Introduction and Thesis
In this history of America as a nation, there are lies and drake truth about slavery that has left scars in the individual that suffered it’s effects. To the evil perpetrators of slavery the whites it has left a shameful mark that America will ever live to regret of. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass was writing by Frederick Douglass during the peak of slavery in the south. There are many different views of the slaveholders which didn’t allow slaves to become free and instead were dehumanized and mistreated. Douglass shows different aspects of, in his book the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an American Slave.
About the Author
Born a slave in February 1818 in Talbot County, Maryland. As of the slavery, the exact year and date of Douglass birth is unknown, later on in his left he chose to celebrate his birthday on February 14. Fredrick Douglass was an escaped slave who became a prominent activist, author and public speaker (History, 2009). He became the leader in the abolitionist movement to end slavery before, advising presidents, and women’s rights during the Civil War. Douglass autobiographies describes his experiences in slavery and his life after the Civil War, which includes his well known story “ The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Douglass was living with his maternal grandmother Betty Bailey, his mother who was an intermittent presence died when he was 10 years old.
Baltimore salveholder Hugh Auld ‘s wife Sophia taught slaves to read and write, at the age of 12 Sophia taught Douglass the alphabet. Douglass started reading newspapers but he was more interested in learning more about political writing and literature as much as possible. Later on Douglass shared his new knowledge with enslaved people, he taught other slaves how to read the New Testament at a weekly church service. Less than a week more than 40 slaves were interested in how to read and write.
About the book
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass was published in 1845 about sevens years after he escaped from salvery. Douglass wrote this to show how white slaveholders perpetuate slavery by keeping their slaves ignorant. Many people thought slavery was just a natural state of being, they thought African Americans were and got unachievable treated as less humans then whites, so they were kept as workers for whites. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass explains great strategies on how whites gained and kept power over black people. Slave owners kept slaves ignorant of basic things about themselves like their birthday or paternity (SparkNotes). As the slavery’s got older the slave owners didn’t want them to know how to read or write, that would give them a sense of self-sufficiency and capability slave owners didn’t want that. They were afraid that slaves would question the right of whites to keep slaves. South slaveholders had control over the slavery, if slaves can’t write their side of the slavery story wouldn’t be told.
Many people doubted him and criticized because they didn’t think a former enslave with no education could write such a great story. The book was the bestseller in the United States and was translated into European languages.
Legacy
Frederick Douglass’ most important legacy was the use of his words and knowledge to fight for African Americans freedom and rights. Douglass was trying to build a better world for African Americans to be treated equally and enjoy the same freedom and opportunity as the whites did. Douglass legacy is the legacy of a freedom fighter and a seeker for justice, in horning his legacy means horning the vision to do our part to work to bring a better world (Greer, 2021).
Frederick Douglass was a visionary, he was someone who wanted a better future for African Americans. He was beside Abraham Lincoln, he put his great gift to use in the service of fighting for freedom and putting Americans slavery to the grave. After the Civil War Douglas played a part in re-finding the American Republic, he spent decades trying to make it better. He was a slave who dreamed of being a senator, he was the uneducated child that wrote three autobiographies and became the greatest literary figure. Douglass wrote this book to describe his experiences as a slave, and why he wanted a change. You wouldn’t think a boy who was born into slavery became the Frederick Douglass that made a difference in this world, with his intelligence skill it impact yet beautiful growth and change in this world.
For over forty years, the month of February has been designed in America as black history month. This month is one of the most popular history months, an annual recognition of African American in history to celebrate their achievements.
Work cited
History.com editor Frederick Douglass, 27, October 2009. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/frederick-douglass
SparkNotes. “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, Ignorance as a Tool of Slavery. https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/narrative/themes/
Christina Greer “ The Legacy of Frederick Douglass”, One Day University, 2021. https://www.onedayu.com/videos/the-legacy-of-frederick-douglass/
