Frederick Douglass Response To The Opposite Nation

832 Words2 Pages

Many people look at milestones in history and assume that life proceeding becomes perfect, until the next tragic event occurs. For example after the Civil War life did not turn into a completely joyous utopia. After the war a lot of prejudice reared its ugly head. In fact, there was a law set to prohibit Chinese men from becoming citizens. In response Fredrick Douglass wrote “ The Composite Nation” in 1869. This was his response to the events occurring and how he felt the nation should be. He starts off by stating there are contradictions that lay within the nation. He explains that before the war, the country was living oppressed and the motives for the war was equality and freedom for all. When he says “ But that days has happily …show more content…

He mentions an apocalyptic vision, this is the plan God has for the world. Douglass goes on to describe how this vision is created so all men have the right to live and free and happy life. The Chinese want to immigrate to the states because the ruling in their country is much too harsh and they are expected to exceed gurling standardized. The states at this time are not Neutralizing them, meaning they do not have all the rights a naturalized citizen has. “ The fact that by the late treaty with China , we bind ourselves to receive immigrants from that country only as the subjects of the Emperor, and by the construction , at least, are bound not to naturalize them.”( Douglass) Douglass favors immigration because he feels everyone except the natural Indians are immigrants and that was how the country was formed. “ Those who doubt large immigration, should remember that the past furnishes no criterion as a basis of calculation. We live under new and improved conditions of migration, and theses conditions are constantly improving. America is no longer an obscure and inaccessible country. Our ships are in every sea, our commerce in every port, our language is heard all around the globe, steam and lighting have revolutionized the whole domain of human thought, changed all geographical relations, make a day of the present seem equal to a thousand years of the past, and the continent that columbus only conjectured four centuries ago is now the center of the world.” ( Douglass) America has influenced in a sense the whole world by this point and immigration to this country was looking the best for everyone. They have the most land to support immigrants and the best rights of all the nations. This helps the nation because with more people they have more laborers and more influence in the direction of growth. Say if other nationalities did not migrate to the states and only the white race inhibited this nation it

Show More
Related

  • Frederick Douglass: Douglas's Comparison Of The American Founders

    1159 Words  | 3 Pages

    He also appeals to their rational self by anticipating that critics may say that they need to be convinced that blacks are human. Douglass counters that blacks are already recognized as people by the

    Read More

  • 1800's Irish Immigration: An American Integration Tale

    1187 Words  | 3 Pages

    The United States was a recently forged nation state in the early 1800’s. Recently formed, this nation state was very fragile and relied on the loyalty of its citizens to all work collectively toward the establishment and advancement of the nation states. Many members of the nation state gave great sacrifices, often their lives, to see that the united states was a successful and democratic. However, the United States, was fundamentally a mixing pot of all foreign people (excluding marginalized Native Americans). This early 1800 's flow of new “Americans” continued as people sought new opportunities and escaped religious or political persecution and famine. One notable

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Loss Of Faith Essay

    1264 Words  | 3 Pages

    Douglass is telling us that until we go out and get our own understanding, we will always be blind to what’s right in front of us. He is saying we can do all the praying we want for change, but until you help ourselves God won’t help you. I don’t think he found a new faith, but I do know he did find knowledge. What the slave masters were telling the slaves wasn’t a lie, but it was written for different time, the bible was always meant to be transcribed and interpreted.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass 'Fourth Of July For The Negro'

    549 Words  | 2 Pages

    In his speech he tries to make white people consider the behavior of black people. Specially their feelings towards a national occasion such as Independence Day. At the time of Douglass’s speech America were actually two different nations, white and black. Two separated nations one had great benefits

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass

    992 Words  | 2 Pages

    Frederick Douglass defined his manhood through his education and his freedom. As a slave he realized "the white man's power to enslave the black man".*(Narrative 273) That power was through mental and physical enslavement. Douglass knew that becoming literate would be "the pathway from slavery to freedom".*(275) His education would give him the mental freedom to then gain physical freedom. He became literate by bribing and befriending the neighborhood boys that lived around him. Every chance Douglass had, he would find another way to gain more knowledge to learn to read.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass’ Fourth of July Speech

    1397 Words  | 3 Pages

    In his speech, Frederick Douglass made it clear that he believed that the continued toleration and support of slavery from both a religious and legal standpoint was utterly absurd when considering the ideals and principles advocated by America’s forefathers. He began by praising the American framers of the Constitution, an...

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Speech

    983 Words  | 2 Pages

    he fact that his work was compelling, powerful and had a purpose. Take for example his speech titled, “The Need for Continuing Anti-Slavery Work”. It was written in May of 1865 at the thirty-second annual Meeting of the American Anti-Slavery Society. During his speech he stresses the importance that the Abolition community must continue their work for the rights of African Americans and the once again advocates for black enfranchisement. When supporting his stance on the continued work of the American Anti-Slavery Society Douglass wrote, “I take this ground; whether this Constitutional Amendment is law or not, whether it has been ratified by a sufficient number of States to make it law or not, I hold that the work of Abolitionists is not done...while the black man is confronted in this legislation of the South by the word “white”, our work as Abolitionist, as I conceive it, is not done”. This speech reveals that during the period that Douglass and Oakes claim that Douglass was lost, he was still an enthusiastic advocate for African Americans. At the same time, these few lines from the speech contradict what Douglass says in The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. It can be easily seen that he clearly did not believe that the

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass: The Life of an Abolitionist

    887 Words  | 2 Pages

    Frederick Douglass is perhaps the most well-known abolitionist from American history. He is responsible for creating a lot of support for the abolitionist movement in the years before the Civil War. He, along with many others, was able to gain support for and attention to the abolitionist movement. People like him are the reason that slavery ended in the United States.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglas on Equality and Justice for Slaves and Women

    1148 Words  | 3 Pages

    The idea of Americanism as viewed by Frederick Douglass comes in two variations. The first being the Americans who’s fathers fought for unalienable rights given to each man, Americans who love liberty, welcome refugees from around the world with open arms, the purest of Christians following the word of God. The second type of American being the more truthful in the eyes of Douglass is the American whom sits idly on the accomplishments of these same fathers that fought tooth and nail against the British for freedom. When the opportunity to create massive change and liberation for slavery and the rights of women, to stand by these unalienable rights that are supposedly extended to each man, the argument falls upon deaf ears. The liberties that Americans so gleefully claim are nothing but a sham, hiding behind Christianity and riding along the coattails of their fathers hard fought change for such liberties. Frederick Douglass criticizes what it means to be an American and argues that the liberties promised within the constitution should be extended beyond the wealthy oppressors; the freedom to be ones own should be extended to all citizens of the United States. The time to make change is now while America is still young and in its development. In order for Americanism to reflect the ideology in which many of its citizens blindly view it as, Frederick argues that the government and its citizens must stop hiding behind their inconsistent politics, fake Christianity, and to not shrink away at the site of change in order to bring about truth to the words that their founders fought so hard to ink to paper providing equal freedom to all citizens.

    Read More

  • We Shall Overcome Ethos Pathos Logos

    1515 Words  | 4 Pages

    He mentions the very recent violence that occurred in Selma, Alabama; where African Americans were attacked by police while preparing to march to Montgomery to protest voting rights discrimination. Without mentioning this violent event that occurred a week prior, there would not be much timeliness to his argument, and it wouldn’t have been as effective. The timeliness of his argument gave the speech a lot more meaning, and it heightened the emotions of many who heard the address. He is appealing to the emotions of many American people, both Congressmen and ordinary citizens, to encourage them to support his cause. He reminds us of all of the Americans around the world that are risking their lives for our freedom. He refers to them as “guardians of our liberty.” He also address the problem as the whole nation should be concerned not just the north, the south, or the African American

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass and Slavery

    1436 Words  | 3 Pages

    Frederick Douglass the most successful abolitionist who changed America’s views of slavery through his writings and actions. Frederick Douglass had many achievements throughout his life. His Life as a slave had a great impact on his writings. His great oratory skills left the largest impact on Civil War time period literature. All in all he was the best black speaker and writer ever.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Slavery

    1390 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, written by Frederick Douglass himself, the reader is given thoughtful insight into the slave condition and the institution of slavery as a whole. One learns very soon of the authoritative and controlling nature of the slave master, who, using the overseer as his pawn, is able to maintain control over his slaves and his planation through an amalgamation of both physical and mental abuse. Slaves are lead to believe that they are innately inferior to whites and are kept ignorant, unable to read or write, and unaware of the world outside their plantation. They are indoctrinated from birth through fear, for if any slave deviates from this merciless power structure, they face brutal punishment and even the possibility of death. Despite this seemingly insurmountable reality, Frederick Douglass, a slave for over twenty years, was able to resist. He gradually became aware of the psychology of the slave owners, and the immense power that they wielded. Douglass was able to escape the oppressive, exploitative, and controlling power structure of slavery by resolving to overcome his forced ignorance, and to unite his fellow slaves, realizing, along the way, his sense of self and innate integrity.

    Read More

  • Universal Rights: A Study on Frederick Douglass' Speech

    1119 Words  | 3 Pages

    Each individual is given fundamental rights for solely being a human being. Regardless of his or her nation, language, or religion everyone is given these

    Read More

  • The Rise Of Frederick Douglass

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    unaware of his father's identity, he was left to bear the burden of slavery all on his own.

    Read More

  • Summary Of What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July

    1195 Words  | 3 Pages

    His main argument in the speech is that it 's unjust and hypocritical for a country to celebrate its freedom while it still has slaves. Now that in itself is a morally viable argument, and it has never been more relevant than today in our racially hate fueled world where every situation is turned into a hate crime. However, back in those days majority of slaves were sold into slavery by their own people. Most slaves were sold by rival tribes as prisoners of war, or trouble makers of the tribe, thus giving us the “bottom of the barrel” of the groups. Another counter to Douglass was that even though slaves were people, they were still considered property. A hard working farmer could have used his last penny in order to purchase that slave because he was unable to tend his farm and provide for his family. One common misconception was that all slaves were beaten and treated lower than swine, while to the contrary some were treated well being given a bed and meals every day in exchange for their hard work. While Douglass may have had a bad time under the ownership of Auld, most northern states did not treat their slaves in this manner. This is one of the main reasons Douglass learned how to read, yet no credit is given to his former owner. Most slaves developed a relationship with their owners, in which their owners taught them useful skills such as reading, writing, simple math and farming skills. Another argument brought into Douglass’ speech was that most churches were segregated, and in turn perpetuated the racism that helped keep slavery alive in well. He proposed that a God that wouldn’t allow such evil and disservice in this world would contradict everything the bible proposes and teaches. He praises the writers of the constitution, considering them his equal and thanking the signers of the Declaration of Independence, calling

    Read More

More about Frederick Douglass Response To The Opposite Nation

Open Document