Essay on Frederick Douglass Struggles Of The American Slaves

Frederick Douglass: Struggles of the American Slaves Frederick Douglass, who was born into slavery around 1818, will forever remain one of the most important figures in Americas struggle for civil rights and racial equality. As an ex-slave, his inspiration grew beyond his boarders to reach the whole world. Without any formal education, Douglass escaped slavery and became a respected American diplomat, a counselor to four presidents, a highly regarded speaker, and an influential writer. By common consent Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave (1845) is recognized as the best among the many slave narratives that appeared before the Civil War. He amazed people when he spoke bravely in his Fourth of†¦show more content†¦From the opening sentences of the narrative, Douglass defines the context by imposing the question of what it means to be human. Douglass reveals the fact that slave owners typically thought of slaves as animals. Douglass does not know how old he is, and he quickly decl ares that this is not unusual, since most slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs. It is instructive that this initial comparison of slaves to animals does not serve to express something about the minds of the slave owners; instead, it expresses something about the minds of the slaves that is the consequence of being born into an environment constructed and carefully maintained by their owners. In an environment that does not permit the idea that slaves are human, the only perspective available to them is that of their owners. Their own perspective therefore becomes an additional barrier to thinking of themselves as human. Douglass reveals more about the psychological struggles that slaves go through when he describes the pain of separation and death of his mother. He was separated from his mother when he was an infant. He never enjoyed his mother’s watchful care. Slaveholder’s don’t want slaves to be attached to their mothers or establ ish love bonds between them. They also â€Å"destroy the natural affection of the mother for the child.† He received the news about his mother’s deathShow MoreRelatedFrederick Douglass: Struggles of the American Slaves1840 Words   |  8 PagesFrederick Douglass: Struggles of the American Slaves Frederick Douglass, who was born into slavery around 1818, will forever remain one of the most important figures in Americas struggle for civil rights and racial equality. As an ex-slave, his inspiration grew beyond his boarders to reach the whole world. Without any formal education, Douglass escaped slavery and became a respected American diplomat, a counselor to four presidents, a highly regarded speaker, and an influential writer. By commonRead MoreStruggle for Independence in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, â€Å"An American Slave†1006 Words   |  5 Pagesfor a lifespan of forcible enslavement. 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His antislavery writings were appreciated across America, particularly when he pointed out that the slaves lacked the basic intellectual rights to perform as the independent American citizensRead MoreThe Poem America By William Cullen1423 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"America† is William Cullen Bryant’s nationalistic devotion and love for his motherland, which he portrays with vivid description and figurative language. In this poem, Bryant praises America as the â€Å"mother of a mighty race,† claiming that free Americans are now going to create major impact on the world with their new independence. Furthermore, he says that America does not know how the people of her country are devote d to her and will give up their own lives if they had to fight a foe for her. 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