Frederick Douglass escaped the slave south and earned his freedom in the 1830s. He became a famous abolitionist and worked closely with another abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison. Abolitionists, such as these two men, believed that slavery should be abolished. Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave was not only a response to the opposition he encountered by the mostly white society, but was also a form of the spiritual conversion narrative with the distinction between true Christianity and false Christianity. In the early 1840s, the abolitionist movement (aka the anti-slavery movement), was gaining momentum in the far Northeast. Abolitionists believed that the U.S. would be better off if the Southern states …show more content…
would somehow miraculously separate from the rest of the country and drift into the Caribbean or into the Atlantic (D2L). Douglass became acquainted with William Lloyd Garrison, in August of 1841, at an anti-slavery convention in Nantucket, Massachusetts where Douglass began reading Garrison’s the Liberator. This abolitionist newspaper continually- from the early 1830s through the Civil War- continued to vilify the South and to proclaim that southerners were not only wrong but they were sinful, and that they were all going straight to hell (D2L). As probably many abolitionists like him believed. This newspaper encouraged Douglass to tell the crowd about his experiences as a slave and about slavery. These men both traveled along with other abolitionists extensively through the Northern states, speaking on the injustice and brutality of slavery. Although, Garrison was extremely hated for his views, Douglass encountered a different kind of oppression. Douglass was oppressed within the ranks of the Anti-Slavery Society itself.
There was a lot of hostility towards him, because of his skin color (as he was light-skinned), his handsome looks, and his intellect and eloquence. This made many whites believe that he could not possibly be neither black nor a former slave. This of course was false. Therefore, this Narrative was a response to this opposition against Douglass. The Narrative provides two, not one, but two prefaces from Garrison and another abolitionist Wendell Phillips, that attests to the fact that Douglass is speaking the truth. That he did in fact experience these things. That he was a slave, and is experiencing this kind oppression again by these …show more content…
people. In the preface Garrison writes, it explains the situation perfectly, as he says: “There stood one, in physical proportion and stature commanding and exact- in intellect richly endowed-in natural eloquence a prodigy-in soul manifestly “created but a little lower than the angels”-yet a slave, ay, a fugitive slave, -trembling for his safety, hardly daring to believe that on American soil, a single white person could be found who would befriend him at all hazards, for the love of God and humanity! Capable of high attainments as an intellectual and moral being-needing nothing but a comparatively small amount of cultivation to make him an ornament to society a blessing to his race-by the law of the land, by the voice of the people, by the terms of the slave code, he was only a piece of property, a beast of burden, a chattel personal, nevertheless!” (pg. iv) These same people that professed to have the same mind in them that was in Christ Jesus, but were treating him (Douglass) and other slaves like they were. That is not a true Christian. It is not what Jesus would have done. For in Exodus 21:16 it says, “And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death” (KJV Bible). As Garrison says, doing such things, “…-without trembling for the fate of this country in the hands of a righteous God, who is ever on the side of the oppressed, and whose arm is not shortened that it cannot save” (viii). So profoundly ignorant of the nature of slavery are many persons, they do not deny that the slaves are held as property (pg. x). They do not have the fear of God in them, which is the problem. As it says in Colossians 3:22, “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God” (KJV Bible). In the Narrative, Douglass goes on to develop the distinction between true Christianity and false Christianity.
Clarifying in his appendix, calling true Christianity “the Christianity of Christ” and the latter “the Christianity of this land”. By pointing out the basic contradiction between the charitable, peaceful principles of Christianity and the violent, immoral actions of slaveholders. As Garrison mentioned in his preface, “Is it not evil, only evil, and that continuously? (pg. x). As Douglass goes on to say, “I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land”
(118). Overall, Douglass’s Narrative tells slavery as it is. He had Garrison and Phillips to attest to this notion “that slavery was a poor school for the human intellect and heart” and if someone was really a true Christian they would know this instead of trying to deny it. In the words of William Lloyd Garrison, “are you with the man-stealers in sympathy and purpose or on the side of their down-trodden victims? If you’re with the latter your religious and political motto should stand-NO COMPROMISE WITH SLAVERY! NO UNION WITH SLAVEHOLDERS!” (pg. xii). Don’t let power be over life and liberty. Works Cited https://highlands.view.usg.edu/d2l/le/content/1251407/viewContent/18647923/View https://highlands.view.usg.edu/d2l/le/content/1251407/viewContent/18647924/View The Holy Bible, King James Version. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1979. Print. "Frederick Douglass, 1818-1895. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Written by Himself." Documenting the American South. N.p., 2004. Web. 16 Apr. 2017. .
From before the country’s conception to the war that divided it and the fallout that abolished it, slavery has been heavily engrained in the American society. From poor white yeoman farmers, to Northern abolitionist, to Southern gentry, and apathetic northerners slavery transformed the way people viewed both their life and liberty. To truly understand the impact that slavery has had on American society one has to look no further than those who have experienced them firsthand. Frederick Douglass, an escaped slave and advocate for the abolitionist, is on such person. Douglass was a living contradiction to American society during his time. He was an African-American man, self-taught, knowledgeable, well-spoken, and a robust writer. Douglass displayed a level of skill that few of his people at the time could acquire. With his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave Written by Himself, Douglass captivated the people of his time with his firsthand accounts into the horror and brutality that is the institution of slavery.
The scope of the investigation is limited to the Second Great Awakening and the American Abolitionist Movement from 1830-1839, with the exception of some foundational knowledge of the movement prior to 1830 to highlight the changes within the movement in the 1830s. The investigation included an exploration of various letters, lectures, and sermons by leading abolitionists from the time period and a variety of secondary sources analyzing the Second Great Awakening and the Abolitionist Movement from 1830-1839.
History has revealed that it is through the struggles and difficulties, that the good men and women come to light for doing what is right. These revolutionary men and women risk their lives going against what is morally wrong and fight for what they believe is right. One of these revolutionaries was Frederick Douglass. He was revered for escaping for doing what many slaves never thought would be possible. Through the different stages in his life as a slave, a free man, and an abolitionist, he proved himself worthy of admiration and respect.
In his narrative, Frederick Douglass shows how Christianity was used as a major justification for slavery and for the actions of slave masters, but he also shows how the religion provided hope for slaves themselves. In an appendix added at the end of the narrative, he draws a distinction between “the Christianity of this land” and “the Christianity of Christ,” saying that there is the “widest possible difference” between them. As he puts it, “I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land.” In other words, Douglass thinks that Christianity has been corrupted in America, where people hypocritically use it to justify their injustices.
In conclusion, Frederick Douglass starts his life as a slave determined to get his freedom. At the end of his life, he is one of the foremost figures of the abolitionist movement. Douglass' narrative takes advantage of the literal advantage in order to abolish slavery. Through depictions of dehumanization and freedom, Frederick Douglass' narrative is instrumental in swaying the views of the indifferent Northern residents.
On September 3rd, 1838, at age 20, Frederick Douglass escaped from slavery by boarding a train to Maryland and pretending to be a freed sailor. Once he became a free man, Douglass became a member of the church, and also began frequently attending abolitionist meetings. After finding inspiration in William Lloyd Garrison, the most famous abolitionist in the 1840s, he started sp...
Slave owners in the South were some of the most cruel and inhumane human beings out there. They used many tactics to maintain a prosperous system of slavery amongst them. Like many, Frederick Douglass was born a slave. Deprived of as much as possible, Douglass knew not much more than his place of birth. Masters were encouraged to dispossess slaves of any knowledge and several of them did not know their birthdays or other personal details of themselves. The purpose of this was to keep slaves as misinformed of anything other than labor as possible. Slave owners knew the dangers that would upraise if slaves became literate and brave enough to fight for freedom.
Frederick Douglass uses the rhetorical appeal, ethos, in two specific ways: to provide the credence of his statements and to identify himself to the reader. Douglass uses his writing skills to provide a familiar perception to which his readers are accustomed. He does not provide exact dates to accompany his story, because slaves back then were kept ignorant, as Douglass states, “I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it” (Douglass 19). Our culture thrives on important dates such as, someone’s birthday, a holiday, or an anniversary, etc., and Douglass was blind to all of these events. He identifies himself as a normal human being, when in fact, he has had what seems like to us, a completely
Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist who altered America's views of slavery through his writings and actions. Frederick's life as a slave had the greatest impact on his writings. Through his experience as a slave, he developed emotion and experience for him to become a successful abolitionist writer. He experienced harsh treatment and his hate for slavery and desire to be free caused him to write Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. In his Narrative, he wrote the story of his miserable life as a slave and his fight to be free. His motivation behind the character (himself) was to make it through another day so that maybe one day he might be free. By speaking out, fighting as an abolitionist and finally becoming an author, Douglass's transformation from a slave into a man.
In his narrative, Douglass layers the many brutal, cruel, inhumane, and true components of slavery in his life, underlying each story with a political motive and relation. This method of writing was for his audience removed from slavery, those ignorant of slavery, uninformed, misunderstood, and those who were fortunate to have freedom. Douglass illustrates living conditions, experiences, tragedies, and struggles to great depths. Everywhere, African Americans escaped the binds of slavery due to Frederick Douglass' determination. He revolutionized America, being one of the greatest leaders of the abolition, being the reason for so many freed lives, and leading to the complete abolition and illegality of slavery in America.
His main argument in the speech is that it 's unjust and hypocritical for a country to celebrate its freedom while it still has slaves. Now that in itself is a morally viable argument, and it has never been more relevant than today in our racially hate fueled world where every situation is turned into a hate crime. However, back in those days majority of slaves were sold into slavery by their own people. Most slaves were sold by rival tribes as prisoners of war, or trouble makers of the tribe, thus giving us the “bottom of the barrel” of the groups. Another counter to Douglass was that even though slaves were people, they were still considered property. A hard working farmer could have used his last penny in order to purchase that slave because he was unable to tend his farm and provide for his family. One common misconception was that all slaves were beaten and treated lower than swine, while to the contrary some were treated well being given a bed and meals every day in exchange for their hard work. While Douglass may have had a bad time under the ownership of Auld, most northern states did not treat their slaves in this manner. This is one of the main reasons Douglass learned how to read, yet no credit is given to his former owner. Most slaves developed a relationship with their owners, in which their owners taught them useful skills such as reading, writing, simple math and farming skills. Another argument brought into Douglass’ speech was that most churches were segregated, and in turn perpetuated the racism that helped keep slavery alive in well. He proposed that a God that wouldn’t allow such evil and disservice in this world would contradict everything the bible proposes and teaches. He praises the writers of the constitution, considering them his equal and thanking the signers of the Declaration of Independence, calling
The famous American romanticism Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, written by Frederick Douglass significantly tells and describes the life story of Frederick Douglass experiences, hardships, and inspiration as an African American slave. Throughout the Narrative, Douglass uses precise diction and defined imagery to trap the reader physically and intellectually. Douglass shows his audience that slavery was beyond black’s being own by white’s. He effectively gives a solid establishment and comprehension on what the word slavery for an African American really implied. “Douglass’s Narrative, explore the ideology that legitimized, justified, and rationalized slavery on the basis that Africans and their descendants were subhuman.” (Franklin). Douglass even goes into depth and he is able to connect his experience as a slave with romanticism. Romanticism can fairly be looked at as a relationship between nature and a higher power(God). According to the English Teaching: Practice and critique romanticism are “ “...The elements of feeling and of thought” through the subjective process of synthesizing interior and sensual experience brings the individual into a state of undivided oneness with the “wisdom and spirit of the universe.”
... “Prior to [Captain Auld’s] conversion, he relied upon his own depravity to shield and sustain him in his savage barbarity; but after his conversion, he found religious sanction and support for the slaveholding cruelty” (Douglass 883). This means that slaveholders use Christianity as a tool to show that they are good at heart and are doing God’s work, but they use it as a divine right to brutally beat slaves. This is what Frederick wants other abolitionists to recognize, especially the abolitionist women.
Also known as the Second Great Awakening, the Abolitionist Movement swept through the colonies in the early 1830’s. This was a movement to abolish slavery and to give blacks their freedom as citizens. Many men and women, free and enslaved, fought for this cause and many were imprisoned or even killed for speaking out. If it were not for these brave people, slavery would still exist today. The Abolitionist Movement paved the way in eradicating slavery by pursuing moral and political avenues, providing the foundation for the Underground Railroad, and creating a voice for African Americans.
The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass can be referred to as a memoir and writing about the abolitionist movement of the life of a former slave, Fredrick Douglass. It is a highly regarded as the most famous piece of writing done by a former slave. Fredrick Douglass (1818-1895) was a social reformer, statesman, orator and writer in the United States. Douglass believed in the equality of every individual of different races, gender or immigrants.