Frederick Douglass: Abolitionist Leader

Kaitlin Wold Mrs. Solem Frederick Douglass Essay Frederick Douglass: Breaking the Grip of Slavery Frederick Douglass, an African American slave, went through many obstacles to become a free man. Frederick Douglass not only kept his head held high through all of the troubles he faced, he also was fearless, defiant, and determined. All of these qualities are what helped him escape slavery in the long run.

Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, otherwise known as Frederick Douglass was an abolitionist, writer, orator, statesman, and social reformer for African Americans all over. As a slave, he learned how to read and write through fellow people that were in his neighborhood and his plantation owner’s wife. Some say that him learning these two essentials was the start of his political movement to the road of freedom. It was almost as the more he read, the more his ambition and determination leveled up to end slavery. He began to use his new develop skills and put to work some of the greatest writings that has ever hit history.

In the Narrative of Frederick Douglass, Douglass is tasked with not only making a case for abolitionism, but also making this case to an audience that contributes to and benefits from slavery. As such, he must provide an account that is equal parts believable and moving, all the while treading the line of not alienating his target audience of white women. However, through his depiction of slavery as a corrosive agent on the family structure and ideals, Douglass makes a sentimental appeal to white women. Douglass begins by calling attention to the grave impact slavery has on the family life of the slave, starting with Douglass himself. While Douglass’s Narrative is most immediately an autobiographical text, his status as a slave severely limits his account from adhering to its structure.

“After apologizing for his ignorance, and reminding the audience that slavery was a poor school for the human intellect and heart, he proceeded to narrate some of the facts in his own history as a slave, and in the course of his speech gave utterance to many noble thoughts and thrilling reflections. (Preface.4)” In this quote, Frederick Douglass is giving a big speech in front of an even bigger audience. This is one of Douglass’s earlier speeches, so he hadn’t had much practice when it came to public announcements. In the quote, Douglass is simply trying to inform the audience of the education that slaves and blacks, in general, are given.

According To Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Reading was the Key to Freedom In the “Dialogue Between a Master and a Slave”, the slave is very articulate and well argued for. He probably knows how to read and write. The slave knows very well that his master is wrong and he wants to prove him that way and go free. When you learn to read and write, you begin to know new words from that reading.

Frederick Douglass was one of the most important and famous African Americans in America. He had an great impact on society, politics, and the life of blacks. Frederick Douglass was a prominent abolitionist, writer, reformer and orator. He was born into slavery, but escaped and against great odds became the voice for many people. He was an advocate for human rights and the anti-slavery movement.

Through the literary works they made people aware of the injustice and inhumanity that slavery was based on and because if its written form they had impact on many generations coming years and decades later. Phillis Wheatley through poems appeals to the intellectual side of the people while Frederick Douglas using slave narrative in his autobiography introduces readers to cruelty and blooded side of black’s oppression. Even though they used different literary convention, they both became an inspiration for long-term changes that transformed the United Stated and it is still visible in current times. By affecting minds and souls of society, they inscribed themselves in American literary tradition

Repetition is found all throughout Washington 's speech. He repeats the phrase "cast down your buckets where you are" to strengthen his allegory. The more it is said, the more it is clear that he is not just talking to the African Americans, he is also talking to the "those of the white race". He is implying that the Whites could look to the African Americans for the prosperity of the South, instead of looking to "those of foreign birth and strange tongue and habits" (Line 74-75). He is telling both sides to notice what is around them and use what they have.

Great post! I really enjoyed reading it. Frederick Douglass was one of the leaders of the abolitionist movement, which fought to end slavery within the United States . He escaped from the south and became a free man in the north. He pretty much exposed his life trying to abolish slavery.

In the contemporary era, the issue of race remains a prevalent topic in public discussion. Thus, Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad is meaningful as it explores the legacy of racial injustice in the United States and its consequences in today’s society. In his development of the underground railroad as a literal and physical vehicle to freedom, Whitehead is able to candidly detail the ubiquitous nature of racial prejudice and the horrors associated with it. Over the course of his novel, the author utilizes a variety of rhetorical devices in order to further explore the many hardships that ‘freedom’ inevitably entails.

After Douglass published his Autobiography ‘Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave’ he had to escape to Great Britain, leaving his family behind in fear of being recaptured until 1847 when he became a free man with help from British supporters (Bodden 16-17). If he wouldn’t have sailed to Britain and gained support from British followers he would have risked being captured by white men and put back into slavery, so he had to leave everything behind. Despite all of this his sacrifice helped us learn more about slavery and what they went through. Frederick Douglass worked hard to free slaves, and even endangered himself a few times in the process.

Fredrick Douglass broke the physical and mental chains of slavery, he devoted his life to helping others do the same. Born a slave in Maryland 1818 he grew up facing hunger, backbreaking work, and beatings. at age 20 he escaped from slavery and began life as a free man. A brilliant and powerful speaker, Fredrick traveled wildly, shared his story and spreading his anti slavery message. He wrote several books and a published a news paper that promoted equal rights for black people and for women.

Frederick Douglass’s life is living proof of the injustice that took place in slavery. His life exemplified dehumanization on a daily basis. Blacks were not shown as “humans” at this day and age, as Frederick’s life is an example of the cruel practices of slavery. His life shows the significance of the many struggles that were brought upon him and other slaves for human and civil rights. Douglass grew up on captain Anthony’s plantation with hundreds of other slaves.

Frederick Douglass was a good person during his lifetime for all the good things that he had done to help the world in a lot of places while he had been a slave which is very great due to the fact that he had very little to help him throughout his journey of helping the world. In my opinion I think that the greatest thing that Frederick Douglass had done was help to stop slavery. Another thing that I am very surprised of what he had done was learn how to read. This is very shocking to me that he had learned how to read because he barely had any resources to help him but he still did not give up, in fact Douglass had actually kept on pushing forward on learning how to read and he had used every resource that he could find because he knew that in order to help himself be successful in freeing the slaves and to do a lot more that would help the world. Something that I find sad about Frederick Douglass’s life is that he did not have parents to help him with all of the great things that he had done due to the fact that he lost his mother when she had tried to run away and save him while his father was a white man who had forced Douglass’s mother into making children to

Frederick Douglass Overcoming many obstacles, Frederick Douglass became a very influential African American in the antislavery movement. Growing up a slave, he lived the harsh lifestyle that many African Americans were suffering through. However, he escaped from slavery.. After his escape, he donated his life work to support the extinction of slavery in America. Using his personal, powerful slave stories from his horrifying childhood, he was able to influence many listeners.