Question 24 • CMS 2026-2027 English III CREDIT RECOVERY
In "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”, Douglass refers to the Declaration of Independence. Which of the following best describes the historical significance of this reference?
Answer
A
It is significant because a prominent leader was suggesting that, although the Declaration of Independence was written by worthy and admirable people, its principles were greatly misguided.
B
It is significant because a prominent leader was suggesting that the unequal treatment of Black people was in direct opposition to the principles of the Declaration of Independence.
C
It is significant because a prominent leader was suggesting that, although the Declaration of Independence was a worthy document, it desperately needed some improvements and additions.
D
It is significant because a prominent leader was suggesting that the unequal treatment of Black people was supported by the principles of the Declaration of Independence.
Explanation
Douglass invokes the Declaration’s principles of liberty and equality to expose the contradiction between those ideals and the enslavement and unequal treatment of Black Americans. He argues that the nation’s celebration of freedom is hypocritical while those principles are denied to Black people. Therefore, the reference highlights that their unequal treatment directly opposed the Declaration’s principles, not that the principles themselves supported inequality.
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