(McElrath, 1). He told the whites to check and see if they had treated the blacks well by allowing them to pursue happiness and enjoy their liberty instead they had treated the blacks with cruelty. Fredrick Douglass said that during the fourth of July when the Americans were celebrating their independence he had to mourn due to the condition of the American slave.

The reason why black people talk about religion

Blacks talk about religion because it gives hope. It is the way through which they would regain their freedom. Walker showed the importance of religion in the anti-slavery revolution. Religion would enable the black man to acquire physical, mental as well as spiritual redemption (Melvin, 1). He used religion to show the black people that their God does not condone cruelty asserted by one human being to another. This knowledge was to help the black man continue the struggle for his freedom and to resist the dehumanization brought about by slavery. Religion, therefore, is important for the black because it enables the black man to be informed about the propaganda spread about him. For example, that the black man was made black to be a slave for the white man. This propaganda is advanced by saying that the black man was a descendant of Seth the son of Noah who was cursed by his father after he saw his nakedness and instead of covering him he went to call his siblings to come and see him. Seth was cursed and told he would serve his brothers. Some slavery supporters used this story from the bible to justify slavery. Walker choose to use the Christian language to stress that slavery was a sin just like any other and that God would castigate the nation for this vice (McElrath, 1). On the other hand, through religion there is hope and as Fredrick Douglass said in his speech during the fourth of July 1852 though some used religion to tell untruths about slavery there was still hope that someday liberation would come to all people and that no more blood would be shed (Douglass, 1).

Racism – 72 laws that are punishable by death for blacks

Racism has been in the American country since time immemorial. The black man has suffered from this evil because the white felt they were a superior race. This led them to discriminate against the blacks solely due to their color. Even though the civil war was fought to fight against racism sadly it continued. Draconian laws were drafted to oppress the blacks and anyone including the whites who joined them to fight against slavery was met with violence. Violence, intimidation, and corruption were used to block blacks from voting. The Ku Klux Klan was established in the year 1867. It was a terrorist organization that terrorized blacks by murdering them as well as any whites who supported the black cause. During this period many blacks were killed. Racism continued and Jim Crow laws were enacted to discriminate against the blacks. The laws were enacted at the state and the national level. The laws led to the segregation of public amenities based on owns color. Therefore blacks and whites used separate amenities. During this time many blacks were killed and brutalized for seeking formal education. These laws meant the black men could be hanged according to seventy-two laws for petty crimes while only two laws could lead to the hanging of a white man for the same crime (Douglas, 1). This led to thousands migrating to the north which was a bit tolerant of the blacks (Magar, 1).

America should live up to its promises

Due to continued discrimination against blacks even in the twenty-first century, America needs to live up to its promise of a nation that gives ‘unalienable rights to its citizens. With the coming of independence to America, the citizens were entitled to live better lives because they could now enjoy their freedom. This was true for the whites while the blacks remained in bondage. In his speech on the fourth of July, Fredrick Douglas made it clear that that day was not his (black) but theirs (whites). This is because the black man could not enjoy the freedom that the founding fathers had fought for when they fought colonialism by the British (Douglas, 1). The American nation needs to treat all its citizens equally. This will lead to a reduction or the elimination of racial profiling. The American nation needs to ensure that its society gives equal chances to all its citizens regardless of their skin color. When this comes to pass all the citizens will be free to live their lives and enjoy their freedom. Principles in the constitution need to become a reality to all the citizens just like David Walker and Fredrick Douglass envisioned when they championed the emancipation of the black man fearlessly.

Conclusion

Oppression of a fellow man is a heinous crime. All human beings were created equal by God and no human being should be denied their liberty by another. The words spoken by Douglass and Walker many years ago are still relevant today. If we could heed their advice and treat our neighbors as we would also like to be treated then we would not have wars. The war between nations and within nations is brought about by one party feeling superior and therefore must force the other into subordination. Many innocent lives are lost as people and nations fight for power and control and many people end up in need of pity from others due to the poverty that afflicts them during the time of war. We should ensure that every citizen of the world has justice and then the world would be better.

References

Douglass, Fredrick. What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? Teaching American history.org. Web.

Magar, Prashant. Racism against African Americans. Web.

McElrath, Jessica. David Walker. Web.

Melvin, Peters. “God of the Blacks: David Walker on Theology and Resistance to Slavery” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Atlanta Hilton, Charlotte, NC. Web.

Mjagkij, Nina. Portraits of African American life since 1865. Rowman & Littlefield, 2003.

Click Here To Order Now!