Throughout history there has always been a fight for what people believed to be right. From becoming our own nation to the debate on who should lead our great nation, citizens of the United States have argued over their beliefs. Those citizens believed a change needed to occur in the United States. For example, in Cady Stanton’s speech to the Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention, Stanton explains the rights women received needed to be changed. Another example would be Frederick Douglass’s speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” in which Douglass explains how a change is coming to those enslaved. In comparing and contrasting these two pieces, it is easy to see they both wanted change but conveyed the message in a different manor.
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Just like Stanton, Douglass refers to the constitutional rights stating “now, take the constitution according to its plain reading, and I defy the presentation of a single pro-slavery clause in it”(Douglass 5). Douglass describes how “there are seventy-two crimes in the state of Virginia which, if committed by a black man(no matter how ignorant he be), subject him to the punishment of death; while only two of the same crimes will subject a white man to the like punishment”(Douglass 3). This is similar to how Stanton provided examples on women being deprived of their rights. While Stanton’s address describes the rights women deserve in all aspects of life, Douglass mainly focuses on a slave’s view of the Fourth of July. He describes it as “a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim”(Douglass 4). In the end Douglass concludes positively, just like Stanton, about the change coming for slaves. He states “There are forces in operation, which must inevitably work the downfall of slavery. ‘The arm of the Lord is not shortened,’ and the doom of slavery is certain”(Douglass …show more content…
In Stanton’s speech, she explained the need for change with women's oppression. Today, women are treated more equally but there are still improvements that could be made. For example, women typically make less money than men do. Similarly, Douglass explained how a change was coming for slavery, and that change did come about. Even though that change did come about African Americans are sometimes treated lesser than whites. Even though Stanton and Douglass presented their views in different ways they both wanted the same thing, change. Stanton used women's rights and examples of real life situations to convey her message. On the other hand, Douglass used slavery, the constitution, and different points of view to convey his message. No matter what the people point of view be, if change is going to occur, someone needs to stand up and present their
Just like Stanton, Douglass refers to the constitutional rights stating “now, take the constitution according to its plain reading, and I defy the presentation of a single pro-slavery clause in it”(Douglass 5). Douglass describes how “there are seventy-two crimes in the state of Virginia which, if committed by a black man(no matter how ignorant he be), subject him to the punishment of death; while only two of the same crimes will subject a white man to the like punishment”(Douglass 3). This is similar to how Stanton provided examples on women being deprived of their rights. While Stanton’s address describes the rights women deserve in all aspects of life, Douglass mainly focuses on a slave’s view of the Fourth of July. He describes it as “a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim”(Douglass 4). In the end Douglass concludes positively, just like Stanton, about the change coming for slaves. He states “There are forces in operation, which must inevitably work the downfall of slavery. ‘The arm of the Lord is not shortened,’ and the doom of slavery is certain”(Douglass …show more content…
In Stanton’s speech, she explained the need for change with women's oppression. Today, women are treated more equally but there are still improvements that could be made. For example, women typically make less money than men do. Similarly, Douglass explained how a change was coming for slavery, and that change did come about. Even though that change did come about African Americans are sometimes treated lesser than whites. Even though Stanton and Douglass presented their views in different ways they both wanted the same thing, change. Stanton used women's rights and examples of real life situations to convey her message. On the other hand, Douglass used slavery, the constitution, and different points of view to convey his message. No matter what the people point of view be, if change is going to occur, someone needs to stand up and present their