Frederick Douglass And Social Mobility Essay

Another aspect of becoming a regular American is that of reconnecting families that have been separated. As stated above, one of the steps in the slave making process is that of separating families and sending them to different plantations or even just taking a member from their home in their own country. Douglass also included gaining economic power, the right to vote, and greater social latitude and mobility in communities as aspects to help establish being a non-enslaved American. Douglass’ goal was to stand up against slavery and prove to people in American that people who were once or still were slaves are deserving of just as much dignity as the free people give each other and give the slave owners. Douglass teaches the need for respect

as what Vince Brewton described, “"respect" does not tolerate disrespect, and as a form of identity utilizes active disrespect of others to lay claim to power and the boundaries of that power” (Brewton, 703-717). In addition to respect Nicolas Buccola states how Douglass viewed the idea of dignity, “Douglass relied on his account to argue that human beings have certain rights that ought to be protected, that they have certain duties to others, and that they can demonstrate their dignity by using their capacities in virtuous ways” (Buccola, 228-58).
In addition to literacy being a key component of assimilation back into society, Douglass emphasized social mobility for former slaves.

Social mobility is, “the ability of individuals or groups to move within a social hierarchy with changes in income, education, occupation, etc” (American Heritage New Dictionary). To achieve social mobility one must be literate. The book The Effects of Educational Tracking on the Social Mobility of African Americans supports Douglass’ theory that literacy is crucial in post-slavery success expressing, “Minorities have historically perceived formal education as one –and perhaps the best- means of becoming fully assimilated in American society, as well as a good way of achieving upward social mobility” (Kershaw, 152). You cannot grow economically, socially, or increase your status in a job without being literate. From and economic standpoint you cannot learn how to save and invest money if you are illiterate because you will not understand how to do your own finances. The concept of social mobility as a whole also puts value on the work of the now freed slaves. Before becoming literate or being freed a slave was looked upon as nothing but a physical body used for labor. After having the opportunity to further their education these people now found worth in

themselves.
Although African Americans were free people they were still treated as unequal in the eyes of the other citizens. African Americans did not have the same rights as whites or other citizens had at this time even though they were now free. The right for African Americans to vote did not happen until many decades after Douglass passed away and even then the right to vote was only given to male African Americans, not all African Americans (The Constitution).
Just eight years after becoming a free man Douglass ends up in Ireland.

Douglass educated himself high about the other formally enslaved and even some free men and was able to leave a country that he felt “made herself hard to love”. Douglass travelled all over Ireland and Scotland and felt liberated by the sense of freedom knowing that there was no one on his back, no one to throw him back into slavery. In a letter to a friend, Garrison, Douglass stated, “I can truly say I have spent some of my happiest moments of my life since landing in this country [Ireland]” (The Journal of Negro History, 104). Being broken down, abused, having everything you’ve ever known taken away from you, to then be forced into slavery one might say you could never recover from this, however Frederick Douglass disagrees with his argument that you can become a man after slavery by gaining certain knowledge and integrating themselves into a regular American life, with proof of his life ending happily, un-enslaved in

Ireland.