Frederick Douglass An American Slave Analysis

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Recommended: Slavery in American society

In the decades leading up to the Civil War, slavery was still an integral part of American life. Despite prohibition of the slave trade, the sale of blacks was still ongoing inside of the United States. The institution of slavery played a great role in the economy of the country. Even though slavery was abolished in the North, the system still impacted the lives of everyone; textile factories relied on the cotton produced by slaves in the South. Cotton was immensely profitable and also became one of the primary exports of America, supplying the majority of the world's demand and it's incurred profits helped to benefit Northerners and Southerners alike. As a result of these domestic and foreign markets, slavery dramatically increased and along with it, the debate over the institution. …show more content…

These arguments relied on the idea of white supremacy, biblical sanctioning, and the belief that the institution allowed equality among whites. Douglas's autobiography was published in Boston, where in the northeast, the abolition movement was particularly strong. It was a well written account of his own experience in slavery (he was born into it) and his ambition for freedom. It was widely read and was meant to garner support for

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