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 the unequal treatment of Black people was supported by the principles of the Declaration of Independence.
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 written by worthy and admirable people, its principles were greatly misguided.
D
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.
Explanation
Douglass invokes the Declaration’s ideals of liberty and equality to expose the contradiction between those principles and the continued enslavement and unequal treatment of Black Americans. His point is that slavery violates the nation’s founding principles, not that those principles support inequality. Therefore, the best choice is that unequal treatment was in direct opposition to the Declaration’s principles.
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