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Frederick Douglass: The Fight For Equal Rights

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The people of America fought and won the Revolutionary War gaining freedom from England rule. At first America gave out freedom unjustly. They had slaves who had no freedom and women and lower class white men who were free, but didn 't have very many rights, such as, the right to vote. There were many disputes, riots, boycotting, protesting, etc. Two women finally took action that eventually led to equal rights for everyone. In 1866 Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton founded the American Equal Rights Association (AERA). “According to its Constitution, it 's purpose was to secure equal rights to all American citizens, especially the rights of suffrage, irrespective race, color, and sex.” (Wikipedia.org) The two women who …show more content…

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland around 1818. Douglass lived with his grandmother until he was chosen to live in the plantation owner’s home. Suspicions say that the plantation owner could have been his father. His mother died when Frederick was ten. Later, he was sent to live with the Hugh Auld and his family. Hugh 's wife, Sophia, ignored the ban on teaching slaves to read and write and taught Frederick the alphabet. Learning how to read was the most important factor in becoming the national celebrity he was. Frederick began reading the newspaper which shaped his ideological opposition to slavery. Frederick started teaching other slaves how to read the New Testament. Many slave owners did not like this and set out to put a stop to it. He later went to work for Edward Covey, who was said to be a slave-breaker. He nearly broke Frederick psychologically by abusing him, but Frederick fought back by telling of the things Covey did to him in a scene from his autobiography. Covey never beat him again. Frederick tried twice to run away from slavery and the second time he succeeded with the help of his love Anna Murray. They married on September 15, 1638 and later settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Frederick told stories about his life as a slave and he was asked to tell his stories at abolitionist meetings. He became a regular Antislavery lecturer. Frederick was able to plant Antislavery seeds in people 's hearts which made him an important piece to the antislavery movements. He went on to write in newspapers telling about his life

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