LAD #16: 5th of July Speech

Frederick Douglass started his "5th of July Speech" by addressing the issue of slavery. While free men of the United States would support and celebrate their independence on the 4th of July, blacks did not have the privilege to celebrate personal liberties because they lacked them. He believed that Independence day highlighted the disunity between slaves and free men. He reflects that African Americans have proven to be just as successful as their white slave holders, and that African Americans should have the right to celebrate this day to the same extent as the whites.