Final answer:
Douglass argued that slavery contradicts the ideals of freedom and equality celebrated on the Fourth of July because enslaved individuals could not enjoy the rights proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, making the celebration of the holiday a glaring hypocrisy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Frederick Douglass highlighted the profound contradiction between the noble ideals of the Fourth of July and the cruel reality of slavery. He argued that slavery contradicts the principles of freedom and equality represented by the Fourth of July. In his speeches, Douglass articulated the hypocritical nature of celebrating independence and rights when such a significant portion of the population was enslaved and denied basic human rights, rendering the celebration meaningless for slaves.
This hypocrisy was mirrored in the national landscape, where, despite the revolutionary rhetoric of liberty and equality, slavery persisted, and enslaved individuals were systematically denied the unalienable rights pronounced in the Declaration of Independence—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The Fourth of July became a stark reminder of the liberty that enslaved people did not possess and could not celebrate. The issue of slavery thus represented a glaring inconsistency with American republic values, which stated that "all men are created equal," and continued to challenge the nation's conscience until its eventual abolition.