What is the chief claim of "what to the slave is the fourth of july? ”

a. african americans deserve equal treatment and status in american society.
b. slavery is unconstitutional, and it should be abolished.
c. many african americans are deserving of more respect.
d. the tradition of slavery in america has harmed the african american population.

The correct option is A. African Americans deserve equal treatment and status in American society.

Further Explanation:

On July 5, 1852,  Fredrick Douglas gave one of the famous speech "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" The fourth of July is the day of freedom for the people of America. In the speech, Douglas comments on the celebration of the day and says that to celebrate such a day is very ironical. He says that the celebration of freedom which the people are celebrating is in reality still under slavery. He had used rhetorical questions to ask the people whether they are in reality a free citizen to celebrate such a day. He reminds the people of the unjust treatment they are exposed to in their own country. Behind their celebration, they are forced to lead the life of a slave with an absence of freedom to them. He adds that the celebration of the fourth of July is like a mockery against the African Americans. In reality, the celebration is a way of veiling the cruelty which the people experience in reality. The speech is meant to bring a change among the thoughts of the people and the American government. He urges the people to be together to bring an end to such a horrific present. His request to the African Americans is to see the real face of the government and to work to repair the damages.

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Answer details:

Grade: Higher

Subject: English Literature

Chapter: "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" by Fredrick Douglas

Keywords:

"What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?", Fredrick Douglas, celebration of freedom, African Americans, American government.

The answer is A. The chief claim of "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” is that African Americans deserve equal treatment and status in American society.

EXPLANATION

“What to the Slave is the Fourth July” is written by Frederick Douglass. It was a speech that’s delivered on July 5, 1852. The speech was focusing on anti-slavery society since Douglass himself was a former slave. The speech was being delivered the first time in Rochester, New York’s Corinthian Hall.

This speech gave people a lot of confusion since the title and the date of the speech were different. The date that the speech was delivered was on the fifth of July, but the title of the speech is fourth July. The Frederick Douglass Papers, Series 1, Vol 2, was published with the “What to the Slave is the Fourth July” speech inside it.

The speech includes arguments about the slave trade in the United States. Douglass mainly stated that the slave trade did not align with US values. The values in the United States are freedom, citizenship, and liberty. The slaves in the US did not have freedom since they were chained to enslavement. The slaves did not have any rights.

Douglass did not only protest about the captivity that the slaves have experienced. Douglass also stated that there was a lot of exploitation and cruelty that the slaves experienced. Violence on slaves made them did not have any will and rights.  

LEARN MORE

If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, we recommend you to also take a look at the following questions:

What was most likely the author’s immediate purpose in writing What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?  

Excerpt from What to the Slave is the Fourth July:  

KEYWORD: What to the Slave is the Fourth of July, Frederick Douglass, African Americans

Subject: English

Class: 10-12

Subchapter: What to the Slave is the Fourth of July

1. read the following excerpt from franklin d. roosevelt's "fireside chat 19":

on the other side of the picture, we must learn also to know that guerilla warfare against the germans in, let us say serbia or norway, us; that a successful russian offensive against the germans us; and that british successes on land or sea in any part of the world strengthen our hands.

remember always that germany and italy, regardless of any formal declaration of war, consider themselves at war with the united states at this moment just as much as they consider themselves at war with britain or russia. and germany puts all the other republics of the americas into the same category of enemies. the people of our sister republics of this hemisphere can be honored by that fact.  

the true goal we seek is far above and beyond the ugly field of battle. when we resort to force, as now we must, we are determined that this force shall be directed toward ultimate good as well as against immediate evil. we americans are not destroyers — we are builders.

analyze the effectiveness of this excerpt. how does it function within the speech as a whole? how does the structure of the excerpt to convey the speech's purpose and key points? support your argument with evidence from the speech. (10 points)