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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass delivered his greatest speech, "What to the Slave is the 4th of July?" Resonating with principles of freedom & equality, this speech was a powerful indictment of American hypocrisy & moral decay, as a nation simultaneously celebrated freedom while it enslaved millions. He compelled white Americans to confront the inherent moral contradictions in their society or face dire consequences.

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

By 1852, 4 million Black Americans were tragically distant from the concept of freedom. Frederick Douglass had tirelessly spoken, written, lobbied, and debated on their behalf. His autobiography, "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave," had garnered acclaim. Since its publication in 1842, people were familiar with his daring escape at age 18, his capture, & subsequent flogging.

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

People knew of his transformation into a disguised sailor, enabling him to leave a Baltimore shipyard behind, embarking on a journey by train, ship, and another train, forever leaving his past but always reflecting on it.

Douglass faced personal turbulence during this period as well. In the late 1840s/50s, he encountered financial hardships while endeavoring to sustain his newspaper, The North Star, which he had established.

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

During the early 1850s, he experienced a nervous breakdown and struggled to provide for his family. Julia Griffith, a friend and treasurer of the Rochester group that invited him to deliver the 1852 speech, was among those assisting him in fundraising efforts to keep the newspaper afloat.

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco

When Douglass penned his Fourth of July speech, the stage was set for a profound discourse on the ethical dilemma of slavery. From its inception, the institution of slavery had been a source of profound division and controversy in America. As the mid-19th century approached, tensions mounted as the country wrestled with the contentious expansion of slavery into recently acquired territories.

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

In 1849, California sought admission to the Union as a state without the institution of slavery, posing a potential threat to the delicate equilibrium between free and slave states in the U.S. Senate. In response, Senator Henry Clay presented a set of resolutions on January 29, 1850, with the aim of finding a compromise and preventing a looming conflict between the Northern and Southern regions of the country.

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

In September 1850, the United States Congress enacted the Compromise of 1850. This legislative package primarily aimed to tackle matters pertaining to slavery and, to a lesser extent, territorial expansion. The bills encompassed various provisions, including the determination of slavery through popular sovereignty for new state admissions, and the implementation of a more stringent fugitive slave act.

7/31

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

Furthermore, this compromise led to California joining the Union as a free state, the establishment of a territorial government in Utah, and the settlement of the Texas-New Mexico boundary dispute alongside the creation of a territorial government in New Mexico.

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

During the time when Douglass was formulating his Fourth of July speech, the groundbreaking novel Uncle Tom's Cabin had recently been published in the spring of 1852, captivating the nation. This powerful work galvanized the anti-slavery movement and effectively exposed the moral degradation of slavery to the broader masses of ordinary people.

9/31

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

As a component of the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act was introduced, accompanied by the abolition of the slave trade in Washington, D.C. This act mandated the return of escaped slaves to their owners, even if they sought refuge in a free state. Additionally, it placed the onus on the federal government to locate, retrieve, and prosecute these fleeing slaves.

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

The observance of the Fourth of July in mid-19th-century America differed from the contemporary celebrations we witness today. Instead of purely festive gatherings, these events were marked by introspection and contemplation. Many communities commemorated the day with speeches that praised the virtues of the American Republic, honored the sacrifices made by the Founding Fathers, and highlighted national accomplishments.

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

Meanwhile, the substantial number of enslaved Africans who had successfully escaped bondage in the preceding years, the Fugitive Slave Act posed a significant challenge to existing escape networks and undermined the advancement and mobilization of the free Black population.

12/31

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

The purpose of this political agreement was to resolve the disputes arising from the issue of slavery between the Northern and Southern states. However, prominent abolitionists like Douglass perceived it as a concession to the interests of slaveholders, further deepening their disillusionment with the government's dedication to justice and equality.

13/31

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

Thus, America in the 1850s found itself embroiled in a series of crises. The expansion of slavery had driven a wedge within the American political party system, leading to its fragmentation. The enactment of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 resulted in heated conflicts, as abolitionists were incensed by the efforts to capture escaped slaves.

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

Adding to the turmoil, it was an election year, with the 1852 presidential election gaining momentum throughout the summer. The rise in popularity of the Nativist party, also known as the Know-Nothings, who advocated limited tolerance towards perceived outsiders, added another layer of complexity. These circumstances created an extraordinary period characterized by political, moral, and social upheaval.

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

In this historical context, the July 4th celebrations of American independence in 1852 served as a stark reminder to Douglass of the nation's hypocritical stance on freedom, considering the central role slavery played in its history. Consequently, when the Ladies Anti-Slavery Society of Rochester, N.Y., extended an invitation to Douglass to deliver a speech on July 4, he consciously chose to speak on July 5 instead.

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

Addressing an audience of approximately 600 individuals at the newly constructed Corinthian Hall, Douglass acknowledged the bravery and greatness of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He recognized that their vision for the Republic was commendable. However, he emphasized that there was still significant work to be done to ensure "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for everyone."

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

Amidst the celebrations of white Americans on their national holiday, Douglass pointed out the cries of the millions still bound in chains, whose suffering was only intensified by the jubilant cheers. He implored his audience to reflect on how the nation honored its founding principles, delivering his message with piercing oratory:

"This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn."

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

“What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us? and am I, therefore, called upon to bring our humble offering to the national altar, and to confess the benefits and express devout gratitude for the blessings resulting from your independence to us?…”

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

“I say! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common.

The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity & independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought light and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This 4th July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn…”

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

“What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; …”

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

“…Your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are, to Him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy — a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour.“

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

The essence of the message conveyed in the speech is that the birth of American Independence and the birth of the nation necessitate the dismantling and reconstruction of existing systems; otherwise, both the nation and its people will face destruction.

"For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder…We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.”

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

In subsequent years, Douglass expanded upon his speech. During the ongoing war on July 4, 1862, he delivered a powerful address to approximately 2,000 individuals in Himrods Corner, N.Y. In this particular speech, Douglass transitions from addressing the audience as "you" to discussing the Revolution as an endeavor undertaken by "your fathers, and my fathers," indicating his growing belief that emancipation would occur,

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Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 4, 2023

Although President Lincoln eventually issued the Emancipation Proclamation six months later, Douglass persisted in utilizing the 4th of July as an occasion to highlight the nation's history concerning the celebrated concept. Even after the conclusion of the war, on July 5, 1875, during the Reconstruction era fraught with apprehensions, including violence from the Ku Klux Klan, Douglass adjusted his speech for the day.

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Kevin Leecaster Jul 5, 2023

@Deglassco
Did you catch the descendants of Douglass read his speech on NPR this morning or maybe it was this afternoon?

Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 5, 2023

@GreenFire yes, I have seen them in the past recite his speech. Very moving.

Johanna's Garden Jul 5, 2023

@Deglassco Thank you so much for this thread.

Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 5, 2023

@JohannasGarden no, thank you.

Wolleysegap Jul 4, 2023

@Deglassco We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are e created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Yes, Jefferson wrote this, and yes, Jefferson was not perfect. His goals were good goals, worthy goals. Let's not whitewash our history (a particularly apt phrase, in this context) but keep striving toward the realization of these aims.

Wolleysegap Jul 4, 2023

@Deglassco Thank you for sharing this truth on this day. It is so meaningful.

Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 5, 2023

@Wolleysegap thank you for being open to the information.

Tim Ward ⭐🇪🇺🔶 #FBPE Jul 4, 2023

@Deglassco Indeed, in particular the USA still haven't started on the "life" bit (gun laws, lack of health service, death penalty, military rampaging around the world, probably a couple of others I haven't thought of).

Wolleysegap Jul 4, 2023

@Deglassco I feel that I owe you an apology. You have such a breadth of knowledge of your topic, and I can see how much time and effort you put into the things that you present here. I would do better to just read. I do have a reaction to the things you post, but I have no real justification for bringing up Jefferson, a slaveowner, and a fairly problematic one at that, in the middle of your presentation about Frederick Douglass. I am sorry. I do appreciate your work. I will restrain myself in the future, and so have less to regret.

Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 5, 2023

@Wolleysegap no worries. It’s all good.

Wolleysegap Jul 4, 2023

@Deglassco Some of this is not easy to read, or think about. But it is real. Thank you, Dr Glassco.

Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 5, 2023

@Wolleysegap thank you for reading it and being open to the information.

JMaverickJacks1 Jul 4, 2023

@Deglassco And white people wonder why so many blacks distrust cops?🤔🙄

Glenda Smith Jul 5, 2023

@Deglassco The south has been arrogant and demanding from the beginning. Everything was compromised based on their insecurities and wish to enslave others. These actions continue to this day.

Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco Jul 7, 2023

@smit9186 indeed.