His refusal to give up and even die for the sake of this “holy cause” is very moving and brought people to oppose slavery. “All men are created equal” as stated in the Declaration of Independence was not entirely true and Garrison stood by that and the truths of divine revelation (Document E). Another important piece of literature that brought attention to life as a slave was a narrative from a slave himself, Frederick Douglass. Douglass was a former slave who fought with a white man who oversaw him. This specific fight made Douglass very eager for freedom.
La’Sarah Richards Two great leaders of the black community in the 19th century were W.E.B. Dubois and Booker T. Washington. However, they had disagreements on strategies for black social and economic progress. Their opposing philosophies is in much of today's discussions on how to end class and racial injustice in the black community (Atlanta Exposition Address, 2005). Booker T. Washington, the most influential black leader of his time, preached a philosophy on self-help, racial solidarity and accommodation.
That’s why I feel he wanted to be a part of the political abolitionist, the Liberty Party. I believed he felt that was the way to go, to prove that The Constitution was indeed anti-slavery. “The Negros of the South are, in fact, the happiest, and, in some sense, the freest people in the world. I argued that slavery was the natural and normal condition of the laboring man, white and black, and that slavery for both was right and necessary.”(Oates, page 137.part 18). These were the words of George Fitzhugh, I felt that by him saying that the Negros were the freest people in the world is very contradicting, how can one say that a slave was free, they couldn’t make any decisions for themselves, come and go as they please, let alone not be separated from their
“Apostles of Disunion” In Apostles of Disunion, Charles Dew attempted to explain what led to the South’s decision to secede and ultimately cause a civil war. The one reoccurring theme he brings up as the major reason for the South’s secession was their widespread pro slavery attitude held at the time. Dew believed that if slavery had not existed, then the civil war would have never occurred. Throughout his writings he showed this Southern pro slavery attitude and used several examples to support this idea. Two of his best used examples were the the popular propaganda speeches made by slave owners in attempt to gain allegiance against the North and the South’s almost hatred of the Republican Party as a whole.
Analysis of Benjamin Banneker’s Letter to Thomas Jefferson Benjamin Banneker was a free African American who lived during a time when slavery was still prominent in America. As a free African America, Banneker knew the joys of freedom. In 1791 he wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson in which he urged Jefferson to put an end to slavery in America by using his powerful influence in the government. Jefferson, a slave owner himself, was a major supporter for independence during the American Revolution; in this letter to Jefferson Banneker wants to show Jefferson that he is contradicting his previous beliefs by not abolishing slavery. Banneker aims to use Jefferson’s own experiences and principles in order to persuade him to get rid of slavery in the states.
Walker was a free black man living in Boston who had a unique view of slavery. He felt so deeply about this subject that he seemed to almost promote violence. He thought that slaves should do anything in their power, even kill, to stop the establishment of slavery. Walker accused the nation of not living up to the ideals of the Declaration of Independence. He was particularly not very fond of Thomas Jefferson, who he thought to be a racist.
These causes ultimately led to the Civil War, which was a turning point in American history because of its radical results. 2. I find Garrison’s argument impressive and convincing because of his authoritative tone, as well as the passion oozing from his paper. Also, Douglass’s speech truly made people realize how important it was to abolish slavery, and how wrong it was. In the South,
Martin Luther king Jr was one of the most influential people in the civil rights movement. King fought for civil rights in the south, he followed the same ways of Gandhi with a non-violence movement. King believed in peaceful protest and use of civil disobedience. King believed violence wouldn’t help the African Americans gain the civil rights they wanted.
John Brown was a driven man, an abolitionist who was relentless in his opposition to slavery. Ultimately, he justified violence as a means to realize what he considered the most noble of goals – the destruction of slavery. Like his Calvinist father before him, Brown considered slavery a moral blight. But unlike many other white abolitionists, Brown mixed easily with African Americans, prompting Frederick Douglass, the most famous 19th century black abolitionist, to write that: Though a white gentleman, he is in sympathy a black man and as deeply interested in our cause as though his own soul had been pierced by the iron of slavery. In 1849, John Brown settled his family in the black community of North Elba in the New York Adirondacks.
Fredrick Douglass Throughout the book, The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass: An American Slave, Fredrick Douglass, the protagonist and also the narrator, exhibits many desirable characteristics. Fredrick Douglass used his optimistic attitude to help him fight through many tough times including the era of slavery and while he was struggling to get an education. Douglass’s perseverance and determination allowed him to get an education and gave him the opportunity to become an established public speaker and also an active abolitionist. Without his strong work ethic, his desire for learning, and his passion for abolishing slavery Douglass would not have had the drive that he had to push himself through the difficult times. I can