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Frederick Douglass Dbq

770 Words4 Pages

Daniel Donahue
CCP English
28 November 2022

America’s history is undoubtedly pronounced throughout the world. Many great challenges were overcome through resilience and courage from those willing to make a change. One of those changes are the abolishment of slavery. The push against slavery was a long hard fought battle lead by many people but most notably Frederick Douglass. Douglass was slave of mixed race born into slavery. Throughout his career he became a prominent activist, author and public speaker. On July 5, 1852, Douglass gave a speech at an event commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Douglass told his audience "This Fourth of July is yours, not mine” (Paragraph 3). Throughout this speech Douglass comes across knowledgeable by giving facts and making strong irrefutable arguments. Douglass stated “There are seventy-two crimes in the State of Virginia, which, if committed by a black man (no matter how ignorant he be), subject him to the punishment of death; while only two of these same crimes will subject a white man to like punishment” (Paragraph 7). Douglass …show more content…

I will not equivocate - I will not excuse" (Paragraph 7). With Douglass pointing out the hypocrisy of Americas Christians; further building his argument with the use of pathos leaving his audience to pity him and his people. Douglass used religion to further exploit the hypocrisy of America affirming to his audience that slavery and the treatment of blacks at the time was completely and utterly wrong. As their current actions disregarded and trampled upon the Constitution and the Bible which white americans praised upon

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