When asked about abolitionists, one person that comes to mind is Frederick Douglass. He was considered one of the most influential people of the movement, and he is certainly someone who stands out. But why? What makes Douglass so special is the fact that he escaped slavery but then put himself right back into a dangerous situation for the greater good. Running to the North was risky, but putting his name out after doing what he did was far worse. He was fighting against slavery in the 1940s, but at that time there weren't thousands of people to back him up since the Civil War hadn’t started yet. Not only that, but he was able to overcome slavery which gave hope to other slaves and abolitionists during the battle for freedom and human rights. …show more content…
Being a slave, Douglass shouldn’t even be able to read, nevermind write a bestselling book. The fact that someone with a background as crazy as Douglass was writing a book exposing what was going on sounded impossible, but once again Douglass made it possible. Doing this made him stand out because he was sharing a story that many people hadn’t heard. What really happened on the plantations wasn’t clear, but Douglass was brave enough to tell the world the truth and share his stories. It is one thing for Douglass to tell his life at a podium or a convention, but sharing it the way he did spoke so much more volume. It broadcasted the hardships of slaves but yet it also showed that Douglass was able to overcome those hurdles. It gave hope to slaves; someone who was abused and documented all of his life was able to learn how to write and then wrote what is today one of the most influential and important books related to the Civil War. Also, in 1845 when he wrote this, what he had done was illegal; he ran away from the plantation he was on and instead of hiding up in the north, he risked his freedom in order to try to give the feeling of having control of your life to other slaves. This book was more than just a way to free slaves; it was a message about perseverance, hope, and
Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass two inspirational black figures in black history were very atypical from their fellow slaves. Both figures were disrespected then and even more respected today. There were plenty of trial and tribulations throughout their lives but they preserved to become the icons they are today. For many reasons we can see how they are atypical from there fellow slaves and how we should be thankful for our freedom and take advantage of opportunities just like they did.
In his mind there was absolutely no chance for America to prosper if equal rights was not available to every single human being in America(Legacy and Significance of Frederick Douglass). Frederick Douglass knew how gifted he was, he knew that his spectacular vocabulary and speaking skills could help him accomplish great things. Along with the books and newspapers he wrote he gave amazing speeches. Whenever he saw the opportunity he used he oratory skills to denounce the dehumanization of the human race(Legacy and Significance of Frederick Douglass). Fredericks life story is extremely inspiring and is a perfect example of a person starting from the bottom and ending up on the
The qualities that Douglass had were just like any other leader’s qualities, but on the other hand Douglass had experiences that influenced hundreds of Americans all around the country during the civil war. These people were persuaded by this so much that he became one of the top abolitionists. He had the quality to be able to speak to these people so well because of his education that took him a long
Even after the American Revolution, not everyone was given an equal opportunity to gain their civil rights and freedom. In particular, slavery was still a big issue that was going on after the American Revolution. The way that the slaves were being mistreated by their owners damaged them emotionally, intellectually, and physically. Frederick Douglass was a literary and historically significant slave who worked his way up from the struggles of slave-life. He eventually emerged as one of the most important leaders in the movement to abolish slavery. The way that slaves were being intellectually abused had the biggest domino effect of the way that they wouldn’t be able to self-empower themselves.
His will to keep learning, keep inspiring, appreciating every moment of his life is what made him such a motivational figure. His hard work and tireless dedication to the abolitionist movement are why he has had such a great impact on the world, now and beforehand. Whenever moments got hard, he remained faithful to his beliefs. When he was at risk of being reenslaved, Douglass worked around it; he moved away to other countries while still advocating for the abolishment of slavery. As a result, “Douglass's fame as an orator increased as he traveled.”
All throughout grade school, and even for a little while in high school, we are taught about slaves. We are taught about their experiences and we are reminded of the experiences that they never got to have. Teachers focus mainly on the Underground Railroad, the history of slavery, and the well-known escapees such as Frederick Douglass. However, the one thing that they don't teach or even mention is what it was like to be a slave - this is for good reason, though. You can't paint a clear image in a child's head of what it's like to owned and operated by another person so all you can do is teach them about what the lives of other children and adults before 1865. While reading the assigned pages from Frederick Douglass' narrative, I began to
"It's easier to build strong men, than to repair broken ones" (Frederick Douglass). In response to the rising demand for labor in America, slavery gradually succeeded indentured servitude due to its outweighing "advantages" to landowners. Despite the prerequisite of having to have to money to purchase slaves, their denied freedom guaranteed lifelong service and provided more slaves via reproduction. Slavery was the universal, identifying characteristic of the South that powered and flourished their economy. Because of this, the unfortunate institution was considered by some a "necessary evil," or even so far as a "positive good." Although slavery was generally beneficial to the South, the repercussions of instilling power to one "superior"
Frederick Douglass the most successful abolitionist who changed America’s views of slavery through his writings and actions. Frederick Douglass had many achievements throughout his life. His Life as a slave had a great impact on his writings. His great oratory skills left the largest impact on Civil War time period literature. All in all he was the best black speaker and writer ever.
By definition the word abolition means,” The act of abolishing... the state of being abolished... the legal prohibition and ending of slavery, especially of slavery of blacks in the U.S.(Definition).” When Frederick Douglass wrote his personal narrative it had a profound effect on the abolitionist cause. People were astounded at how it opened their eyes to the horror of what slavery genuinely was. The book allowed people to recognize how slaves felt, and reminded them that they were intellectual beings who had thoughts and feelings. Many repeating themes throughout the novel changed the lives and beliefs of many northerners, especially regarding education, equality, and freedom for slaves and
What would you do if you were a slave for a day? How would you plan to escape? In The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass; Frederick was frorcibly enslaved as a young boy. During that time, he had to endure many years of pain and hardships in order to obtain his freedom. There are plenty of explanations as to why it took so long for his liberty from servility.
In history important events happen all of the time and all of those events happen because of a person. People are a very important part of history as a matter of fact without people there would be no history. People are the ones who record and make history everyday. One of those people who was very important in his time was Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglass experienced first hand one of the most major problems the US has faced, slavery.
The “Narratives of the Life of Frederick Douglass” is the story of Frederick Douglass’ life from the time he was born into slavery, to the time he escaped to freedom in the north. When Douglass wrote this book, slavery was still legal in a large portion of the United States. After Douglass’ escape to freedom and his continuation of his education, he became an abolitionist through his works of literature and speeches. In “The Blessings of Slavery”, by George Fitzhugh he states that southern slaves for the most part are the freest and happiest people in the world. He also goes on to say a number of other things that basically establish that slaves live an easy and good life compared to others. Frederick Douglass’ pure story telling in the “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” directly goes against any argument for slavery from Fitzhugh, by revealing the harshness of the institution of slavery and the individuals behind it. In each piece of literature both authors also unknowingly touch on topics of early American history such as free labor ideology and paternalism therefore deepening our knowledge of popular understandings during this time period. Douglass refutes Fitzhugh’s pro-slavery argument of the average slave living an ideal life, by disproving early ideas of the free labor system and paternalism through real life encounters of the physical oppression slaves faced on the day to day basis in the forms of inhumane treatment and violence, as well as the true harsh
Who is affected by slavery? Frederick Douglass would argue that all people are damaged by the establishment of a slave state throughout his masterpiece by displaying to the reader how cruel people become when they diminish humans to mere possessions. In “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, Frederick Douglass in addition to revealing the horrors committed upon black slaves, shows a unique perspective on how slavery negatively affects white slave owners themselves. Slavery does in fact affect the slave owner and Douglas experiences this first hand through Sophia Auld by slowly watching her decay from being a caring person that even educated Douglass, to a cruel bitter slave owner that no longer cared about him.
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress”, said by the father of the civil rights movement, Frederick Douglass. In 1845, many white people did not consider that a slave was able to write their own autobiography. However, William Lloyd Garrison's preface is an evidence for Douglass that he wrote the book by himself. Douglass was afraid to stand up and tell his story, since he had no education and no public speaking skills. Garrison wants us to keep in mind that the most famous black man in the country is a former slave. This was a way of convincing the crowd of the wrongs of slavery and that slaves can become as successful as Douglass did. Douglass was born in Maryland in 1817, as a slave. He educated himself and was determined to escape from slavery. He tried to escape slavery once, but it was unsuccessful. He later made a successful escape of slavery in 1838. Douglass told his story about his own life in order to describe a slaves’ life as one. Bringing up his own parents was a way of explaining how slavery avoids slaves from having ordinary families. When viewing the slavery of African Americans, some will deny the negative effect it had on the African slaves. However, in his Narrative, Fredrick Douglass makes it obvious that some of the slaveholding characters are damaged by slavery. Slavery in the United States began soon after English colonists first established Virginia in 1607 and lasted as an authorized organization until the passing of the Thirteenth
Comparatively, Frederick Douglass, once a slave having fought for his escape, used what freedom he had to speak out against slavery. As an activist and writer, he inspired many people to support his cause to create an equal and free community. Douglass played a large role in the shaping of the states. Being the editor and writer for a black newspaper allowed him to spread his influence, and with this came his fame which allowed him to speak live, having written speeches that changed minds. His skill at persuasion and use of ethos, pathos, and logos widened his audience. Harsh truths were able to be shared with those who would listen, “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn,” (Douglass 3). In his works, Douglass knows how to work the audience towards sympathy and realization by using his powerful language. His adventures during the time of the civil war led him to the side of Abraham Lincoln, whom he greatly admired for their similar ideas on what is really equal. Both men worked together to organize black soldiers, collaborate on the Emancipation Proclamation, and Lincoln invited Douglass to help him with many other issues as his personal advisor (History 5). He used his skills to impact the population