Frederick Douglass wrote this reflection on the meaning of the Declaration of Independence to the enslaved.
Editor’s note: Below are some excerpts from a speech on the meaning of the Fourth of July delivered by Frederick Douglass in Rochester, New York, July 5, 1852.
I'd heard about Frederick Douglass but this is the first time I actually read something from him. Excellent writing and points; a good example of criticizing a group while simultaneously framing it from a perspective of desiring the best for it. It's all the more impressive by the fact he was self-taught.