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9 Am. Pol. Thought 369 (2020)
Blasting Reproach and All-Pervading Light: Frederick Douglass's Aspirational American Exceptionalism

handle is hein.journals/ampolth9 and id is 381 raw text is: Blasting Reproach and All- Pervading Light: Frederick Douglass's Aspirational American Exceptionalism LUCY WILLIAMS ABSTRACT Some scholars critique American exceptionalism as a proud, uncritical orientation. In this article, however, I argue that Frederick Douglass, an outspoken social critic, qual- ifies as an American exceptionalist thinker. I first identify and theorize two modes of exceptionalist rhetoric: accomplished exceptionalism, which is self-celebratory and largely uncritical, and aspirational exceptionalism, which is self-critical and reflective. I then provide a close reading of What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July to show how Douglass employs aspirational rhetorical techniques. Finally, I discuss the benefits of reading Douglass as an exceptionalist thinker and suggest that his aspirational rhet- oric activates reflective and progressive modes of American citizenship. American exceptionalism is a sentiment deeply embedded in the history, rheto- ric, and culture of the United States. But despite its prevalence, American excep- tionalism is a problematic concept. To begin, there is little consensus as to when the term originated-whether it was first articulated by Alexis de Tocqueville, Ronald Reagan, or someone else entirely. Moreover, few agree on what Amer- ican exceptionalism actually means, and though a number of scholars have undertaken the challenging task of defining the term, no unifying definition has emerged (see, e.g., Bercovitch 1978, 8; Koh 2003; Cavanaugh 2006, 262; Lucy Williams is assistant professor of political science, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602 (lucywilliams@byu.edu). I would like to thank the editors and anonymous reviewers at American Political Thought, whose feedback and revisions improved the article significantly. I would also like to thank Ella Myers and Amy Williams for their thoughtful comments on previous drafts. American Political Thought: A Journal of Ideas, Institutions, and Culture, vol. 9 (Summer 2020). 2161-1580/2020/0903-0001$10.00. © 2020 by The Jack Miller Center. All rights reserved.

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