Life of Frederick Douglas Essay

Introduction

In the view of Frederick Douglas, the United States was founded on the basic principles and freedom of liberty is the United States of America. There is much to be celebrated since this was a land full of good reputation and hope provided that they were able to work hard and earn the livelihood. Unfortunately, according to Douglas, freedom, liberty, and social mobility was not a reality, even though he was an intelligent man. Regretfully, this was because due to his color, he encountered the wrath of slavery and even persecution. On the other hand, despite the reason that Fredrick Douglas was born in slavery, he later rose above the oppression to become role model. In a time of subjugation to African Americans, this Douglas gained momentum and achieved greatness especially with his writing. The experience of different types of slavery shaped his perspective on everything, and it also showed the significance of their freedom.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

How Douglas Convey His Humanity and that of His Fellow Slaves

In the struggle for freedom, Douglas wrote a letter to Mr. Thomas Jefferson, lamenting that throughout his life, he had been enslaved by a white man. However, he was the luckiest man as he was able to become a free man, and having been determined to fight the abolition of slavery and oppression in the country. However, the hypocritical nature in which the country's founding fathers, including Thomas, were contrary to the declaration of the independence. Other than that, Douglas having been born as a slave in Tuckahoe, Maryland fled to Massachusetts, Free State, where he began to champion for the abolition of slave trade and further proceeded to put the anti-slavery movement on the map. He also helped urge black people to escape slavery as well. In the later years, Harriet Beecher also joined Fredrick Douglas in the struggle for freedom for blacks. Both Beecher and Douglas wrote in the protest of slave society they experienced. Even though Beecher was a white woman raised in a Puritan society, she was outwardly against slavery. Consequently, her story is brought for the commemoration of the issue of cruelties of slavery. Additionally, she had no experience being a slave but witnessed slavery through her prolonged contact with slaveholders. Douglass, being one of the prominent leaders of the abolitionist movement advocated for an end in the enslavement, bring to its purpose within the United States of America in the decades ahead of the civil war. Undeniably, Douglas had a chance granted by American Anti-Slavery society to engage in a tour of lectures. Suddenly, he became recognized as one of the Americans first black speakers.

Douglas was able to convey his humanity and experience of slavery through public speaking and lectures. One of history's outstanding public speakers went ahead to carry out a very compelling speech done at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York. More funnily, at this time, the celebration of Americans freedom was being praised. As a result, Douglas united the then America so order to discard the tension among slavery and the establishment of the country's goals. Various thematic issues formed part of his speech. For example, he mentioned the young nation being developed and the revolution towards the abolition of the slave trade. Additionally, his own life experience while in the United States of America formed an integral part of his speech. Ideally, he confined everything to be American slavery. About slave narrative, Doulas further explored the themes of truth, motherhood, and religion can be concerning the manner in which the slaves interacted.

Similarly, Douglas with his colleagues namely William Lloyd Garrison and John Brown worked as three significant abolitionists, especially after the emergence of modern American abolition movement in the early 1830s. This movement was considered a by-product of religious revivalism, known as the Second Great Awakening. It portrayed slavery as a product of sin, and therefore emancipation was the only price of repentance. , it was committed by revivalist tenets. However, view according to them is a principle, belief, or doctrine generally held to be true. Further, Douglas' speech of 4th of July was the most famous speech delivered by the abolitionists and civil rights. Nearly, five hundred to six hundred people were attracted by this speech and were vital in revealing to the slaves that it was not the time to celebrate but to unite towards fight9ing the common enemy, the slave supporters. More significantly, being under captivity, having been denied freedom, the independence being celebrated had no meaning to the rest of the country. The speech helped stress on the consideration of the behavior of black people by white people. Notably, concerning slavery and Christianity, he made an attempt to address the issues between Christianity and slavery that he underwent while a slave in America. As part of his role in revealing the humanity, acknowledged the need by slaveholders during that time span wanted to make the connection by linking the two out of which it was meant to justify their misbehavior and wickedness towards slaves. According to him, their behavior was undeniable to him, and he was repulsed by the way they had no courtesy for the truth of religion.

Through literacy, Douglas escaped slavery. Firstly, learning to read and write enlightened his mind to overcome the slavery injustices; in his heart, it kindled longings for liberty. Secondly, his skills having proved more instrumental in his attempts to escape and afterward towards his mission as a spokesman against slavery. Similarly, through the ability to read, he was able to condemn the slave's education. Given the opportunity, education would "spoil" Douglas and forever unfit him to be a slave. Douglas talked on slaves and women justice and equality. Following the Americanism idea, it was there in two variations. The first being, the Americans whose fathers fought for unalienable rights given to each man. Secondly, with open arms, Americans who loved welcome liberty refugees from all corners of the world. Furthermore, the Christians who were believed to be purer followed the word of God. The second type of Americans being more truthful in the eyes of Douglas is the American whom sits idly for the accomplishment of the very fathers that fought tirelessly and staged against the British for freedom

Conclusion

In sum, Douglas together with other abolitionists contributed to the end of slavery even though they come from diverse background. Undeniably, Douglas recognizes that the world we live in is far from being perfect as the pride and greed is the order of the day. There is a desire for money for people to advance in their lives, this has wholly undermined the human relationship. Cash takes the center, and people forget their fellow human beings. Predominantly, people may not recognize their mistakes. Consequently, the United States of America was believed to be a perfect state, unfortunately, but a nation that was covered with the dark secrets. This is revealed after the detention of slaves for many decades, after which the world turned to other means after they were emancipate.

Bibliography

Douglass, Frederick, and Harriet A. Jacobs. Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave. Random House Digital, Inc., 2000.