Fredrick Douglass Research Paper

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The history of the abolition of slavery in the United States is full of description of events that took place before and after the American Civil War. History attaches importance to various people that prominently fought for the abolition of slavery. Amongst these people, Fredrick Douglass features prominently. As one of the most outspoken abolition campaigners, Fredrick Douglass provides a rich background for the study of the history of slavery and abolitionism in the United States. Fredrick Douglass, through his autobiography of Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, provides an insight into the practices of slavery in the United States. This paper discusses the issue of slavery in the United States through analysis of the life of Fredrick Douglass as a slave and a freeman. The thesis of this paper argues that the practice of slavery in the United States was antithetical to the provisions of the United States’ Declaration of Independence. As well, the paper argues that even though slavery was mostly practiced in the south, the northern states highly encouraged and helped the southerners to perpetrate the human rights’ abuses to the slaves. This paper argues the thesis using the life and time of Fredrick Douglass as a slave and as an abolitionist campaigner. In the United States’ Declaration of Independence, the basic human rights were clearly specified. The document stated that all human beings were born free and that this fact is a self evident truth. However, even after the independence, it is clearly seen that the northern and the southern states of America did not adhere to these principles. Douglass ( pp 229), in his public address, states this fact clearly by blaming the states north of the Mason Dixon line fo...

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...uth. The sentiments by the author seek to corroborate the claims of this paper that the slavery in the United States was perpetrated both by the southerners and the northerners. The fact that the north helped pass an act that made it a federal requirement to return the slaves to the south is evident enough to show that they had no moral conscience to stop the practice. This paper has discussed slavery in the United States before the beginning of the American Civil War. The essay has used the life and times of Fredrick Douglass to discuss the violation of the fundamental principles of the United States’ Constitution through the practice and toleration of slavery. The paper has also argued that slavery was tolerated both by the states south and north of the Mason Dixie line. This is evidenced by the speeches of Fredrick Douglass and the Fugitive Slave Act provisions.

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