His courage translated into a change in humanity’s prejudice toward another fellow man. The frankness of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave had served its purpose in illustrating the cruel discrimination of slaves and also initiating a controversial movement that we ensure today. Douglass portrays a classical hero as he converts from a low class slave into a man who challenged an entire nation. He stood as a man with absolutely nothing to lose. It goes to show the capability of one’s voice and action.
At the time slaves were still legal in the south; therefore the act of of helping them escape to freedom was illegal. The appeal for freedom was very strong and there were many blacks speaking out on the issue. On unique piece of reading was the “Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World”, by David Walker. Walker was born free in North Carolina but still saw a better end for his brothers in the south. His writing was an appeal to the injustice of slavery in the Southern states, using political and religious means to convey his ideas.
1503870 During the late 1700’s slavery was a large industry in early America and also controversial practice that challenged many people’s moral and ethics codes. One person who opposed this industry was Benjamin Banneker. Benjamin Banneker himself was a free African American who lived during these times of slavery and knowing the joys of freedom that he gets to enjoy he was inspired to write a letter to Jefferson to urge Jefferson to end slavery in America. In Banneker’s letter he uses elements of logos which include a very powerful quote and he also uses elements of pathos and ethos to persuade Jefferson’s emotionally both Banneker hoped would ultimately convince Jefferson to end slavery. Banneker used elements of Logos to give his letter a more sophisticated feel to giving his letter more credibility and respect from a highly educated and intellectual President Thomas Jefferson.
Once he escaped slavery he spoke out against it and wanted freedom for all not just himself. Frederick didn’t have to do all he did since he was already freed but despite the risks of being recaptured into slavery he still spoke out for those that couldn’t. 4. Body Paragraph 3: (a) There were many abolitionists who fought against slavery. There were the immediatists who fought to end slavery immediately, and the gradualists who wanted to abolish slavery by operating within existing legal system parameters.
Not only did he want to voice the inhumane treatments brought upon other slaves, but he also wanted to let them know not to lose confidence, dignity or self-worth. When he wrote his autobiography, he
Thomas Jefferson, a slave owner himself, also defended the abolition of slavery when he commented, “ I congratulate you, fellow citizens...to withdraw...the United States from all further participation in those violations of human rights which have been so long continued on the unoffending inhabitants of Africa, and which the morality, the reputation, and the best interests of our country, have long been eager to proscribe.” (Jefferson) This demonstrates that the vast majority of the population was very content with this new decision, although the plantation owners from the South were left with nothing. Slavery was the basis of their success, and after the Emancipation Proclamation they had no money and no man labour to raise their crops. The slaves had only one thing in their mind at the moment, that they were free and there was nobody telling them what to do or not do. But after time, they began to question themselves, what will we do
His story gave many African Americans hope. All could see that he rose out of the shadows of nothing so why couldn’t they do the same? All black men, women, and children came together to overcome one thing; racism. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were a significant peace to the puzzle because they had the power to unite people into one cause. Without these men’s ideas of non-violence retaliation the black race would not have been seen as the victim, instead the problem.
To begin, Douglass is an emancipated slave who believes in the abolition of slavery. It is ironic for a black man to be orating in front of an audience of men who are all free and treated equally. It is ironic because the Declaration of Independence recites that “all men are created equal,” and yet the black men are not free nor are they not treated equally. Therefore Douglass states, portraying his accusing tone “the 4th of July… is the birthday of your National Independence… your political freedom” (Douglass). Specifically in this part of Douglass’ speech, he utilizes his accusing tone and makes it apparent by his use of selective diction.
Yes, at some point in his life he did allow African Americans to fight in the Union Army, but his actions proved that he wanted to free slaves and that he was not even close to being a racist. That’s why Abraham Lincoln is noted as being one of our nation’s greatest presidents. References Abraham Lincoln. (n.d.). Retrieved 11 1, 2012, from www.whitehouse.gov Faragher, J. M. (n.d.).
He valued freedom very much and made the point if there is no struggle than there is no progress. Douglass’s element of freedom was by educating the people in displaying the horrors of slavery and the harsh treatments. He made it his mission to exhibit how white slaveholders extend slavery by keeping their slaves oblivious. During the time when Douglass was writing, a lot of people really believed that slavery was something that was normal. They had the belief that blacks were integrally powerless of contributing in civil society and therefore would need to be kept as workers for whites.