Ladies and Gentlemen, I have have heard of the hanging of John Brown and he was a man who stood for ending slavery. He planned the revolt at Harber’s Ferry and I was offered to join, but I declined. We are indebted to John Brown’s memory and must continue to thework to end slavery. Therefore my friends, I believe the route to ending slavery is to assist my fellow brothers and sisters in becoming literate. I was fortunate as a young child that my mistress Sophie began to teach me to read the bible. When her husband Hugh witnessed her efforts he became violently angry. “From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom. It was just what I wanted, and I got it at a time when I least expected it.” Literacy has allowed
At first glance, the book “my bondage and my freedom by Frederick Douglass appeared to be extremely dull and frustrating to read. After rereading the book for a second time and paying closer attention to the little details I have realized this is one of the most impressive autobiographies I have read recently. This book possesses one of the most touching stories that I have ever read, and what astonishes me the most about the whole subject is that it's a true story of Douglass' life. “ Douglass does a masterful job of using his own experience to expose the injustice of slavery to the world. As the protagonist he is able to keep the reader interested in himself, and tell the true story of his life. As a narrator he is able to link those experiences to the wider experiences of the nation and all society, exposing the corrupting nature of slavery to the entire nation.”[1] Although this book contributes a great amount of information on the subject of slavery and it is an extremely valuable book, its strengths are overpowered by its flaws. The book is loaded with unnecessary details, flowery metaphors and intense introductory information but this is what makes “My Bondage and My Freedom” unique.
Literature is written in many ways and styles. During his time, Frederick Douglass’s works and speeches attracted many people’s attention. With the amount of works and speeches Douglass has given, it has influenced many others writers to express themselves more freely. Though Douglass lived a rigorous childhood, he still made it the best that he could, with the guidance and teaching of one of his slave owner’s wife he was able to read and write, thus allowing him to share his life stories and experiences. Douglass’s work today still remain of great impact and influence, allowing us to understand the reality of slavery, and thus inspiring many others to come out and share for others to understand.
Arguably, throughout history, the most influential book ever written has been “The Holy Bible.” Whether it is a historical document, a children’s story, a fable, a story of moral lessons, or a multitude of novels; “The Holy Bible” and its themes have been passed down through generations. If one were to look at “The Holy Bible” as a whole then one could say that the themes of the Bible are all about freedom and how one has a responsibility to keep that freedom. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” King relates to several themes mentioned in “The Holy Bible.” Themes such as justice, non-violence, equality, and freedom in King’s work greatly reflect what freedom and responsibility really mean.
Kids today, or people that have never read before, see the fascination of books and develop a curiosity and desire to read. Frederick Douglass is an example of that same desire. Before learning to read, Frederick believed that black people were destined to be the white man’s slaves. It was normal for slaves to do back-breaking work and get whipped for doing anything wrong. It wasn’t until Douglass learned to read that the life of a slave was actually wrong and he wished to live a free life. “Suddenly, Douglass sees this whole education thing in a new light: if he can learn to read, he reasons, he won't have to be a slave anymore.”(Shmoop) It is highly illegal for anyone to keep or ev...
It was America mid 1850’s and slavery was a sensitive topic between the north and the south. It seemed slaves had no hope of ever changing America’s ways until a white man by the name of John Brown decided to stand up and fight for the abolishment of slavery, which has been said to be one of the major events leading up to the American Civil War. Browns actions were defended by himself claiming they were “consisting of God’s commandments” (Finkelman 2011). I will explain Brown’s deontological ethical perspective while preforming the actions for the abolishment of slavery.
In alignment with what the Bible told them, abolitionist understood that each man represented one of God’s creations and that men were part of God’s plan. If slavery was allowed to exist, then man was interrupting God’s de...
Douglass tries to appeal to both those who are religious and those who are patriotic. He mentions that the system of slavery goes against both the Bible and Constitution – and as god-fearing people and those that respect the Constitution should reject this
Frederick Douglass used family values, basic human rights, and religion to persuade the northern white audience toward the cause of abolition. He expects his readers will share his “hate [for] the corrupt, slaveholding, woman whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of [southern slaveholders]” (Douglass 71). American slavery does not exist in today due partly to Douglass’s effort to help advance the cause of abolition.
It is sad to see how my generation (including myself) is slowly losing all sight of where we have come from. Olaudah Equiano’s Middle Passage excerpt has opened my eyes to how dreadful it must have been for African American slaves, especially during the Middle Passage. In his experts he talks about how slaves would rather try to take their own lives than to live in that abdominal situation for even a second more. He goes on to say that slave masters would not even allow it to happen by punishing any slave who tried to commit suicide. It is hard for me to fathom the psychological and physical turmoil of African American slave during the middle passage, and through this essay that is what I am going to do.
...ther slave, while it is possible to free him; that nobody, through me, should ever run the risk of being parted from home and friends, and dying on a lonely plantation, as he died. So, when you rejoice in your freedom, think that you owe it to the good old soul, and pay it back in kindness to his wife and children. Think of your freedom, every time you see UNCLE TOM'S CABIN; and let it be a memorial to put you all in mind to follow in his steps, and be as honest and faithful and Christian as he was.'" (Uncle Tom’s Cabin, p. 462)
Since the 17th century when African slaves were brought over by Dutch slavers, Christianity has been used to justify the act of enslavment. Missionaries sailed with slavers and tried to convert the Africans sold into slavery many times. During the 19th century Christianity was a great factor in helping institutionalize and even justify the suffering of the slaves. Slaves were made to believe through verses of the Bible that if they suffered in their current lives, they would have a better existence after they passed on. Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, puts forth the lives of many different slaves and their masters in a way that was one of the contributing factors to igniting the civil war. The book focuses on the tension between the morality of religion and how religion was used to institutionalize slavery, particularly for the main character, Tom. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin presents the interpretative tension between religion and how it was used by the white slaveholders to rationalize Tom’s bondage and servitude for him and themselves.
Both Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs had similar experiences in regards to their owners getting more involved with religion, resulting in a change in the treatment of their slaves. Frederick Douglass’ slave-owner in 1832 was a man called “Captain Auld” by his slaves. Douglass describes him as a “slaveholder without the ability to hold slaves”. However, after attending a Methodist camp-meeting and experiencing religion, Auld becomes crueler. Douglass had the slightest hope that Auld’s involvement with religion would incline him to emancipate his slaves or—at the very least—be more humane and kind. Douglass was disappointed. “Prior to his conversion, he relied upon his own depravity to shield and sustain him in his savage barbarity; but after his conversion, he found religious sanction and support for his slaveholding cruelty.” The man became more involved in religious activity; it became a part of his everyday life. Douglass provides an example of his master’s usage of religious sanction for
Frederick Douglass was a slave. When he was younger, he did not know how to read or write, but learned these skills by using his wit and cunning to gather teachers. In the beginning, when he was a slave, he hated not having freedom. He “[O]ften myself regretting my own existence… but for the hope of being free, I have no doubt but that I should have killed myself” (Douglass, 103). He loathed being a slave. He then heard a word. The word he had heard was “abolition”. He did not know what this word meant, but he knew well that “any one speaks of slavery… [He] could hear something about the abolitionists” (Douglass, 103). He then set out to find what the abolition meant.
Frederick Douglass is an exemplary example of why literacy was such a guarded commodity during the 1800’s. When Douglass went to live with the Auld family, the mistress Mrs. Auld had never before owned a slave. Her behavior towards Douglass was different—kinder, and she even began to teach him the alphabet. When her husband, Mr. Auld, found out of her actions she was scolded and told that a slave should never be taught how to read. From that day on, Mrs. Auld never again taught Douglass any letters. Her attitude completely changed. Not only was the issue of slaves being illiterate keeping slaves ignorant, but the masters also. By Mrs. Auld’s sudden change in attitude to Douglass it became apparent that the idea of slavery was not a natural occurrence, it was taught. When Douglass saw how protective Mr. Auld was over keeping him illiterate, he became more curious and concluded that education would be vital to the emancipation of his race. He used his knowledge of the alphabet to eventually learn how to read and write.
The atrocities of slavery know no bounds. Its devices leave lives ruined families pulled apart and countless people dead. Yet many looked away or accepted it as a necessary part of society, even claiming it was beneficial to all. The only way this logic works is if the slaves are seen as less than human, people who cannot be trusted to take care of themselves. In Toni Morrison’s Beloved the consequences of a lifetime of slavery are examined. Paul D and seethe, two former slaves have experienced the worst slavery has to offer. Under their original master, Mr. Garner the slaves were treated like humans. They were encouraged to think for themselves and make their own decisions. However, upon the death of Mr. Garner all of that changes. Under their new master, The Schoolteacher, they are relegated to a position among animals. They are seen as beasts of burden rather than equals. Paul D and the other slaves are stripped of their free will and their manhood. The Schoolteacher treats them as though they were animals without emotions. The schoolteacher is not the only one; he is representative of society in general and its mindset towards African Americans. The system of slavery by nature devalues the lives of slaves and demotes them to a status below humans.