Fredrick Douglass Essay - 1355 Words

Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist who altered Americas views of slavery through his writings and actions. Fredericks 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,†¦show more content†¦The power that they have over their slaves has a damaging effect on their moral health because they are careless. Douglass describes adultery and rape as typical behavior patterns of slaveholders which damage their families. S ophia Auld is Douglasss main illustration of the corruption of slave owners. The power of slaveholding changes Sophia from a nice woman to a demon. She went from a kind, caring and loving person into a typical mean slave master. She was no longer able to teach Douglass how to read because her husband disapproved it. Slaveholders gain and keep power over blacks from their birth onward by keeping them ignorant of basic facts about themselves. For example slaves didnt know their birth date or who their parents were. They didnt want slaves to have a natural sense of identity. Slave children were not allowed to learn to read or write because this would lead slaves to question their rights. Douglass uses family relationships, starting with his own birth, to gain the compassion of his target audience. He never knew the identity of his father, but it was whispered (Douglass, Narrative, 43) that it was his master. Douglass shocked his Northern white readers when he informed them that slaveholders regularly split slave families for no reason. This upset Northerners because their family units were the foundation of their communities. People couldnt believe that slave children were takenShow MoreRelatedThe Fredrick Douglass Journey. Fredrick Douglass Was Well1355 Words   |  6 PagesThe Fredrick Douglass journey Fredrick Douglass was well known abolitionist know for influence on the black community through his stories from moving around during the slave journey, his escape, and his rise to being an abolitionist. Not many people believed that Douglass was a slave, many people just believed for him to be another abolitionist that preached about slavery but never been through it. So, he decided it was his job to make his story known. Using his biographies we see that Fredrick DouglassRead MoreBiography of Fredrick Douglass1294 Words   |  5 Pagesinventors, but what about the people that are in between – the people that fought for equality. Fredrick Douglass arguably had the greatest impact on American society, especially African American society, in the nineteenth century. Douglass is credited as being an abolitionist, author, editor, and diplomat. He used literature, books, newspapers, and even speeches, to leave a long lasting mark on our society. Douglass advised presidents and lec tured to thousands about different causes, including women’s rightsRead More Fredrick Douglass Essay852 Words   |  4 Pages The purpose behind Fredrick Douglass’s Narrative was to appeal to the other abolitionists who he wanted to convince that slave owners were wrong for their treatment of other human beings. His goal was to appeal to the middle-class people of that time and persuade them to get on board with the abolitionist movement. Douglass had a great writing style that was descriptive as well as convincing. He stayed away from the horrific details of the time, which helped him grasp the attention of the womenRead MoreEssay on Fredrick Douglass1173 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å" Agitate! Agitate! Agitate!† ( Huggins,180). These are the words of Fredrick Douglass that could represent the way he lived his life. Not willing to accept his life as a slave, he rose to become a great and honorable man that held a voice of influence over the reform movement’s throughout the 19th century. He is one of the American leaders who provided a powerful voice for human rights and racial injustice during this period of American history. Throughout his life he was first and foremost anRead MoreSlave Fredrick Douglass772 Words   |  3 Pagesman of hope and undying perseverance, Frederick Douglass escapes the shackles of slavery into the safety of the North, where he achieves the ultimate dream of the southern slave: freedom. He overcomes his struggles with his identity and knowledge of his past. In his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the cruelty and inhumane ways of slaveholders are depicted in their truest forms through the personal accounts of Frederick Douglass. Douglass is fearful of having to stay as a slave for lifeRead MoreAnalysis Of Fredrick Douglass s If There Is No Struggle 1395 Words   |  6 PagesGrant Todd Mr. Sotak English 9 23 May, 2016 Activism within Fredrick Douglass â€Å"If there is no struggle, there is no progression,† is what Fredrick Douglass said during his speech at Canandaigua, New York During an event celebrating West Indian Emancipation Day (blackpast.org). This is saying that struggles and hardships need to happen to get anything accomplished. A lot of people today view Fredrick Douglass as a civil rights activist because the things he has achieved and the way he has positivelyRead MoreFrederick Douglass s Narrative Of The Life Of Fredrick Douglass1693 Words   |  7 Pages Slavery on a plantation was drastically different from slavery in the city. Frederick Douglass the author of Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass was born and raised on the plantation as a slave. From his early years Douglass experienced life as a slave on a plantation. He was soon relocated to Maryland at the age of seven to the slave owner’s brother Mr. Auld. Douglass is moved back and forth from the plantation to the city. The areas of food , treatment and punishment, and clothing were contrastingRead MoreWilliam Lloyd Garrison And Fredrick Douglass1049 Words   |  5 PagesAbolitionist W.L. Garrison and Fredrick Douglass We all realize during this day and age that slavery was just a terrible historical event in the United States during the early periods and there was a movement of Abolitionism that attempted to rid the United States of slavery. Abolitionist came from several walks of life. There were hundreds of abolitionist as well but some were at the forefront of this movement. William Lloyd Garrison was the founder of the Boston Liberator, the â€Å"LiberatorRead MoreThe Narrative Of The Life Of Fredrick Douglass, An American Slave Essay1561 Words   |  7 Pages1845 Fredrick Douglas wrote an autobiography called The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, an American Slave. The book tells the story of his life as a slave, being the son of an enslaved woman and a white man and how he finally escaped slavery in 1837. Due to the book he became a leader for an abolitionist movement and spoke and wrote many different things about the evils of slavery. He was the most respected and famous African American in the nineteenth century. Fredrick Douglass usedRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Fredrick Douglass, An American Slave916 Words   |  4 Pages Narrative of The Life of Fredrick Douglass, an American Slave In Fredrick Douglass’s a narrative, Narrative of The Life of Fredrick Douglass, an American Slave, he narrates an account of his experiences in the dehumanizing institution of slavery. This American institution was strategically formatted to quench any resemblance of human dignity. Throughout, the narration of his life Fredrick Douglas, meticulously illustrates the methodical process that contributed to the perpetual state of slavery