What do you think of when you think of the 4th of July? What does it mean (if anything) to you?

What to the Slave is the 4th of July? On July 5, 1852, Douglass gave a speech at an event commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, held at Rochester's Corinthian Hall. It was biting oratory, in which the speaker told his audience, "This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn." And he asked them, "Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak to-day?"

Sourcebook entry What to the Slave is the 4th of July? Read the excerpted passage through quickly and perform a SOAPSTone analysis of the speech. Perform a close reading and annotate the passage As a part of your close reading, indicate the purpose of each paragraph.

Sourcebook Entry (continued) “What to the Slave is the 4th of July?” Prompt: Read the passage carefully. Then write an essay in which you analyze the rhetorical strategies Douglass uses to develop his position on the 4th of July. Compose an thesis Create a paragraph outline.