Final answer:
Frederick Douglass appreciated the Declaration of Independence as a powerful document for liberty and equality but denounced the hypocrisy of a free nation that still held slaves.
Step-by-step explanation:
Frederick Douglass, a former slave and prominent abolitionist, viewed the Declaration of Independence as an important document that espoused the ideals of liberty and equality. However, he found America's failure to uphold the rights and freedoms for every individual, including enslaved Africans, deeply inconsistent with the declaration's principles. His most famous speech on this topic is 'What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?', where he called out this hypocritical stance.
Learn more about Frederick Douglass and the Declaration of Independence