Graded Assignment

Yasmeen Mir 2/23/22

Write an Evaluation of an Argument

For this assignment, you will write an evaluation of either of two historic passages.

· Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death!” speech (1775)

· Frederick Douglass’s address, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” (1852)

To begin, save this document to your computer with your name at the end of the filename (e.g.,
NG_ELA9-10_W_11_GA_Alice_Jones.docx).

Open the anthology to reread the text you have chosen. Then, read and answer the questions
using evidence from the text to support your evaluation.

When you have finished, submit this document to your teacher for grading.

Questions
(Score for Question 1: ___ of 2 points)

1. What is the speaker’s viewpoint? What is his claim?

The speaker gives different evidence about the Fourth of July is hypocritical because the Fourth
of July is a celebration of freedom but in the end it really isn't because the act of slavery still is
going on.

(Score for Question 2: ___ of 2 points)

2. What reasons does the speaker provide to support his viewpoint or claim?

The speaker says “The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence,
bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me”. The speaker is saying that yea this
day is for celebrating liberty and prosperity but that is you are celebrating not me.

(Score for Question 3: ___ of 4 points)

3. How valid are the speaker’s reasons for his claim? Use evidence from the text to support
your answer.

(Score for Question 4: ___ of 2 points)

4. What evidence does the speaker provide to support his reasons?

He uses the story of Joseph and his brothers, also the Israelites being slaves.

(Score for Question 5: ___ of 4 points)

5. Is the speaker’s evidence relevant and sufficient? Use evidence from the text to support
your answer.

The speaker's evidence is sufficient. It is because the speaker goes into really deep detail about
how the Fourth of July is a day that slaves in America realizes that her or she has a lack of their
freedom and that it is cruel.

(Score for Question 6: ___ of 4 points)

6. Does the speaker use fallacious reasoning or logical fallacies? Use evidence from the
text to support your answers.

I think the speaker uses logical fallacies. I think that because in the speech he says ‘“Fellow-
citizens, pardon me, allow me to ask, why am I called upon to speak here to-day? What have I,
or those I represent, to do with your national independence? Are the great principles of political
freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?
and am I, therefore, called upon to bring our humble offering to the national altar, and to confess
the benefits and express devout gratitude for the blessings resulting from your independence to
us?". After asking these questions he answers them right away to prove his point.

(Score for Question 7: ___ of 4 points)

7. What counterclaims or alternate claims does the speaker address, and how does he
respond to them?

The counterclaim is that how can a nation that is built on slavery celebrate a day of freedom
when not everyone is free.

(Score for Question 8: ___ of 4 points)

8. How effective is the speaker’s response to counterclaims or alternate claims? Use

evidence from the text to support your answer.

His response is effective because he goes on to say that God had created the world for equality
and no matter if you are white or black you can't take control.

(Score for Question 9: ___ of 4 points)

9. Write a one-paragraph evaluation of the speaker’s argument.

“What to the slave is the Fourth of July” was a speech said by former slave named Frederick
Dougless. He gave this speech at the Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York. Douglas was
mad at the fact that the Fourth of July was being celebrated as a day in which freedom was
finally established but in the end slaves where still not being treated fairly. He believed that the
Fourth of July really didn’t express the true meaning of freedom because not everyone is free.