FREDERICK DOUGLASS’S

“WHAT TO THE SLAVE IS THE 4TH OF JULY”

DESIREE’ MILTONCOMM. 165

POWERPOINT PROJECT

FREDERICK DOUGLASS» CELEBRATED SPEAKER » FORMER SLAVE WHO ESCAPED

AND FLED TO ENGLAND» ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT LINCOLN» ACTIVE FIGURE DURNING TE

WOMEN’S RIGHTS MOVEMENT

THESIS OF HIS SPEECH» THERE IS NO REASON TO

CELEBRATE THE 4TH OF JULY; IT WOULD BE HYPOCRITICAL OF HIM BECAUSE THE DOCUMENT IS NOT REPRESENTING ALL THEY ARE CELEBRATING

THE ORGAINZATION OF THE SPEECH

» PAST- REVOLUTION FROM ENGLAND

» PRESENT- SLAVERY IS STILL BEING PRACTICED

» FUTURE- SLAVERY WILL END BUT IF NOT COULD CRUMBLE AMERICA

LANGUAGE» HE TALKS ABOUT WHAT SLAVERY

WAS TO HIM» HE TALKS ABOUT THE SLAVE

TRADE» HE USES METAPHORS AND REFERS

TO SLAVERY AS A SNAKE ON AMERICA’S BOOSOM.

RHETORICAL QUESTIONS» “WOULD YOU HAVE ME ARGUE

THAT MAN IS ENTITLED TO LIBERTY?” (48)

» “MUST I DECLARE THE WRONGFULNESS OF SLAVERY?” (48)

» “IS THAT A QUESTION FOR REPUBLICANS?” (48)

WHY THESE LANGUAGE CHOICES?

» PERIODIC SENTENCES» HE TRIES TO OVERLOAD HIS AUDIENCE

(49)» HE PLAYS INTO THEIR IDEAS OF WHO

AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE (EX: UNEDUCATED, DEPENDENT ON WHITES)

WHY THESE LANGUAGE CHOICES?

» A FORTIORI ARGUMENT- HE ARGUES IN HIS SPEECH THAT EVEN BRUT BEASTS RECOGNIZE THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE HUMAN BEINGS (48)

WHY THESE LANGUAGE CHOICES?

» REVERSAL- HE ARGUES THAT THE UNITED STATES IS A COUNTRY FULL OF SAVAGES (53)

» HE MAKES THEM SEE THAT THEY ARE DOING TO THE BLACKS AS THE ENGLISH DID TO THEM.

RHEOTRICAL FUNCTION» COGNITIVE DISSONANCE WAS CREATED

BY DOUGLASS BECAUSE OF INCONSISTENCIES HE CREATS IN HIS SPEECH.

» AUDIENCE DEALS WITH DISSONCANCE BY DISCREDITING THE SOURCE, FIND NEW INFO, OR CHANGES BELIEF, ATTITUDE OR BEHAVIOR.

RHETORICAL ENACTMANT » DOUGLASS = POWERFUL SPEAKER.» HE SPEECH WAS WELL THOUGHT

OUT.» IN HIS SPEECH HE REFUTED ALL

ARGUMENTS HIS AUDIENCE HAD AGAINST HIM; THEY WERE FORCED TO LISTEN.