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Frederick Douglass's impact of slavery on slaveholders
Frederick douglass impact on slavery
Frederick Douglass effect on slavery
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Frederick Douglass: His Fight for the People When spiraling down the road of lost but remembered history, you can discover several activists who fought for the equality our nation should’ve always had. One of these righteous figures was Frederick Douglass. While many others tried to achieve this dream world, myriads of them failed. Frederick Douglass, however, succeeded with his multiple acts. These acts varied in form such as recruiting people, speaking, and explaining his own experience of slavery, but went on to create equality in ‘Merica.. The first and strongest point that Frederick Douglass made was recruiting several African Americans to fight in the war. During the civil war, he gathered over 2,000 men, who during their time fought bravely against the south. While and after the fight, many people around them started actually appreciated the people. It really ultimately helped with making people understand that they were just like anyone else. Another motive that Frederick Douglass had was doing multiple public speeches and writing his own newspaper. …show more content…
Ever since the day he was born, Douglass had constantly been in slavery. He was often treated terribly and remained held until the age of 20. When he started doing is successful speeches, he told multiple stories of what happened during those times. One example of this was when he saw a cousin and an aunt get beaten by their masters or overseers. Douglass and his family also were constantly hungry and were mistreated severely. The way that Douglass was even able to write down and speak of these horrible days is because of the fact that is mistress taught him to read from the age of twelve. She continued doing this, until her husband believed that it would spoil him and told her to stop. It eventually went on to create the powerful speaker many have known of, and was a very important part of Douglass’s
As an abolitionist and previous slave, Frederick Douglass comprehended that the way to opportunity and full citizenship for African American men walked strai...
In a preface of Douglass' autobiography, William Lloyd Garrison writes, "I am confident that it is essentially true in all its statements; that nothing has been set down in malice, nothing exaggerated, nothing drawn from the imagination; that it comes short of the reality, rather than overstates a single fact in regard to SLAVERY AS IT IS."(Garrison, 34). The significance of this statement validates and promises that Douglass' words are nothing but the truth. This made the narrative more marketable to the white audience and people were listening. Douglass realized that he did not need assurance from white people to be respected. That's why he addressed his master for all the wrong things done to him. Slaves are looked as not human. Douglass completes his journey from slave to man when he creates his own identity. He speaks out, fighting as an abolitionist and finally becoming an author. Douglass tells his story not simply as a search for fr...
The Narrative of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass is written to have people place their feet in the shoes of Frederick Douglass and try to understand the experience he went through as a slave. Douglass writes this piece of literature with strong wording to get his point across. He is not trying to point out the unpleasant parts of history, but to make people face the truth. He wants readers to realize that slavery is brutalizing and dehumanizing, that a slave is able to become a man, and that some slaves, like himself, have intellectual ability. These points are commonly presented through the words of Douglass because of his diction.
During Douglass lifetime one of his most important significances is about the 13th amendment, which still is very relevant in today’s society. The 13th amendment made it illegal to own slaves, and it was taken in to effect in 1865. (Fletcher, George P. pg. 52) The 13th amendment wasn’t an easy amendment to get through since slavery was such a big part of the society, especially in the south where many people owned multiple slaves. However, due to the fact that Douglass was a high ranked politician, and had great oral skills he was able to influence both the people in the society, congress, and House of Representatives. Though, it wasn’t only because he was a high ranked politician he was able to influence people and make them understand how horrific the slavery actually was. Twenty years before the 13th amendment was passed in congress, Douglass released an autobiography book “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.” In his autobiography book he explained about how it was to be a slave, what he had to do and how terrible it was. Additionally, he also explained about his escape from slavery and how he got in to politics, and different Anti-Slavery organizations. It’s very important to have Frederick Douglass in mind when talking about the 13th amendment because without him the 13th amendment most likely wouldn’t have passed
Literacy plays an important part in helping Douglass achieve his freedom. Learning to read and write enlightened his mind to the injustice of slavery; it kindled in his heart longings for liberty. Douglass’s skills proved instrumental in his attempts to escape and afterwards in his mission as a spokesman against slavery. Douglass was motivated to learn how to read by hearing his master condemn the education of slaves. Mr. Auld declared that education would “spoil” him and “forever unfit him to be a slave” (2054).
With a few short words he could conjure powerful emotions and images that would better help his readers understand his life and experiences. The bible was a touchstone between white and black audiences. The reading public, and certainly the paying reading public, was largely white. The people who could effect change based on reading Douglass' book were white. Lisa Margaret Zeitz, in her essay, “Biblical Allusion and Imagery in Frederick Douglass' Narrative” wrote “the white abolition audience for whom Douglass wrote...would certainly have responded to a language of religious reference, but Douglass was probably not consciously catering to their tastes” (56). This may be taking it too far. Douglass was almost certainly aware of the effect his
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
When first introduced to Douglass and his story, we find him to be a young slave boy filled with information about those around him. Not only does he speak from the view point of an observer, but he speaks of many typical stereotypes in the slave life. At this point in his life, Frederick is inexperienced and knows nothing of the pleasures of things such as reading, writing, or even the rights everyone should be entitled to. Douglass knowing hardly anything of his family, their whereabouts, or his background, seems to be equivalent to the many other slaves at the time. As a child Frederick Douglass sees the injustices around him and observes them, yet as the story continues we begin to see a change.
Based on data, Frederick Douglass accomplished most of his life goals. One of the goals he accomplished was for him to escape slavery and become a free man he decided to become an abolitionist movement leader. Then he would start his own newspaper and create inspiring quotes about his life problems or causes inside of the United States of America. Frederick Douglass also accomplished in life by having a good family and by raising his children well.
“Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe”( Douglass). This famous quote epitomizes the philosophies of Frederick Douglass, in which he wanted everyone to be treated with dignity; if everyone was not treated with equality, no one person or property would be safe harm. His experience as a house slave, field slave and ship builder gave him the knowledge to develop into a persuasive speaker and abolitionist. In his narrative, he makes key arguments to white abolitionist and Christians on why slavery should be abolished. The key arguments that Frederick Douglass
Douglass was not aware of what slaves were and why they were treated in a bad condition before he learns how to read. He was deeply saddened upon discovering the fact that slaves were not given the rights every human being should have. In an effort to clarify Douglass’s feelings of anguish, he states: “In moments of agony, I envied my fellow slaves for their stupidity” (Douglass 146). The fact that other slaves are content with their lives is what brings awareness to him because he knows that he is stripped of basic human rights. He envies his fellow slaves due to the reason that they are pleased with the life he cannot live to like anymore. Also, he is often wishing he never learned how to read because he doesn’t want to burden about his life. Douglass knows more about the disturbing conditions than most of the slaves around him, but he greatly regrets it. Before he started reading, he lived very much in contentment and now he cannot stand the fact of being
... work, he was able to become a successful free man. He was the prime example of how upward mobility could be achieved by any slave, and many African Americans became motivated from his writings about his success. Being a self-made man pushed many African Americans to pursue in their own self destiny. According to history.com, Douglass used his speeches and writing to stand up against slavery and racism, and also gave African Americans confidence to rise with him (Brewer). The motivation Douglass gave slaves influenced them to rebel against society. More slaves were touched by his writing and they started to come together, as many dreamt of achieving the same goal of upward mobility. Overall, Douglass was a phenomenal source of motivation and inspiration for African American slaves all over America to stand up against the horrendous practice known as slavery.
In a world where discrimination has always been a part of society, there have always been people like Frederick Douglass that take society one step closer to being the best that it can be. He escaped slavery and went on to stand up for his brothers and sisters who were in dire need of a voice. With help from some important people along the way and with his skill of reading, he surpassed all challenges he was faced with on his way to becoming an abolitionist, human rights and women's rights activist, orator, author, journalist, publisher, and social reformer.
Douglass used descriptive and powerful words when describing the harsh life of slavery. Phrases such as “Am I wrong to argue that it is wrong to make men brutes, to rob them of their liberty, End without wages, to keep him ignorant of their relations to their fellow-men, to beat them with sticks, to Flay the flesh with the last, to load their lives with irons, to hunt them with dogs, to sell them at auction, to send you their families, to knock out their teeth, to bring their flesh, to starve them into obedience and submission to their masters?” Here Douglass used repetition of gruesome and powerful actions taken. This makes people disgusted and upset about slavery, and this was what he was trying to
Douglass who was of course a slave, not only represents an individual who was able to overcome the horrors of slavery, but also preconceived societal notions, individual pain, and tribulations. Whether it be his drive to learn by paying local boys with bread to teach him, or that when he lived with Mr. Covey he seemed to have lost his drive for personal growth; which he later regains. A sentence that strikes me in a profound manner is “You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man”(Douglass, 39). Soon after this Douglass for his own well being travels into the woods against the will of Covey. Throughout the rest of the autobiography we see the growth of Douglass, who states at the end “From that time until now, I have been engaged in pleading the cause of my brethren-with what success, and with what devotion, I leave those acquainted with my labors to decide”(Douglass, 69). We see that even Douglass contemplates the fruits of his own labor and the degree of his success. Which in hindsight, I, as do many, view as being a key to the abolition of slavery, and progress of African Americans in this nation. What made him successful, though was most definitely not the situation he was born into, but the strive he had to make a better world, to better himself, and his insatiable thirst for