What Are The Pros And Cons Of Frederick Douglass

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People had very distinct thoughts about slaves, of these people were Thomas Jefferson, John C. Calhoun, and James Hammond. They believed that slaves were unable to be educated, not compassionate, and not able to think ahead. However, Frederick Douglass is a counter to all of these. He was first taught to read and write, once he was unable to be taught by someone else he taught himself. He cared very much for his fellow slaves, taught them to read and he included them in his plant to run away from Mr. Freeland. In addition, he carefully thought out his plan and the dangers that would precede him. Many people believed that African Americans were illiterate and uneducated. When Frederick went and worked for Mr. and Mrs. Auld, Mrs. Auld started …show more content…

But his may perhaps proceed from a want of forethought, which prevents their seeing a danger till it be present”. This is another quote from Thomas Jefferson. However, Douglass and his fellow slaves carefully thought out their escape and the difficulties that they might face. Douglass writes, “We met often, and consulted frequently, and told our hopes and fears, recounted the difficulties, real and imagined, which we should be called on to meet. Our path was beset with the greatest obstacles; and if we succeeded in gaining the end of it, our right to be free was yet questionable” (96). They knew their journey wouldn’t be east because they all met and talked about what they would have to go through to earn their freedom. They knew the difficulties they were gonna face, “At every gate though which we were to pass, we saw a watchman—at every ferry a guard—on every bridge a sentinel—and in every wood a patrol” (96). They knew about all of these obstacles ahead of time and they were still going to go through with the plan to escape. They also knew the dangers of what would happen if they didn’t succeed and they were caught. They would be returned to their slave-owner, “And to go there, and be forever harassed with the frightful liability of being returned to slaver—with the certainty of being treated tenfold worse than before—The thought was truly a horrible one, and one which it was not easy to overcome” (96). These slaves

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