What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?

What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was a famous 19th century abolitionist writer who escaped from slavery and lived to speak about his experiences. In his piece, "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July", Douglass is explaining that the Fourth of July was by no means a positive and productive day for the slaves. In his opinion, America was not free because if this was true, there would be no more slavery, prejudice, or discrimination against African Americans. The quote that I picked out was the last few words in the document stating "America reigns without a rival". Basically, this quote is saying that no matter who you compare America to, the practices of this nation are far worse. This quote is interesting to me because Fredrick Douglass is expressing his anger towards America.