An American Slave by Frederick Douglas

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Recommended: Frederick Douglass Contributions to the Abolitionist Movement

What do you think of; when you hear the word slave? According to Merriam-Webster a slave is someone who “is completely subservient to a dominating influence”. Two of the most known African Americans, who were born slaves and helped others of their race become free, were Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. Using different tactics they helped many people become free from slavery. This paper will demonstrate Fredrick Douglass’s narrative ‘An American Slave’, which will expose his crucial role in the abolition of slavery, how Douglass overcame slavery, and took control of his own life. Douglass’s tactics for helping slaves will then be compared to Harriet Tubman, one of the most famous Underground Railroad conductors. When people hear about the Underground Railroad for the first time they perceive the picture that it’s a railroad that is literally underground, but that isn’t the case with the Underground Railroad. This railroad was not underground or even a railroad. The name was derived from the activities being conducted in secret, and “using darkness or disguise” (history.com). This was the means of African Americans escapes; if they would have been caught they would get a harsh punishment, that punishment could consist of being “sold to someone who lived much further south than Maryland, where it would be harder to run away because the distance to the North was so much greater” (thinkport.org). Other punishments for slaves when they escape were that they would get “beaten and forced to do exceptionally hard work”. One of the most famous known conductors of the Underground Railroad is Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman was born in 1820, in Dorchester County, Maryland. She was born into slavery, and was raised under very harsh cond... ... middle of paper ... ...ork History Net. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. . "Tubman: Conductor of the Underground Railroad." America's Story. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. . "Tubman: Conductor of the Underground Railroad." America's Story. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. . "Underground Railroad." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. . "What happened if a slave was caught while he or she was trying to escape?." Pathways to Freedom | About the Underground Railroad. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Feb. 2014. . "Slave." Merriam-Webster. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Feb. 2014. .

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