¶ … Slave and Citizen: The Life of Frederick Douglass by Nathan Irvin Huggins. Specifically, it will answer some specific questions about the book concerning rights, slavery, and major reform movements of the time. Frederick Douglass, an escaped slave and natural orator, was a large part of the abolitionist movement before and during the Civil War. He did not single-handedly assure the ultimate freedom of black slaves in the United States, but his compelling voice and writings helped millions of Americans understand the plight of the black man, and ultimately change it for the better. However, Douglass did not stop at abolitionism. He was a voice for temperance, free land for the people, and especially women's rights. He was a crusader who believed in his causes, and had the skill to bring them quite vividly to the people. Frederick Douglass was a citizen heavily involved in his country and his beliefs -- someone any reform movement would be happy to happy, even desperate to have as a supporter, and his life made a difference in the lives of many others. It seems that reform movements have always faced many of the same problems, both historically and in more modern times. First, the groups had to get their message to the public, and Frederick Douglass helped the abolitionist movement greatly because his message was so powerful and compelling. Second, they had to overcome apathy and indifference in the people who were listening, and the people who did not bother to listen. The groups also had to combat hostility, misunderstanding, and even violence. Author Huggins notes, "[I]n states like Ohio,...
As with most reform movements, their message did not appeal to everyone, and clearly offended some, and so their main task was to appeal to the greatest number of people, thereby developing a big enough following that they could eventually sway public opinion and gain support for legislative reform. As Douglass continued to work for black freedom, he encountered other areas where reform was needed, and worked tirelessly for them, too. He worked for women's rights because he felt that in many ways, women in America suffered nearly as much as slaves did -- they were treated as second-class citizens, and enjoyed few of the rights men enjoyed. In addition, as he encountered prejudice and "Jim Crow" attitudes that segregated blacks across the country, he began to work not only for freedom, but also for civil rights for blacks against the day when they won their freedom.
"To degrade and stamp out the liberties of a race" signified the "studied purpose" of linking social and civil equality. Douglass concluded that if the Civil Rights Law attempted to promote social equality, so did "the laws and customs of every civilized country in the world," including the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the Sermon on the Mount, the Golden Rule, and the Apostles' Creed. He warned
Frederick Douglass: An Exceptional Escape from Slavery, an Exceptional Author, Citizen and Man How did Frederick Douglass' personal experiences illustrate 19th century American race relations? Was Douglass' life typical or exceptional? What was his legacy for future generations of Americans? Frederick Douglass often presented his life as typical. The narrative structure he applied to his own literary efforts as well as his efforts as a speaker and as a lecturer suggested that his
Graff Asserts that literacy played a less significant role in the industrialization of American than was one thought. He argues that training people to read and write was not enough. Literacy alone was not enough to advance the industrialized nation (Cattau). Douglas did not need to know how to read to perform his job in the shipyard. He only needed to know how to write four letters. He did not
As for Frederick Douglass, he was nothing short of brilliant. His speeches were powerful and his writing was extraordinarily skillful, especially given the fact that he was born a slave and taught himself much of what he knew. His narrative is polished and at times understated, which actually adds power to what he says. Because when a reader goes through the Narrative from the Life of Frederick Douglass that reader
Frederick Douglass and Thomas Paine Thomas Paine and Frederick Douglass are two men who inspired two very different revolutions, one of which led to the founding of a new nation, the other of which led to the freedom from slavery of an entire race of people. These two revolutions were nearly a century apart, yet the principles of each are the same. Both Paine and Douglass spoke with such eloquence and
In Chapter III, Douglass explains how some of the positive paternal thoughts have come about: Fear of retaliation. Slaves know that acting in any negative manner can possibly bring beatings or even death. Therefore, it is not surprising that "slaves, when inquired of as to their condition and the character of their masters, almost universally say they are contented, and that their masters are kind." Further, many swayed by this
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