Frederick Douglass's Troubling

Around the year 1818 there was a man named Fredrick Douglass who was born into slavery. He only knew little about himself he was born in Tuckahoe, near Hillsborough. “When the child has reached its twelfth month, its mother is taken from it” (Douglass, 13). He did not know when his birthday was he compared himself to horses on how they do not either. By him saying this slaves are considered less than horses. In this time slaves were not told when they were born or where their parents are. Slaveholders also known as their master, kept them from having any well-known identity of themselves, which might have kept the slaves dependent on their master. If the slaves would see them self as individuals with a purpose they would then have the need

In a sense he has no purpose he is a nobody. “A want of information concerning my own was a source of unhappiness to me even during childhood.” (Douglass, 12). As Douglass says white children knew their age why couldn’t he, he feels that he should have the same privilege as they do. However he was not allowed to ask any questions concerning it. “He deemed all such inquiries on the part of a slave improper and impertinent, and evidence of a restless spirit.” (Douglass, 12). By him saying this, his master kept him so clueless when he was born and kept it proper to not telling his slaves their information, so they remained incapable. This prevented them from forming a sense of identity. If they were to know anything pertaining to their age or when they were born they would not rely on their master as much and stay under the control of

Douglass presents his self-education as the main purpose and he is able to free himself and his knowledge is his greatest tool to work for the freedom of all slaves. Knowledge helps slaves prove the unfairness of slavery to themselves and others, and it helps them to recognize themselves as men other than just slaves. It wouldn’t provide instant freedom, but instead, it’s brought great suffering just as Mr. Auld predicts, “It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy” (Douglass, 29). Once the slaves are able to understand the wrongs of slavery, they come to hate their masters, but still cannot physically escape without getting into some kind of danger. Douglass learned an important lesson about how the slaveholders keep their slaves from rebelling and running away by not telling them any information about themselves. Slaveholders only have the power to dominate slaves if they can keep them from getting