You can download the full original pamphlet (PDF) of Frederick Douglass’s powerful oration, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”, delivered July 5, 1852:
- Wikimedia Commons hosts a high-resolution scan of the pamphlet in the public domain.
PDF Link & Context
• Title: What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? (alternate scan, 46 pages)
• Published 1852 in Rochester, before the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society
• Public domain in the U.S. (author died over 70 years ago)
You can view or download the PDF directly via Wikimedia Commons by searching for the file titled “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? (alternate scan).pdf.”
About the Speech
- Delivered at Corinthian Hall, Rochester, New York, on July 5, 1852, not July 4.
- Douglass uses searing irony to contrast America's ideals—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—with the brutal reality of slavery.
- Some of the most poignant lines include:
Quote:“What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? ... your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery”.
“Go where you may… for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival.”
Want More?
- Plain‑text versions are available on sites like American Rhetoric and Wikisource .
- Annotated analysis offers deeper insight into historical context and Douglass's rhetorical strategy (e.g., Constitution Center).
- Readings and performances by the likes of James Earl Jones continue to bring the speech to life.
In short: That PDF is the complete, authentic pamphlet version of Douglass’s iconic speech.
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