Frederick Douglass on the Meaning of the 4th of July to the Enslaved

Delivered on July 5, 1852, at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York, Frederick Douglass’s historic address was organized by the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society. In this speech, later widely known as “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?,” he pointed out the deep ironies and hypocrisy within American values.

Douglass argued that positive statements regarding liberty, freedom, and citizenship were an outright offense to the enslaved population who were entirely excluded from these rights. Addressing the audience, he famously stated, “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.” He cast a biting critique on the nation’s legal and religious institutions, heavily condemning the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and the complicity of the American church.

Despite the dark picture presented, Douglass did not despair. He urged the audience to view the U.S. Constitution as a “glorious liberty document” containing principles hostile to slavery, rather than a pro-slavery instrument. He concluded his speech with hope, predicting that forces in operation would inevitably work toward the certain downfall and doom of slavery.