Douglas's thesis revolves around the hypocrisy of celebrating freedom and independence while millions of enslaved individuals in America were deprived of their basic human rights.
He made these points in the thesis:
- He highlighted the irony of celebrating freedom while denying it to a significant portion of the population, stating that the joyous celebrations of liberty on the Fourth of July were a mockery to the enslaved
- Douglass argued that the principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence should apply universally, advocating that the promises of equality and freedom should extend to all individuals