Category: Frederick Douglass

Introduction

Freedom and equality are commonly considered foundation principles of contemporary society. However, from the historical perspective, this idea is relatively novel. The following essay presents an oratorical analysis of Frederic Douglass’ speech on the abolition of slavery by providing a description, analyzing the audience, and evaluating the success of the presentation.

Description

The event analyzed in the report is a speech delivered by Frederick Douglass, one of the most widely recognized representatives of the abolitionist movement in the United States. At the time, the slave-related debate has reached its peak in the country, resulting in numerous activist movements. The period is also associated with some of the most prominent works dealing with the subject, such as Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Streitmatter 19). At the same time, some of the most controversial legal documents originate from this era, such as The Fugitive Slave Act passed two years before the event. Simply put, the speech was delivered at the peak of interest in the topic of slavery.

Frederick Douglass gave the speech on July 5th, 1852, the next day after the national celebration. At the time, the author had been living in Rochester, New York, and had been working as an editor in an abolitionist publication (Streitmatter 20). A number of significant abolition-related events were hosted in Rochester at the time, making it one of the centers of the movement. The speech was originally presented to the local Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society. Thus, the primary audience consists of the members of the anti-slavery society who were known to attend the event. The secondary audience includes potential readers of the printed version of the speech and historians dealing with the issue of slavery from a historical perspective.

The first part of the speech uses chronological structure. Douglass starts by recounting the events behind the celebration of the fourth of July and highlighting some of the key historical events associated with it. However, he then uses this information as a starting point to put the issue of slavery into perspective. The remainder of the speech is built around a specific topic and covers its ethical and moral aspects. Thus, the overall structure of the speech is topical.

Analysis

The audience at the event was formed predominantly of active participants of the emancipation movement. In addition, the individuals in question were likely passionate about the issue of slavery, abolition, and human rights in general. Next, it would be reasonable to assume that the majority of the listeners were educated and highly knowledgeable on the subject. Finally, it is necessary to acknowledge the timing of the delivery. The event was organized one day after the celebration of the national holiday, capitalizing on feelings of pride and enlightenment. Thus, it can be stated with a reasonable degree of certainty that pathos and logos were required to be used in order to meet the needs of the audience whereas ethos was assigned the secondary role.

Douglass opens the speech with the opening phrase “Mr. President, friends and fellow citizens” (Douglass). The latter part of the greeting is arguably the most important one as it suggests an equal ground between the speaker and the audience. Douglass then apologizes for his nervous behavior in front of an audience. Both elements are examples of ethos as they allow to position the speaker in terms of his trustworthiness on the subject. By considering himself a citizen equal in rights to the listeners, the speaker demonstrates adherence to the principles voiced by him.

In the second part of the speech, the presenter refers to the historical events that constitute the foundation of the United States and acknowledges his respect and admiration for the ideas put forward by the Founding Fathers. However, he explicitly states that praising the deeds of the signers of the Declaration of Independence is not among his goals and that his intention is to focus on the misuse of the values put forward by them. This move allows the speaker to establish a strong emotional contact with the audience. After this, the speech enters the argumentative phase. The speaker asks “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?” (Douglass). This rhetorical question strengthens the position of the presenter by appealing to the rational aspect of the equality concept. This part of the speech relies heavily on metaphors by referring to foundation principles as “grand illuminated temple of liberty” (Douglass). Finally, the author utilizes contrasting epithets to underline the gap between the joy of free individuals and the bitterness of slaves felt during the celebration to strengthen his point.

Evaluation

Douglass acknowledges the achievements made by his fellow citizens throughout the speech. In addition, it demonstrates sufficient diversity of perspective and is based on mutual understanding and respect. As such, it adheres to the NCA Credo Guidelines and can be considered ethical (National Communication Association). The speech combines critical reasoning with the emotional engagement of the audience. Thus, it is possible to conclude that the speaker’s purpose was achieved.

Conclusion

The speech by Douglass is an example of an effective combination of pathos and logos used to frame slavery as a distortion of values laid out in the Declaration of Independence. Despite the significant progress in the domain of civil rights, the points raised in the speech remain relevant. Thus, the approach used by the author can be considered valid for tackling similar issues in the future.

Works Cited

Douglass, Frederick. “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”TeachingAmericanHistory.org, n.d., Web.

National Communication Association. “1999 NCA Credo for Ethical Communication.”NCA, 1999, Web.

Streitmatter, Rodger. Mightier than the Sword: How the News Media have Shaped American History. 4th ed., Routledge, 2016.

Frederick Douglass condemns the act slavery. This is revealed from his arguments and examples he has given that condemn this act.

In his work, Douglass recounts the manner in which slaves were prevented from getting knowledge by their masters in order to keep them ignorant. When Douglass wrote his work, slavery was seen as a normal thing in the society that could not be eliminated. Black people were perceived to be incapable of participating in economic and civil rights activism and thus should be held to work for white people.

Douglass narrates ways through which the whites strategize to keep black people in a state of slavery from birth time and throughout their life time. They do it by not telling them their place of birth and hiding them from their parents. When slave children are growing, they are denied education because they know they would be empowered to live on their own. Slaveholders deny slaves the art of writing and reading so that their story would never be told. According to Douglass, this is an inhuman act.

Despite the fact that slaves are held hostage and deprived of the opportunity to get an education, they should use all means to get knowledge as a means to be liberated. From Douglass story, “he gets to know that the only means to freedom is through education when Hugh Auld warns his wife not to teach slaves because it would ruin them.”

When Douglass heard this story, he got the idea of how whites manage to keep blacks in a state of ignorance so that they cannot come out of their captivity. Douglass sets an example of self education when he learns to read and write using his personal means.

Thereby, freeing himself from slavery and using it to fight for the rights of fellow slaves. According to the book, “Douglass got freedom as a result of self education, but he does not guarantee that education itself gives freedom in itself.” It is a means through which slaves can understand injustice done to them and their colleagues; they get to know that they are equal to their masters in all ways.

In the context of the book, Hugh Auld foresees that this awareness brings suffering and a sense of guilt among slaves. Once slaves are aware of injustices done to them by their masters they live with pain and if they try to escape, their lives will be in danger. This reveals how damaging slavery is to the slaves if they are made aware of their rights.

In his book, Douglass reveals how damaging slavery can be to the slaves themselves and their masters. He wrote that, “The moral health of slaveholders is in question when they assert their authority and power on slaves.” Douglass revolves around this theme and depicts it as unnatural act of humanity.

He describes some characteristics of slave masters in order to reveal the negative impacts of slavery. He writes that, several slaveholders have been tempted to commit adultery, rape and even bore children with slaves. These behavior patterns such as adultery threaten to split families of slave masters.

According to Douglass, some men who bore children are forced to intimidate their own children by selling them or punishing them while their wives become nasty. An example is given of Thomas Auld who develops distorted religious ideologies so that he can forget the sins he has committed. As a result of slave holding, Sophia Auld is transformed from a perfect woman to an evil lady. Hence, Douglass argues that slavery should be abolished for the good of all people.

In his narration, Douglass brings out a characteristic of correct and false Christianity. His distinction is that true Christianity is the “Christianity of Jesus” while false Christianity practiced by slaveholders is the “Christianity of this land.” He continues to say that Christianity practiced by slaveholders does not show their goodness but a sign of hypocrisy to hide their brutality.

In summary, Douglass tries to convince his audience that slavery is wrong as seen from his arguments against slavery, and examples he has given. He has proven that it is wrong to enslave others because it is inhuman and against Christian ideals.

In world history, numerous people used their talent for choosing the right words in such a way as to awaken the conscience of people, kindle their hearts, and make them change their behavior for the better. Many great orators and their speeches are still analyzed and studied by students and researchers all over the globe, and people still use some catchphrases from these speeches in their everyday lives. Additionally, selections from many addresses can be applied to the modern world and its problems. For example, Frederick Douglass’s speech “What to a Slave is the Fourth of July” contains such a paragraph.

Frederick Douglass gave this significant address on July 5, 1852, during the Independence Day celebration. He was a former slave, which is why the problem of slavery and injustice faced by Black people worried him. In the selection that is quite relevant to the current events and issues, the speaker exclaims that only blasting reproaches, biting ridicule, and sarcasm can awaken the consciousness of a nation and make people do behave correctly and do the right thing (Douglass). At that time, the orator was referring to the problem of slavery; nowadays, the same may be said about the issue of racial discrimination and racially motivated police brutality.

Unfortunately, there are still people who continue to base their judgment on stereotypes and think that it is necessary to treat others according to the color of their skin and the origin of their ancestors. It is possible to suggest that these individuals will never understand the language of peace and respect. They need to hear sarcasm and ridicule of their views and behavior, which are no longer relevant and, in general, are not protected by law. Decades ago, Douglass mentioned that “the feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled,” and this is still relevant these days. People need to expose the nation’s hypocrisy and talk about the crimes of police officers against God and human rights.

Work Cited

Douglass, Frederick. “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro.”PBS, Web.

What is the recipe for obedience? Ingredients to the bitter-sweet dish are numerous, but one is most certainly required – education, or lack thereof. In his autobiography, Frederick Douglass shed light on slavery in the United States in the 19th century. His tale reveals just how crucial education is in fostering a liberal mentality. In his pursuit of knowledge, Douglass taught himself to read and write, helped other enslaved people become literate, and escaped slavery to become the face of the abolitionist movement in the US. Douglass’s story proves that the prohibition of learning for slaves was necessary to perpetuate slavery and that escaping the chains of ignorance meant the eventual end of this vicious cycle.

Mrs. Auld, his mistress, taught Douglass the alphabet. Shortly, her willingness to instruct him quickly ceased at her husband’s command. Mr. Auld asserted that education would make a slave unfit for his position. Auld declared that giving a slave an inch would only result in him taking an ell. As it turned out, instructing the alphabet to Douglass was an inch, and “no precaution could prevent him from taking the ell” (Douglass 48). This occasion had revealed to Douglass and Mrs. Auld that education and slavery are incompatible entities that shall never entwine. This occasion had made Frederick’s quest for knowledge imminent.

In the absence of a permanent teacher, Douglass sought help wherever he could find it. He turned all connections with little boys on the street into teaching opportunities, and when he could consistently read, it was time for the most revelatory book of his childhood. “The Columbian Orator,” a book he picked up for only five cents, appropriately equipped him to deal with pro-enslavement arguments. He read this book on every occasion he could, taking particular interest in the dialogue between a master and his slave. This conversation represented the slave as intelligent and well-educated on the matter of enslavement, allowing him to “dispose of the whole argument on behalf of slavery” (Douglass 49-50).

Douglass drew great inspiration from the dialogues in the book. He states that these texts granted him vocabulary to express the thoughts and attitudes he was so desperate to utter (Douglass 50). Frederick attributes his sense of “vindication for human rights” and “denunciation of slavery” to the book, as well as the realization that truth can conquer even a slaveholder’s conscience (Douglass 50). The texts he absorbed were genuinely empowering, and yet he felt no relief.

Extensive reading led Douglass from a mental prison, but the realization of his condition made him miserable. Contempt for slaveholders grew in proportion to his rapidly accumulating knowledge. Although he cherished his mistress deeply for the care she expressed for him earlier, the abuse he endured and the awareness he gained from reading could not make him unsee the injustice she complied with. In his autobiography, Douglass expresses the dissonance of not knowing whether the knowledge he obtained was a curse or a blessing (50). He talks in length about his reoccurring oppressing thoughts connected to his condition: “I often found myself regretting my own existence and wishing myself dead; and but for the hope of being free, I have no doubt but that I should have killed myself” (Douglass 51). Despite suicidal calls and overwhelming despair, Douglass clung to the dream of freedom and kept researching.

Douglass’s thoughts of escape strengthened each day he spent as a slave. After learning the word abolition, training himself to write, changing masters, and making a failed attempt at escape, he finally broke free on September 3, 1838. Frederick’s road to freedom was paved with blood and misery. He suffered horrible mental and physical abuse, but the hope of freedom guided him nonetheless. This could not have happened if not for Mrs. Auld giving him “an inch” back in the day. As Douglass himself put it, “you shall see how a slave was made a man” (72). First, he learned how to read, and then he understood his condition. Education has given him hope to stand up for himself and equipped him with a mentality of a free man, which invited personal growth and eventual liberty.

The story of Frederick Douglass, How a Slave Was Made a Man, is a tale of how freedom follows knowledge. In his childhood, Douglass realized that proper education and slavery are mutually exclusive, as the latter cannot be sustained if the former is provided to its subjects. Douglass’s story perfectly illustrates why slaveholders had to keep their servants in involuntary ignorance. If they cannot think for themselves, they cannot be free. Douglass’s self-education inspired him to break out of servitude and liberate his brethren in misfortune. Firstly, he was taught the basics; secondly, he taught himself to be free. He was given an inch and took an ell, and his freedom followed.

Work Cited

Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave: Written by Himself. FORGOTTEN BOOKS, 2021.

Introduction: the significant role of Douglass in the abolitionist movement

Frederick Douglass was an outstanding figure in the American history from the point of view of anti-slavery movement development. He was the first slave to be freed and to continue his fight for the rights of other slaves. His contribution has profound significance because of the unique experience of being both a slave and a free man. After being freed, Douglass turned to the anti-slavery movement leaders to become a part of it; it took him much time and effort to convince white leaders that he was able to speak with the calls for freedom, compassion and equality, but he finally achieved his aim of sowing that a former slave could also be an eloquent, intelligent public person. In case of Douglass, one can see how unfair the anti-slavery movement was in its core: even fighting for the rights of slaves, white Americans were not ready to accept the former slave in their team as they did not consider his literate enough. Douglass became a living example of all horrors that slaves experienced and the hard path they had to overcome on their way to liberty.

The book written by Douglass changed much in the perception of slavery

The book written by Douglass about the time he spent in slavery, about the pursuit of freedom was one of the first works of such kind. Slaves used to be numb, their voices were not heard because of their illiteracy and inability to speak publicly, which can be seen in the second edition of the second edition of his work Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself with the introduction by David W. Blight. But Douglass was a precursor of freedom movement – it is enough to analyze the way he appreciated knowledge and education, the meaning he attributed to it. In the story about Master Hugh’s wife who was the first to instruct him but then grew cruel and inhumane Douglass shows how precious education was for every human being and what threat to their dominance slaveholders saw in it:

“If I remained in a separate room any considerable length of time, I was sure to be suspected of having a book, and was at once called to give an account of myself. But this was too late – the first and never-to-be-retraced step had been taken. Teaching me the alphabet has been the “inch” given, I was not waiting only for the opportunity to “take the ell” (Douglass, p. 52).

Unlike many other slaves who later on represented their narratives to the public, Douglass did not rely so heavily on religion and did not put up with his destiny of a slave, trying to find a way out by peaceful means. Douglass had a rebellious character and fought not only for his freedom but for the freedom of his whole nation, which was clearly felt in his immutable remarks throughout the book. A very emotional passage is dedicated to the division of property upon Capt. Anthony’s death:

“Horses and men, cattle and women, pigs and children – all holding the same rank in the scale of social existence, and all subjected to the same narrow inspection, to ascertain their value in gold and silver – the only standard of worth applied by slaveholders to their slaves. Personality swallowed up in the sordid idea of property! Manhood lost in chattelhood!” (Douglass, p. 61).

Douglass was a strong personality with a firm character – he knew what he needed and wanted, pursuing his goals no matter what. He showed that the oppressed nation could also have leaders, inspirers and fighters who had the strength to change something and show how this could be achieved. His deeds and sufferings remained a resonant example of how African Americans lived, what they had to go through and how they could change it. The voice of Douglass became the reflection of silent horror experienced by thousands of people every day.

Conclusion: the rise of abolitionist movement was highly aided by such activists as Douglass and changed the vision of slaves as dependent and illiterate people

Summing everything that has been said up, one can understand that Douglass represented a slave of a new generation – the one who did not obey the rules and who did not put up with being a slave. He recognized the importance of education, thirst for which pursued him throughout his life, and managed to put the words of truth, justice and pursuit of freedom to the ears of white and black Americans. His contribution to the abolitionist movement can hardly be exaggerated due to his active effort in public speaking, writing etc. Douglass marked the era of fight for freedom not only from the side of white abolitionist community, but from the inside of the slave community, which in itself was a breakthrough that brought clear understanding that freedom from exploitation was inevitably approaching.

The first half of nineteenth century witnessed the prosperity of slavery institution. The supporters of slaves sought for a single opportunity to justify their rights to use humans for their own purpose. They use religion and legal arguments in order to encourage the slaves. The encaged people were subjected to unendurable tortures and even to the sexual abuse. The master-slave relations that implied enslavement and sexual exploitation gave rise to narratives of ex-slaves that suffered pain and incessant humiliation from their white owners. Regarding that, the stories of Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass reflect the true picture of those horrible events. Both authors highlight the repulsive treatment of slaves that was based on the master’s feeling of hypocrisy and superiority.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is the story of the fight for civil fights and racial injustice. Douglass describes the horrible conditions and brutalities that he had to experience. However, his childhood could be described as the most favorable time for him as he lived with his mother and later with his grandmother Betty Bailey. The narration is also about Frederick’s enslaved existence and his escape in 1838. Living in the era of the Civil War and the era of suffering, Douglass presented a bright testimony of those abhorrent events. The book is also a confession about the most painful moment of Douglass’s life. In that regard, Frederick writes: “I had been at my new home but one week, before Mr. Convey gave me a very severe whipping, cutting my back, causing the blood to run, and raising ridges on my flesh as large as my little finger” (Douglass 56). As it could be viewed, these times were the hardest and the most “awkward”. Harriet Jacobs reminds in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl the horrible picture of physical violence and sexual abuse inflicted on female slaves. Incidents in the life of a slave girl by Harriet Jacobs is a true story of a young girl that suffered pain so that the main reason for her writing was to awaken the compassion in other women and incentive to rebel. Harriet bravely resorts to the terrible details of sexual violence and women’s humiliation.

In their narratives, both authors describe the grief of the loss of parents as they both were subjected to slavery since their childhood. Hence, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass runs about the hard fate of the slave whose father was a white slave owner and overseer. In that regard, Douglass writes “…the shareholder, in cases not a few, sustains to his slaves the double relation of master and farther” (Douglass 11). Frederick was too young to be separated from his family and therefore that was the most upsetting experience in his life. The same doom was destined for Jacobs. In her narrations, discloses the depiction of a parent that loved since due to them she could not realize for long that she was a slave. Her father earned a lot of privileges of a free man so that Harriet felt as if she was free too. After their death, Jacobs states: “I knelt by the graves of my parents, and thanked God, as I had often done before, that they had not lived to witness my trials, or to mourn over my sins. I had received my mother’s blessing when she died.” (Jacobs 101). As we can observe, both slaves lost their family in their childhood. However, what distinguished them was that Douglass was the son of master whereas Jacobs was the descendant of slaves.

Certainly, Douglass and Jacobs tried to compensate for their enslavement and pejorative treatment they endured by the quest of at least artificial freedom. In a desperate search for revealing his tortures, Douglass tries to work as a teacher. In that time, he believed that this was a veritable “pathway to freedom” (Douglass 36). However, this new status granted by one of his numerous masters was far from calling it liberty. Therefore, Douglass decides to flee by canoeing up the Chesapeake Bay. But the attempt failed and Frederique acquired the previous status. His escape to New York, however, opens a difficult path to freedom. In that time, he realized that “[he] expected to have been safe in a land of freedom; but I was covered with gloom, sunk down to the utmost despair” (Douglass 84). His image of freedom did not fully coincide with reality. The freedom that Douglass longed to obtain was too hard to keep. For Jacobs, freedom was a relief from constant acts of violence and sexual abuse inflicted by a much older man with a better education and social superiority. Therefore, freedom was the only way to defend her chastity. However, the loss of chastity for Jacobs does not mean the loss of prides or and dignity. In that respect, freedom was also the compensation for sexual abuse. Jacobs’s aspiration for freedom was still motivated by the desire to set her two children free from the horrible slave experience. Harriet is confident that “nothing less than freedom of [her] children” could reward her horrible sacrifice.

It goes without saying that the institution of slavery had a considerable impact on both African Americans and the white people. The era of feudalism influenced the mental and cultural comprehension of the world. During the Civil War, the North and the South had contrasted images of human relationships. Douglass was confident slavery was an inherent part of their lives; it determined their social and economical status. For Douglass, “slavery was a poor school for human intellect and heart” (10), so that it became the measure of humanity and respect.

Jacobs believed that “nothing annoyed [white people] so much as to see colored people living in comfort and respectability” (Jacobs 69). Her narrations revealed that white people shaped their image by means of the number of slaves. Here, subordinate relations fixed the tradition of superiority of white race. The black population was regarded as property but as humans. Anyway, according to Jacobs, “slavery is a curse for the whites as well as for the blacks. It makes white fathers cruel and sensual; the sons violent and licentious; it contaminates the daughters, and makes the wives wretched.” At the same time, “shareholders seem to be aware of the widespread moral ruin occasioned by this wicked system” (Jacobs 56). Arising out of it, the consciousness of white people was fixed as they were confident that black people were created to serve them. In addition, slavery greatly distorted America’s adequate view on human right thus affecting the legal system and natural laws. In that regard, Douglass agreed that nothing but slavery forced white men “to cripple their intellects, darken their minds, debase their moral nature” (Douglass 12).

In conclusion, the narrations are a valuable heritage for the American people to comprehend the value of freedom and the pain of enslavement. The books are the evidence of the horrible past and the call for future generations to respect human rights of all people irrespective of race. Douglass and Jacobs managed to render their unique vision of the master-slave relationships and to analyze their influence on American people.

Works Cited

Douglass, Frederique. Narratives in the life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave US: BiblioBazaar, LLC, 2008.

Jacobs, Harriet Ann. Incidents in the life of slaves. US: Signet Classic, 2000.

Introduction

Slave resistance was occasioned by the understanding that the vice was unnatural and was used by the masters to define human beings as properties. In most cases, slavery took the form of forced labor in the work environment, and therefore, those coerced to work decided to define and push for their rights and terms under which they rendered their labor. This essay discusses the slavery life of Frederick Douglass as written in his autobiography, and it highlights how he resisted slavery, the nature of his rebellion, and the view he together with Brinkley had about resistance.

How Douglas Resisted Slavery

Fredrick Douglas became a slave at the age of 6 to work on one of the largest plantations on Maryland’s eastern shore. While there, he suffered what he termed as chronic hunger and witnessed several cruelties nettled on fellow human beings. Douglas managed to escape from the forced work on a plantation when he was transferred to Baltimore to work for a shipwright, where he got the chance to get an education that empowered him to be able to read and write. Through this, he perfected his oratory skills and learned the ideas of enlightenment and attacks on slavery. Douglas was hardened and began resisting everything about slavery, and despite the beatings and harassment he suffered at the hands of his masters, he never gave up. At some point, he decided to retaliate by fighting back, and this earned him some freedom from his masters when he was hired for wages and given the privilege of living independently. The little freedom allowed him the opportunity to improve his education and planned his escape by adopting a new last name to conceal his identity.

Nature of Douglas Rebellion

Douglas rebelled against slavery first by attending abolitionist meetings and speaking loudly about his experiences in slavery that earned in the United States. Secondly, embraced the women’s rights movement, helped people on the Underground Railroad, and supported anti-slavery political parties. Thirdly, he bought a print media called “The North Star”, which he used to publish the contents of his second autobiography that talked about freedom and racial segregation.

Douglass and Brinkley’s Viewpoint on Resistance

Douglass and Brinkley believed that resistance requires a constant struggle for its progress and to bear fruits. Further, it may take different forms such as moral one or physical, or it may be both moral and physical, and in both cases, people must demand their rights. Additionally, that resistance is measured by how much endurance the oppressed are willing to allow from their masters. Lastly, in the face of the struggle, people may not get all they want but they must be ready to pay for what they get.

Conclusion

Douglas escaped from slavery in Maryland to Baltimore where he got the opportunity to learn how to read and write. This perfected his oratory skills and learned the ideas of enlightenment and attacks on slavery. The education process hardened and made him resist everything about slavery and at some point earned him the chance to live independently and presented him with the best opportunity to plan his escape. His rebellion was in the form of abolitionist meetings, embracing the women’s rights movement, helping people on the Underground Railroad, and supporting anti-slavery political parties. Together with Brinkley, they believed that resistance requires a constant struggle for its progress and bearing fruits.

Challenges Experienced in Childhood

Frederick Douglass experienced the first challenges associated with racism during the first years of his life as a slave because he was separated from his mother and observed the slaves’ sufferings from beatings, physical tortures, and other cruel practices performed by slave owners. Douglass stated that those practices were “a common custom” (Douglass 15).

During his childhood, Douglass received self-education because of his efforts and contacts with educated masters such as Mrs. Sophia Auld who taught the alphabet for Douglass (Douglass 45).

However, Douglass became an influential anti-slavery and human rights activist because in the early childhood he learnt the power of education to fight inequality with the help of his literary and public speaking skills to mobilize people against the evil of slavery.

If Douglass began to suffer from being a black slave during his early childhood, Barack Obama born in the family of Ann Dunham and the Kenyan Barack Obama Sr. did not face the challenges of racial discrimination so vividly.

Thus, Obama coped with challenges of racism with the help of his relatives’ explanations and support of the friends. Obama states, “The children of farmers, servants, and low-level bureaucrats had become my best friends” (Obama 25).

However, Obama portrays his first-hand experience with racism as the struggle to fit in the American society of white people and access equal education because of being one of several black students in the school environments (Obama 31-38).

Education

Being a slave, Frederick Douglass had no opportunity to attend schools and receive education. The white farmers made it impossible for slave children to access education, making the blacks more ignorant when white children could be sent to the best schools to contribute to their future careers. According to Douglass, it was typical for the white farmers to keep their slaves uneducated to perpetuate slavery.

Douglass even refers to one master’s words, “Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world” (Douglass 41). Thus, Douglass had to educate himself and learn how to read and write (Douglass 46-47). This situation differs from the case of Barack Obama who was not prevented from receiving education because of race and social status.

Although Obama was provided with an opportunity to receive the perfect education in the Punahou elite private school located in Honolulu, Hawaii, he also faced a kind of discrimination. Obama was the representative of the black minority at school.

In spite of the success in study, Barack suffered from discrimination and racism because some students called him a ‘coon’, a tennis pro once said that Barack’s “color might rub off”, and the basketball coach was not satisfied with the black players’ style of playing (Obama 48-49).

Parenting and Personal Identity

The fact of being a black slave also influenced Douglass’s understanding and perception of his identity. Douglass did not know his father, but there were rumours that he was the son of his white master. According to Douglass, slave children hardly knew their origins, dates of birth, and relatives because they were separated from their mothers and relatives early in their life (Douglass 15).

For instance, the white farmer separated little Frederick from his mother probably to avoid any disclosure of the fact that the boy was his biological son. Separation was a form of the psychological pressure realized by white slave owners in order to “destroy the natural affection of the mother for the child” and to intensify the pressure among the slaves and contribute to their obedience (Douglass 16).

The challenges experienced by Obama were associated with the impossibility to contact his father and conclude strictly about Barack’s personal and racial identity because different cultures and races were mixed in his personality. Barack was separated from his father after the parents’ divorce, and he wanted to know more about his father and origins.

However, Obama did not discuss his identity only with references to the parenting issues or race. Thus, Obama states in his autobiography, “My identity might begin with the fact of my race, but it didn’t, couldn’t, end there” (Obama 66).

Challenges in Adulthood and Career Development

In spite of the fact that both Obama and Douglass were of the mixed origin and discussed by the majority of people as the blacks, the challenges which they faced during their adult life and careers’ development were rather different because Douglass had to overcome the problems associated with slavery and racism when Obama faced the challenges connected with the subtle discrimination prohibited in the American society after the abolishment of slavery and achievements of the civil rights movement.

From this point, the challenges experienced by these two persons in relation to racism were rather incomparable.

Moving from masters to masters, Douglass dreamed about escaping from slavery and starting a new life of a free person. However, Douglass’s focus on educating himself provided more opportunities for him to become a free person. Having planned the escape, Douglass had to work for the masters till he found the job by himself, and he could realize his plans for escaping to the Northern states of the country.

Thus, Douglass states, “I was ever on the look-out for means of escape” (Douglass 93). The life of Douglass was focused on this idea to escape from slavery, and the further career of Douglass as the orator and activist depends on his desire to contribute to making the other slaves free.

To achieve the personal freedom, Douglass had to develop and rely on endearing friendships and risk with his life as an ideologist of anti-slavery movements.

In his turn, Barack Obama suffered from the specific type of racism during the years of developing his career as a lawyer and a politician because many representatives of the American society expressed prejudice in relation to the ability of black men to achieve the great career results.

However, many prejudicial and discriminatory practices were rather indirect in comparison with the situation of Douglass when he was directly persecuted because of his race. While making first career successes, Obama met Marty Kaufman who invited the man to Chicago.

According to Obama, Kaufman tried “to pull urban blacks and suburban whites together around a plan to save manufacturing jobs in metropolitan Chicago. He needed somebody to work with him, he said. Somebody black” (Obama 80). It was one of cases when Obama received opportunities to refer to his race and identity in order to fight racism and discrimination.

Conclusion

Thus, racism and associated challenges influenced the lives of Douglass and Obama differently in relation to the intensity of experienced difficulties. Nevertheless, Douglass and Obama used their experience in order to confront racism with the help of their lives, careers, and social activities.

Works Cited

Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. USA: Wilder Publications, 2008. Print.

Obama, Barack. Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. USA: Crown Publishing Group, 2007. Print.

In the history of the Western world, huddled masses have erupted in protest against oppressors of all kinds. The curiousness of this truth lies atop some fundamental differences in Western culture. These differences are accepted without question by many within the Western world as human advancements. The tragic results of these differences then are never connected to their source, because “advancements” taken as such without pause, or consideration, are overlooked while in search of a cause.

In every human culture, there is some semblance of a class system. There is leadership. There are common people. The divide between these classes in “savage” cultures is a divide of quality. The courageous and bold step up to lead, and the rest follow that courage. In Western Civilization, agriculture is used as a primary source of sustainment and thus creates a class system based wholly on power. Those in control of food production, and later production itself, wield power over those who must toil in the fields. The spread of mankind’s “totalitarian agricultural,” the ongoing agricultural revolution, is responsible for an ever-present need for a laboring class (Quinn, Ishmael). Slavery in America’s history is one example of this truth. The consequences of our society’s dependence on agriculture include specialization of labor and densely populated cities. These phenomena resulted in germs of strength unknown to other peoples, alongside steel, technology—guns—creating such an imbalance of power between Western Civilizations and the rest of the world, that other cultures could scarcely defend themselves against another result of “totalitarian agriculture”—the need to spread (Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel).

Africans were another link in this chain. Heroes of Black-Americans, like Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King Jr., were living out the last stage of a cycle those who have been victimized by this larger phenomenon go through. They struggled to gain the freedoms possessed by peoples previously bonded by those in control of production—the middle class. Some of the most inspirational oratories and essays have emerged from the final stage of the ordeal pressed upon the Africans, and these two talented individuals upheld that history. Frederick Douglas, on the fourth of July in 1852, while Americans around him were celebrating the ideals for which they fought less than a century before, presented a scathing speech to a surprised crowd as he was invited to speak by Rochester, New York’s leading citizens (The History Place, 1). A little over a century later, Martin Luther King Jr. writes a “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” pursuing the freedom of his race from the oppressive forces they had the misfortune of falling victim to. In an examination of these two works, one finds many similarities and contrasts, most of all in the patience each writer affords their opposition, the fire with which each communicates, and in the times from which each activist performed.

Frederick Douglass lived in the era of slavery. He experienced it himself. He was a runaway slave. He toiled in the fields. He felt the lash of the whip and the scorch of the sun. So, it is dumbfounding, baffling, that those who asked him to speak at the fourth of July celebration of 1852 could have expected anything but a mournful, scornful, rage-filled rebuke of the hypocrisies a celebration of freedom and justice, in a nation still practicing slavery within its borders, embodies. Yet, it appears they did expect another type of oratory, much to their detriment.

Douglass’ speech is one of passion, eloquence, and fervor. Here is an excerpt:

Standing with God and the crushed and bleeding slave on this occasion, I will, in the name of humanity, which is outraged, in the name of liberty, which is fettered, in the name of the Constitution and the Bible, which are disregarded and trampled upon, dare to call in question and to denounce, with all the emphasis I can command, everything that serves to perpetuate slavery– the great sin and shame of America! (Douglass, 1).

Douglass is righteous in his indignation and without caution blasts away at the evils responsible for the condition of his race, as he sees them. His oratory, in comparison to Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter, is short. It is pronounced. It is evocative, provocative. It is because of the presence of bondage in Douglass’ time—a bondage Douglass himself experienced—that these contrasts exist.

Dr. King wrote his letter from a jail cell, as indicated by its title. He is responding to some criticism his non-violent movement had received from the clergies of Birmingham. Some key differences in his style, in his force, lie above his experience of more liberty than Douglass had ever been experienced himself. From a lineage of preachers, Dr. King also approaches his criticizers from the Christian values of love for, and faith in, his fellow man. Though at times passionate and enflamed, King’s rhetoric is much more patient and bated than his predecessor Douglass. In consideration of this fact, one must also bear in mind that he is writing from within a cell, and expresses the following himself: “I can assure you that it [this letter] would have been much shorter if I had been writing from a comfortable desk, but what else can one do when he is alone in a narrow jail cell, other than write long letters, think long thoughts and pray long prayers?” (King, in closing).

King takes the time to address every criticism launched at the movement of which he is a part with distinct chains of logical argument. King’s letter is like a marathon. His pace is slower and more persistent than Douglass’. Douglass’ oratory is a dash—it is a sprint—short-lived, and full of fire and excitement. Considering the above excerpt of Douglass’, take the following as an example of the contrast of temperament in these two intellectuals:

You speak of our activity in Birmingham as extreme. At first, I was rather disappointed that fellow clergymen would see my nonviolent efforts as those of an extremist. I began thinking about the fact that I stand in the middle of two opposing forces in the Negro community. One is a force of complacency, made up in part of Negroes who, as a result of long years of oppression, are so drained of self-respect and a sense of “somebodies” that they have adjusted to segregation; and in part of a few middle-class Negroes who, because of a degree of academic and economic security and because in some ways they profit by segregation, have become insensitive to the problems of the masses (King, 1, written at about the half-way point of the letter).

Notice here that though King is addressing the same oppressive powers (granted, to a different degree), he takes the time to explain to his enemies, with tolerance and respect, all the forces that are acting on the Negro in his time. He expects to be understood. Dr. King’s faith in his fellow man is not as broken as Douglass’ is, though to address the issue at all requires hope.

The commonality in their approaches to the issue of racial inequality comes from the kinds of responses they each received, and expect to receive, from the moderates from which they require, most dearly, support. Douglass says, “But I fancy I hear some of my audience say it is just in this circumstance that you and your brother Abolitionists fail to make a favorable impression on the public mind. Would you argue more and denounce less, would you persuade more and rebuke less, your cause would be much more likely to succeed” (Douglass, 1). Dr. King writes, “You may well ask: “Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?” (King, 1). Each faced a group of people who saw the merit of their positions without being willing to concede that to change the unjust nature of racial relations, submission to the evil power structure was not an option. Dr. King goes on to write about these types, saying they “paternalistically” believe they “can set the timetable for another man’s freedom” (King, 1). Douglass takes a common-sense approach in addressing these moderates: “Must I undertake to prove that a slave is a man? That point is conceded already. Nobody doubts it” (Douglass, 1). Each, however, is criticized for being uncompromising in the pursuit of their race’s freedom, and each of their responses circulates that assertion.

Dr. King’s work, and Frederick Douglass’ efforts, bore fruit. Today’s Black-Americans still experience discrimination in the wake of the egregious sin of slavery, but at a much lower level than ever before in our nation’s history. Their speeches ultimately reflect different stages on the continuum of the struggle for the black race’s liberty—Douglass having spoken during slavery itself, and Dr. King writing to further balance the inequality between the black and white races. What is easy to ignore, since it is not experienced by America first hand, is that somewhere in the world, right now, other people are being oppressed. In sweatshops that circle the globe, men, women, and children are toiling still, at the behest of the powers that be, in service to a lord, enslaved by a cultural phenomenon that has never been properly considered as the cause of so many injustices through history.

Works Cited

Diamond, Jarod. Guns, Germs, and Steel. New York: Norton. 1999.

Douglass, Frederick. “I Hear the Mournful Wail of Millions.” 1852. The History Place: Great Speeches Collection. Web.

The History Place: Great Speeches Collection. Web.

King, Martin Luther Jr. “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” 1963. University of Pennsylvania: African Studies Center. Ed. Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D. Web.

Quinn, Daniel. Ishmael. New York: Penguin. 1996.

Douglass was one of the slaves who managed to put together his views in a memoir that was later published at around 1845. Many slaves moved condemned slavery and its associated injustices at the time, but the works of Douglass were valued because he employed various tactics in dealing with the problem. Later on, the abolitionists borrowed his ideas heavily in the 19^th century after it was realized that slavery was the greatest challenge that faced the blacks. Throughout the text, Douglass criticized slavery, something that proved he was against the use of other people’s labor without adequate compensation. In the first chapter to the fourth, the author introduces the reader to the poor conditions in which slaves lived, as children were never allowed to interact with their parents. It was unfortunate that he never knew his date of birth since his mother died when he was a young boy of seven years.

He claims that he could not memorize anything because his mother visited him only at night while the father was most likely the slave owner meaning bosses mistreated slave women to the extent of forcing them to carry their babies. His analysis showed that the relationship between slaves and their owners was poor, implying the interaction was cruel. Slaves had no right because they were given specific instructions that would guide their behavior. For instance, he explains in the introductory chapters that his aunt Hester was whipped for going contrary to what was expected of any slave. In other words, slaves were supposed to behave in a certain manner when interacting with their bosses. In chapter four, Douglass claimed that fear maintained the system of slavery in the sense that slaves were punished for telling the truth or giving contradictory information.

In the fifth to the seventh chapters, Douglass explains some of the reasons that forced him to oppose the existing production system that was sustained through slavery. In the fifth chapter, for instance, the author notes that he was moved to Baltimore, Maryland, something that played a critical role in transforming his life since he faced the realities of slavery. For the first time in his life, he thought of escaping, as he envisaged a brighter future (Douglass 68).

His new boss, Mrs. Sophia Auld, was a kindhearted boss in the beginning but ended up being cruel just like any other slave owner. The new mistress wanted to empower Douglass by teaching him how to read and write, but her husband was against this move since it would make slaves unmanageable. This was the time when Douglass noticed reading and writing was the first step towards eliminating slavery in the country. In the eighth and ninth chapters, the author reports that his master died when he was aged eleven leaving behind a son and a daughter who were expected to divide the wealth equally, including slaves. On hearing this, the Douglass developed hatred towards slavery because he was considered property and not a human being.

The young Auld was cruel as well despite the fact he had received specific skills on how to handle other people at the Methodist camp. This meant that slave owners could always treat their servants badly, irrespective of whether they were Christians. Since conditions were unfavorable, Douglass was loaned out to a new slave owner, Covey.

In the tenth chapter, the author went through a difficult time with the new boss, Covey, who whipped him on a weekly basis because he was considered awkward. He was given several responsibilities that exhausted him, apart from being beaten for being lazy. He decided to report the incident to his master Auld, but he was surprised to be returned back to the brutal master. Covey decided to tie him on the tree one day to facilitate his death, but he fought back successfully. Because he was out of control, he was sent to a different agricultural estate to live with other captives, whereby he taught them how to read and write. He encouraged other slaves to escape, but the plan failed to lead to his arrest and a few more. He was sent to Baltimore to continue with his normal duties two years later after being released from prison.

His master refused to take him back, preferring to rent him out to traders working in the seaports. While undertaking his duties, he was nearly killed when four whites assaulted him and injured his left eye badly (Douglass 97). He ends the narrative by promising to fight the injustices meted out on blacks and the less fortunate in society, especially women.

Douglass makes various arguments and appeals to readers regarding slavery and forced labor in the country. He criticizes an economic system that is maintained through slavery since it has a great effect on families. In his view, slavery inhibited family formation meaning establishing a stable and secure family was impossible under slavery, as the law prohibited slaves from marrying. In the first chapter of his narrative, he explained the reasons why his mother could not live with the father, as they belonged to different slave owners. In the subsequent chapters, he observed that slaves were considered personal properties that could be traded with other goods, sold, or loaned out to other willing merchants. As such, slaves had no right to entering into legal unions, as they were already other people’s properties.

He converted to Christianity together with his wife, but he was still discriminated against because of his color, given the fact the society was reluctant to appreciate the contributions of slaves. He was described as the best preacher in the town, but no church was willing to hire his services, as he was considered a slave. His appeal to the members of society was to embrace equality and keep off from unnecessary discriminations that were based on gender and skin color. He supported the views of women regarding voting rights since he always believed each person had something special to contribute.

The arguments and appeals of Douglass would be effective in convincing readers in antebellum America, because slavery impeded the chances of success for many people, including slaves and their masters. The south was never developed because conflicts and tension were the order of the day while the north achieved its desired interests because it employed a different production system. Currently, states in the north are more developed as compared to those in the south because they abolished slavery a long time ago and adopted a more productive system that facilitated economic development. Since slaves were considered private properties, chances of growth were minimal, given the fact a community could only achieve its interests when it incorporated each person in the developmental program.

Works Cited

Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Whitefish: Kessinger Publications, 2004. Print.