Frederick Douglass Propaganda

Modern society is fixated on the existence of bias in media. They have recently discovered that every news outlet and journalist holds ulterior motives that drive their perspective on noteworthy events. However, this “political phenomena” is far from a recent development in news publications. Propaganda has been a persuasive tactic in advertising for as long as there have been differing political opinions. By any means, one of the most notable pieces of propaganda ever written, was penned by Frederick Douglass in 1845, at the height of the abolitionist movement. His memoir, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, catered to the Northerners in order to arouse support for the immediate emancipation of slaves in the United

I was quite a child, but I remember it well. I shall never forget it whilst I remember anything. It was the first of a long series of such outrages, of which I was doomed to be witness and a participant. (Douglass 16)

In order to demonstrate his first-hand knowledge of slavery and the pervasive impact of his aunt’s whipping, Douglass repeatedly use the phrase “I remember” in his retelling. The inclusion of this particular anecdote, and others throughout the narrative, further develops Douglass’ ethical argument. Although ethos is used to create the foundation for Douglass’ argument, pathos is used throughout the majority of the narrative in order to evoke empathy from the audience and stimulate an emotional response. The American people are drawn to the underdog story, where one is successful despite adversity. Douglass capitalizes on this fact by illustrating his life as a heroic journey from enslavement to freedom. In reference to his awaited emancipation, he mentions that,

The wretchedness of slavery, and the blessedness of freedom, were perpetually before me… But I remained firm, and, according to my resolution, on the third day of September, 1838, I left my chains, and succeeded in reaching New York… (Douglass

This important distinction refutes religious justification, reinforcing his logical argument. Through the use of ethos, pathos, and logos in his narrative, Frederick Douglass convinces his audience to take action against the heinous practice of slavery, and take strides towards equality. Douglass advocates for abolition by evoking an emotional response within his audience and debunking the flawed justifications for slavery. To this day, his narrative is not only considered one of the most powerful pieces of emancipation propaganda, but as a classic American