Fredrick Douglass: Icon of American History & Civil Rights Movement - Essay Sample

Introduction

Fredrick Douglass is one of the famous individuals in American history. He played a critical role during the abolition movement to liberate the Black Americans from slavery and being treated like a dammed animal in the field of the white man. He was also a driving force towards the 1964 American Civil Rights movement. The primary source selected regarding American history is the narrative of Fredrick Douglass explaining his life history as a slave to show the experiences Black Americans faced during the slavery movement. Therefore, the primary purpose of this paper is to annotate the timeline of the narrative of Fredrick Douglass's article by highlighting the most significant historical events.

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1818 to 1835: Early Life of Fredrick Douglass

Fredrick was born in 1818 in Talbot county, Maryland, but does not know the exact day and date he was born since his mother was under slavery(Douglass,1). He had little information about his father but believed that his father was a white man, his master, Mr. Aaron Antony, but was not sure. Fredrick had older siblings, Eliza, Perry, and Sarah. In most of his childhood life, from 1819 to 1823 used to stay with his grandmother Mrs. Betsey Bailey at the farm where he was born, only used to see his mother on few days since she was locked under slavery. In 1825 it was the time he saw her mother last time since she died the following year while under slavery, as usual, the deceased slaves' were not given a decent burial but left to be eaten by wild animals in the fields. At this time (1826), Fredrick was sent to live with Mr. and Mrs. Auld, and when his master died, he becomes the property and slaves of Thomas Auld. He later sends him back to Mrs. Sophia to train him on how to read and write of which Sofia did excellently and correctly until her husband Mr. Hugh Auld stops since he believed that when slaves' children become literate will become rebellious in future. Regardless of being deprived of learning to access more knowledge and ways of the white man, Fredrick continued studying in private and secret while working in Shipyard in the position of a general assistant.

After acquiring moderate skills of reading and writing, one in 1831 day, he bought a newspaper that was authored by one antislavery petitioner in congress, John Quincy Adam. He was able to learn about the abolitionist movement. The movement was aimed at equal treatment and championing the Civil rights of slaves. His sister was sold as a commodity to one of the planters in Mississippi in 1832 while Fredrick Douglass, in 1833, was to send Maryland, which was an excellent opportunity to mingle with other slaves and teach to read to enable them to understand the plans of the white man. It a vital and most significant period in American's abolitionist movement. In 1834, after being discovered by his master, Mr. Thomas Auld teaching other slaves, Fredrick was rented to "slaves breaker," Mr. Edward Covey. He was subjected to multiple daily beatings until one day, he fought back and was never beaten again. In 1835, the narrator was hired to work in Talbot county to Mr. William Freeland, where he managed to organize private teaching sessions during Sunday school and organize slaves' meetings.

Based on this timeline from 1818 to 1835, It provides vital background information regarding slaves' experience, struggles, and how the historic American abolitionist movement started. For instance, slaves were treated as properties of the white and treated the same as domestic animals. The slaves were beaten daily and denied essential human civil rights, such as access to education as healthy medical services.

1836 to 1859: Major Fredrick Douglass's Movements

The narrator made scheduled his escape plans in 1836. Unfortunately, he was discovered leading to his arrest, jailed, and later was released to work for his master Hugh Auld in Baltimore. During this time, he gained more knowledge through reading and writing skills acquired and was able to escape from slavery within two years' period later. At this time, Fredrick joined the mental improvement society in 1837 in East Baltimore. It where he met Ann Murray, an African American housekeeper working in the society, and got married in 1838 after escape from slavery after borrowing a newspaper from one of the free black sailors and relocated to New York, where he changed his name to Johnson. He tried to secure a job for a position of caulker but faced a lot of discrimination and rejection since the white laborers threaten to quit the job if their master hires Fredrick Douglass. Through the struggle and determinations, he subscribed to William Lloyd Garrison, who was one of the founders of abolitionists, the liberator. Through weekly subscription, enabled him to hear Garrison's speech in April. The following year (1839) was licensed to preach in one of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion. It was the most significant opportunity for him to inspire and motivate African Americans through reading and writing and become aware of the abolitionist movement.

In 1941, Fredrick Douglass spoke to African American people living under slavery during an antislavery meeting that was held at New Bedford, Massachusetts, through the aid of William Coffin, who was a bookkeeper in one of the local banks and also an abolitionist leader. The meeting was an excellent opportunity for the narrator to convince fellow Black American, that is one of them. It also enabled him to speak about his background and life as a slave. His speech impressed William Lloyd Garrison and was hired as a speaker of the antislavery society convention. The meeting also made him recognized but also subjected him to more troubles since he became the primary target and was brutally beaten by a mob during the antislavery meeting that was held in Pendleton, Indiana, in 1843, leading severe injury of his right hand of which failed to recover. Later in 1845, his article narrating personal life experiences and revealing some of the details that could subject him into apprehension as a fugitive slave. He also toured Ireland and Great Britain to lecture on slavery experience and right with other abolitionists and was arrested in the process since he escaped from slavery before serving period was complete, but his English friends raised money ($711.66) to bargain for his freedom. He was released when his former master had received payment. The timeline is most significant since it shows how the historical American Movement as established and life experiences of Black Americans during the slavery period.

1860 to 1895: Civil Rights and Fredrick Douglass's Late Life

In 1960 the narrator returned to the United States after the death of his daughter, Annie. During this time, Abraham Lincoln was the elected president. The American Civil started in 1861, championing human rights and freedom of black Americans under slavery. After the president's emancipation proclamation was effected in 1863, the narrator became a 54th Massachusetts infantry recruiter, the first regiment for the African American soldier. It was the only opportunity to form a strong union of African American people to serve in the civil war. Besides, he organizes a meeting with the president to address critical issues regarding treatment and unequal payments for African American soldiers and also planned with Lincoln on how to help slaves escape. As a result of this, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on 14th April 1865. Through struggle, the Thirteenth Amendment of the American constitution was made outlawing slavery movements. It was adopted in 1870 after the Fifteenth Amendment to grand all citizens Rights to vote regardless of color and race. Besides, between 1865-95, the narrator organizes lectures regarding reconstruction and women's Rights that become most of his speeches until his death. Fredrick Douglass died of heart failure shortly after attending the National Council of Women's meeting that was held in Washington.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Fredrick Douglass's narrative article provides vivid and background information regarding the history of African American citizen slavery life experiences, such as discrimination and struggles. It also describes significant events in American history, such as the abolitionist movement, Civil rights, and Civil wars that are significant historical events.

Works Cited

Blackett, Richard JM. Building an Antislavery Wall: Black Americans in the Atlantic Abolitionist Movement, 1830--1860. LSU Press, 2002. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=jwGuZWmKyQC&oi=fnd&pg=PP11&dq=american+aolitionist+movement&ots=-IJ8_ikAUG&sig=z5xXXSXJFbMFCbl6oDWp1Pj71NY

Blumrosen, Ruth G. "Wage Discrimination, Job Segregation, and the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964." U. Mich. JL Reform 12 (1978): 397. https://heinonline.org/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/umijlr12&section=21

Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass. Dreamscape Media, LLC, 2019. https://yourknow.com/uploads/books/5dab971d83ab1.pdf

Ferrell, Claudine L. The abolitionist movement. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=mG_MNzwawSAC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=american+abolitionist+movement&ots=cC-f05Vd_f&sig=ZjSohkyzRqK96CsF1eB2Hq4TCdY

Grofman, Bernard, ed. Legacies of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. University of Virginia Press, 2000. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=J5iKFGQxN-0C&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=1964+civil+rights+act&ots=R_TkWo0gaf&sig=6tEMbOY0FNHym1Wdiu24uBBJTxg

Harris, Leslie M. "The Nineteenth-Century World of Frederick Douglass." Reviews in American History 48, no. 1 (2020): 48-55. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/750345/summary

Hill, Tamara D. "Race, Identity and the Narrative of Self in the Autobiographies of Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs and Malcolm X." (2019). http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/cauetds/159/

NA, NA. Women's Rights Emerges Within the Anti-Slavery Movement, 1830-1870: A Brief History with Documents. Springer, 2016. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=cIgBDgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=American+history+and+slavery+movement&ots=IQzzaAszf8&sig=zjPxmr_GeLyWGIUtlEFLbtqlU-4

Shi, David E., and George Brown Tindall. America: A narrative history. WW Norton & Company, 2016. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=0_V3DAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=American+history+and+slavery+movement&ots=Wetw9zI8WK&sig=aMwAENCPLsIH-u6CWSEaarACLFQ

Stewart, James Brewer. Abolitionist Politics and the Coming of the Civil War. University of Massachusetts Press, 2008. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/4402

Zietlow, Rebecca E. "To secure these rights: Congress, courts and the 1964 Civil Rights Act." Rutgers L. Rev. 57 (2004): 945. https://heinonline.org/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/rutlr57&section=2