As he formed his own political voice and ideologies, Frederick Douglass broke away from his abolitionist mentor, William Lloyd Garrison, to start the newspaper "The North Star" and give Black abolitionists a voice. This caused a rift in their relationship, as Douglass started to emerge as a political leader in his own right. He used words as battle axes, which can be seen fully in one of his most famous speeches, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?".

Explore the documentary film clip and engage students in historical thinking using the Library of Congress Primary Source Analysis Tool. In this inquiry-based resource for Becoming Frederick Douglass, students view a clip explaining why Douglass starts the newspaper "The North Star," an independent Black voice for abolition, analyze primary sources and differing points of view from the era, and consider discussion prompts for more dialogue and deeper reflection.