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Compare And Contrast Frederick Douglass And Booker T Washington

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Imagine you have been a slave your entire life. Your mother is dead, and the identity of your father will forever be a mystery. You have been traded time and time again, and almost always abused. You are not freed until adulthood. You then live your life delivering speeches and raising awareness for the abolitionist movement. Now imagine you are a different slave, living in a dirty, cramped hut. Even so, your mother never lets you go hungry. The Emancipation Proclamation frees you when you are just a child. You go on to play your part by starting a school for black children who otherwise would not have access to an education. How would your outlooks on life compare in these two situations? These circumstances are anything but hypothetical. …show more content…

First of all, their lives within slavery were very different. Frederick Douglass was traded over and over again, and was abused by almost all of his owners. Alternatively, Booker T. Washington never switched owners in his lifetime. He lived with a loving mother, who always provided for her children and never ever hurt them. Douglass and Washington may have both grown up enslaved, but their lives within slavery could not have been more different. Their respective pasts made for very different futures as well. Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington both played huge roles in the abolitionist movement. However, they did so in strikingly different ways. Douglass acted by speaking to the masses, whereas Washington focused on the younger generation. He started a school to reach out to black children who otherwise would not have gotten to go to the still-segregated schools. It is no challenge to understand how the two men's differing approaches match their personalities. Douglass had a strong, powerful spirit, so he spoke up. Washington, on the other hand, had a gentle attitude. It only made sense for him to do his part by helping the …show more content…

Both thought it an atrocity, of course. Frederick Douglass was resentful of his slave owners, and rightfully so. All had treated him with contempt, often using their religion to justify their abusive actions. Booker T. Washington, however, had a very distinct and surprising perspective. He viewed slavery itself as the enemy, and slaves and owners alike as the victims.Washington’s compassion certainly shone through his work. Some would say Washington was morally superior to Douglass because of his forgiving outlook, but Douglass had every reason to feel as he did. He was left with many emotional scars, as anyone in that situation would. Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington had many things in common; none can deny. Both were born into slavery. Both made huge impacts through the abolitionist movement. Both had big opinions and a pivotal message to share with their communities. Really though, they were far more different than this. Frederick Douglass led a very tough life within slavery. He was beaten and abused and traded over and over again. Booker T. Washington led a better life than most slaves. He lived with his family and he was freed when he was just a

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