Frederick douglass: black slavery amid white life

Would you support and celebrate a day that doesn’t have anything good or new, but bad feelings for you? Throughout history things like that have happened in the world. That also applies to United States, our country. When United States became independent from Britain, people wanted to celebrate it; but not everyone was free, black people still lived as slaves. Frederick Douglass, a black man, talked about this in his speech. He demonstrated a good understanding and managed to change lots of minds about this theme, because of his good use of ethos, pathos, and logos. To begin with he used ethos in his speech. According to the article he said “ What have those I represent to do with your national independence”. He said this because black men are still slaves, and because of this they don’t have any reason to join white people in their celebration. He wanted everyone notice that they are not good with what was happening. Another example of ethos is when he says “ Must I argue the wrongfulness of slavery? There is not a man beneath the canopy of heaven that does not know that slavery is wrong for him”. In this quote, Mr. Douglass says something credible because Slavery was a real thing in U. S. The quote teaches the reader that they all knew what slavery was like, because they were living it. He also made use of ethos by saying “ Is that slavery is not divine; that God did not establish it; that our doctors of divinity are mistaken? There is blasphemy in the thought”. By saying this he means that slavery is not a thing from their God, and it was a mistake to think it was supposed to be like that.

This matters because it was important that he showed them the reality about slavery. With the use of ethos he supported his claim and made it stronger, and more credible. However He didn’t only use ethos to convince everyone. In addition, Mr. Douglass used pathos as well. When he pronounced the words “ Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak today”. Frederick was expressing how he feels about them letting him speak, because they know his people are still slaves. He intends to make them know, how angry he feels because of what they’re doing. Another time he used pathos was when he said “ What to tha American slave is your Fourth of July? I answer, a day that reveals to him more than all other days of the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is constant victim”. With this he meant to say that, for black people, who were still slaves, it was a day in which the could easily see the difference between them and the white citizens. The importance of these words is that, he is letting them see how black people feel with that celebration. In other occasion he recurred to pathos is when he used the words “ The blessings in which you this day rejoice are not enjoyed in common”. With this words he expresses that he and the people he represents do not share the sentiment white people have for that day. Which at the same time is important because he is confessing that they didn’t feel the same way, because they weren’t free. Because of his good use of pathos he convinced many people, and led them to think like him. Besides this, he did not only used these two good techniques, he also used another important one. Lastly, he uses logos to support his claim even more.

According to What to the Slave on the Fourth of July he used an empire as an example “ Babylon whose crimes towering up to heaven, were thrown down by the breath of almighty”. He says this to make them notice that if they go the same way, they’ll end up like them. This matters because it would mean the end of U. S. and the nation would transiently go back to what it was. In another instance according to the same article he used logos by saying “ Must I argue that a system thus marked with blood, and stained with pollution, is wrong? No! I will not. I have better employment for my time and strength than such arguments would imply”. With this he said that everyone knows that slavery is bad and he will not waste time explaining it. Which matters because it’s logical that they know this, after all, before that day they were slaves too. He does not stop using this strategy, and a good example of it is “ But, I submit, where all is plain there is nothing to be argued”. When he said this, he meant to say that it was clear that what they were doing was wrong and he didn’t had to argue that. It is important because Mr. Douglass says the right thing, slavery is there. With the use of logos he strengthened his point making it irrefutable by anyone.

To conclude with, because of his good use of ethos, pathos, and logos Frederick Douglas managed to change United States’ people minds about slavery. He used ethos showing good and credible sources. When he used pathos he showed his feelings about slavery. Lastly, using logos he talked logically about things that were wrong. So I ask again will you celebrate a day that just makes you feel lesser than someone else?