The Impact Of Nat Turner And Nat Douglass

Freedom is defined as “the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action.” Freedom is something that millions take for granted everyday and billions have died throughout history fighting for it. One group whose freedom was unjustly stripped from them were African Americans who were kidnapped from their homes in Africa and shipped to throughout the world to serve as Slaves. Two men who understood what it is like to have their freedom stripped away from them were Nat Turner and Fredrick Douglass. These two men grew up as slaves on southern plantations in the 1800’s, and spent their adulthood fighting for freedom through very different methods. This paper will examine the tactics, effectiveness, and impact of Turner and Douglass

In the African American community, turner was perceived as a martyr for the cause of freedom which inspired many African Americans such as Harriet Tubman, “who asked herself how she may continue his legacy.” Within the white community, however, Turners actions terrified slave owners, who fear a rebellion by their own slaves. As a result of Turner’s actions, hardships for slaves increased thought out the south. These would include, “ mandates prohibiting the teaching of slaves to read and to forbade them from assembling in groups of more than two or three” Therefore it can be said that Turners extreme tactics were ineffective in the short term but may have had a more lasting impact as time went by and more were inspired by his

In terms of who had the largest impact between Turner and Douglass, the answer would be Douglass. Turner was too extreme, and the violent actions he took startled white America to its core. This fear would not result in any advancement for Africans Americans or any freedom for slaves, but it could be argued it was a step back for them and their cause. No matter what the situation, murder is never the answer, and had Tuner and his followers spared more lives, the rebellion may have been more successful. Also, Turners Rebellion inspired many other unsuccessful slave revolts, which resulted in even more deaths of African Americans. Douglass, however, relied on his words, not fists or weapons, when fighting for freedom and equity for African Americans. He stayed the course through his teachings, writings, and activism which had a more productive and positive impact on the lives of African Americans then any kind of slave revolt. Nat Turners violent actions, in many ways, substantiated the ignorant claims by white America that African Americans were inferior savages. Fredrick Douglass, on the other hand, proved the African Americans were just as intelligent and capable as whites, if not more through his thought provoking