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Why Frederick Douglass Met with His Former Enslaver Thomas Auld
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, JUL 4 – Douglass condemned the hypocrisy of American slavery and called for abolition in a speech that remains a pivotal critique of freedom, delivered to an abolitionist audience in 1852.
- Frederick Douglass met with his former enslaver Thomas Auld in 1877 in St. Michaels, Maryland, marking a rare moment of reconciliation between them.
- This meeting came after years of Douglass’s activism against slavery, including a 1848 open letter denouncing slaveholders and calling for equality.
- During their encounter, Auld acknowledged Douglass’s intelligence and courage, while Douglass demonstrated dignity and kindness despite past injustices.
- Douglass described it as a 'final settlement of past differences' where 'slave and his master are reduced to the same level,' symbolizing closure.
- The meeting illustrates the possibility of justice and respect after deep injustice and highlights the enduring challenge of confronting America’s history of slavery.
13 Articles
13 Articles
July Fourth celebrations in Boston - The Boston Globe
In Greater Boston, the Fourth of July includes a number of annual traditions: music at the Hatch Shell, the presentation of the Declaration of Independence, and the reading of Frederick Douglass’s speech “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” See photos of the Fourth’s events and celebrations from around the city.
‘The Best Fourth Of July Speech In American History’ … Was Delivered On The Fifth Of July
This Fourth of July—and fifth!—remember Frederick Douglass’ cry for freedom. Courtesy/Everett Historical/Shutterstock By James West Davidson slate.com In the wake of the 2015 Charleston shooting, James West Davidson revisited the meaning of patriotic Fourth of July speeches and their purpose. The best, he argues, was given by Frederick Douglass on July 5, 1852. The original article is reprinted below. The most remarkable Independence Day oration…
“What to the Slave Is the 4th of July?”: James Earl Jones Reads Frederick Douglass’s Historic Speech
We begin our July Fourth special broadcast with the words of Frederick Douglass. Born into slavery around 1818, Douglass became a key leader of the abolitionist movement. On July 5, 1852, in Rochester, New York, Douglass gave one of his most famous speeches, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” He was addressing the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society. The late actor James Earl Jones read the historic address during a performance of Voic
The Victoria Advocate
What to the slave is the Fourth of July?
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. Fellow-citizens, pardon me, allow me to ask, why am I called upon…
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