Frederick Douglass was a slave himself before turning to be a great orator and writer, as well as, a brave anti-slavery activist. He escaped this inhumane practice when he was 20 years old. He also became the prime African-American who contested for the position of Vice-president of the USA.
Anyhow, Douglas delivered the asserted speech- “What To the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” on the fifth of July. He rebuked the one-sided ideas of equality and liberty. During the speech, he exposed the paradoxical attribute of the Independence day which the Whites were celebrating while the Black people were still making efforts to survive through the life misery in the States.
Frederick Douglas wanted to present a persuasive speech by comparing the conditions of the two sections that the society was divided into. His intent was straightforward- to provide the informational and persuasive content about the situations of the slaves, however, the speech held to an argumentative tone. Several questions are put up by the speaker while delivering the famous speech. His motive was to gain the audiences' attention towards the screams and insanity that prevailed for a selective section of the society.