—Anonymous
“What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” was a great work because of all the information it provided to the world. Frederick Douglass uses a number of strategies in his writing to prove a series of arguments about the humanity of the slave and to call for the end of slavery. When he first goes up to speak, he is worried that what he will say and that he will not get the audience’s attention but after he starts to speak, he realizes that everyone is interested in the topic which is how he becomes very comfortable. This work to me is great because Douglass is trying to change the world by speaking about a topic that most would not dare to speak about, and he is doing this as an African American. During this time, it was unheard of for someone like him to speak on a topic that he spoke on. This speech teaches us as the reader that we can stand for what we believe in. This speech is also showing the power a speech has on people. Douglass admits himself from the start he was nervous because he did not know how the audience was going to respond to his speech but once he realizes that his audience is listening, he is able to speak powerfully. Speaking about what he was speaking about helped him send a message that no one wanted to hear. Douglass was able to plant his thoughts in the public’s heads. Many years later this speech is studied which proves the impact his speech had. This is a great work because it had a real impact on society during its time and is still talked about many years later. Douglass is really hopeful in making an impact and he really does prove the power and impact of his speech.
