Douglas begins by addressing his fellow citizens, who presumably include both slaves and free men. He questions the idea and spirit of independence, announcing his belief that independence is a right all are entitled to. He states that the day of independence, celebrated the day before on July 4th, is important but not wholly justified with many in the nation still not free. He addresses those who may mock him, scorning and shaming them. He goes so far as to call upon religion to prove his point. He eventually gets through to the fact that he is talking about American slavery. He attempts to get all Americans to empathize with the slaves and their opinion on freedom and things. He calls slavery “hideous” and “revolting.” Douglas’s goal is to prove that black and white men are equal in every way and calls to the stand the fact that many black people are doctors, gold diggers in California, and many other things other than slaves. He calls slavery the act of robbing a man of his liberty.
In conclusion, Douglas states that the Fourth of July is only a bad occasion for enslaved black people to feel the fact that they are not free and nowhere near independence. He condemns free Americans for not doing anything about slavery and questions the values that America truly stands for.
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