The Meaning of the 4th of July for Negros

"The Meaning of July fourth for the Negro" by Frederick Douglass was written in 1852. With this speech being written during the Civil War it is very appropriate for what was going on at that time. The country was basically fighting over whether it should allow slaves or not. The entire essay is based on how hypocritical the celebration of the 4th of July is. The American citizens of this time celebrate over their freedom from the British yet they deny other human beings in the same country freedom. With emotion being a key factor in the transcendentalist style of writing, Douglass was able to hit a major emotion in guilt. Douglass made the white man feel bad for celebrating their freedom from Britain, while the African Americans were denied the same privilege. "Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?"(Douglass, "The Meaning of July fourth for the Negro"). America had fought so hard for its independence that it did not care what happened to the non-Americans living in the country.

The diplomatic and military disputes fall right into the philosophies of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. "How does it become a man to behave toward this American government today? I answer, that he cannot without disgrace be associated with it. I cannot for an instant recognize that political organization as my government which is the slave's government also" (Thoreau, "Civil Disobedience").Thoreau did not believe that his government could possibly be the same one that was working for the slaves because of how the slaves were treated. It is evident that Thoreau did not believe in or encourage the possession of another human being.“Speak what you think now in hard words, and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict everything you said to-day”(Emerson, "Self-Reliance"). I think that this quote from Emerson is saying to not be afraid of changing what you thought right yesterday. Slavery may be a good thing for you today but will you wake up tomorrow thinking the same thing? Do not be afraid of what others may think, but go with what you feel is right. Most plantation owners fought to keep their slaves to the very end, but we do not hear about the men who let their slaves be free before the war. There are some owners out there who had done this and our country should be proud of these few. They gave up their workers and probably lost a lot of money for doing what was necessary and what they thought was right. you think now in hard words, and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict everything you said to-day”(Emerson, Self-Reliance). I Douglass, Frederick. "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro by Frederick Douglass."History Is A Weapon. Web. 08 Feb. 2012.

Emerson, Ralph W. "Self-Reliance." Ralph Waldo Emerson Texts. Web. 08 Feb. 2012.

Thoreau, Henry D. "Thoreau: Civil Disobedience (DL SunSITE)." Berkeley Digital Library SunSITE. Web. 08 Feb. 2012. will you wake up tomorrow thinking the same thing? Do not be afraid of what others may think, but go with what you feel is right. Most plantation owners fought to keep their slaves to the very end, but we do not hear about the men who let their slaves be free before the war. There are some owners out there who had done this and our country should be proud of these few. They gave up their workers and probably lost a lot of money for doing what was necessary and what they thought was right.