Persevering is defined as to continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success. I selected this title because Frederick Douglass and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are both stories of people persevering in their beliefs and goals. Frederick Douglass never gave up trying to become a free man and once free, continued to work, write, and speak for gaining equality and rights for all African-Americans. African-Americans and other equality-supporters persevered to get an additional Civil Rights act passed through Congress and the Senate to help enforce equality. Fredrick Douglass was born a slave and eventually was sent to serve for Thomas Auld. Thomas' wife, Sophia starting teaching Frederick the …show more content…
With her assistance, Frederick Douglass persevered to become free and successfully escaped passing through Philadelphia on his way to NY. After joining a church in New York City, where Harriet Tubman was already a member, he became a licensed preacher, which helped prefect his oratorical skills with public speaking. Frederick Douglass attended a six month tour public speaking against slavery. Even after he was attacked by an angry mob, who broke his hand, he pushed through it (persevered) and continued his public speaking for the rest of his life, writing many famous speeches. His phrase was "agitate, agitate, agitate", meaning never give up, and remain persevering, striving for your goal. Frederick Douglass died at age 77 after attending a women's rights meeting, with Susan B. Anthony. Although the Emancipation Proclamation granted slaves their freedom, the "Black Codes" (laws) were put in place in the Southern states to restrict the African-American's freedoms. After the Reconstruction Era ended, due to the Compromise of 1877, when federal soldiers were removed from Southern states, during Frederick Douglass' time, African-Americans continued to be discriminated
Reading makes a person want to keep reading and seek knowledge by that staying committed. Frederick Douglass was a committed man who became a significant African American leader who fought for the civil rights during the nineteenth century. As Douglass sought knowledge, he became concerned with the problems of slavery. He detested his slave owners, slavery and became committed to abolish slavery. To fight for equal rights Douglass wrote an autobiography called “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” which depicts hardships and the brutality of slavery. During the early nineteenth century an abolitionist leader William Garrison sought him out in a crowd at an abolitionist movement and brought him to the stage to tell
In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave. “For it is almost an unpardonable offence to teach slaves to read in this Christian country”(Douglass 44). It took Douglass courage to ask the white kids to teach him, because slaves could be considered useless and vary situations could take place towards the slave. Frederick Douglass had excessive amounts of strength. Whites believed that the blacks, slaves, were animals and had no purpose on earth but to work. The author writes in a formal tone about slavery so the narrative would be attracted to the white race and they would understand that slaves can be knowledgeable.
When hardships come, strong people dare to keep going and persevere. In the texts Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass, and “ Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes, the stimulus shows how the mother and Douglass persevere and dare to fight through segregation and slavery. The author develops the idea that courage and perseverance are necessary in the face of adversity by Huges showing the mother keep pushing, showing perseverance and having the courage to keep going and Douglass having the courage to learn. Taking the first step requires the most courage. From the stimuli, “I've still been a-climbin on” (Hughes 9), this proves that the Mother dared to keep going and she is still going and proving how when she dared to take the first steps.
In “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,” Frederick Douglass demonstrated many examples of courage. Throughout the narrative Frederick Douglass was faced with various fearful and confusing situations, causing him to react in certain ways. These situations, that Frederick Douglass was put in, allowed him to show courage. In particular, these situations varied; amongst Frederick Douglass trying to learn how to read and fighting his slave-owner, he was courageous through it all. During chapter X, Frederick Douglass enlightened the reader with the story of his battle with Mr. Covey.
When a man grows up as an untaught slave in the southern eighteenth-century, he has no other ambitions than to be free. But for Frederick Douglass, freedom was merely step one. Douglass began his life on a plantation owed from the moment he arrived. He was not destined to stay put there. Born in (what he can come close to) 1818, he began life out as a man in chains but ended up a respected wordsmith, but still apologetic for his short comings. Douglass learned how to read, write, and give speeches; he influenced a nation for changes among writers today; and he had different approaches to the era he lived in, but knew he wanted change to exist among all. These things were needed to occur in order for the slavery and African-American society to be recognized as equals among all. His wit was not small nor was his leadership not seen as defiance. Each step of his journey, brought him to a different place where he faced a challenge that could not have been met any other way, but with strength and education where he was successful in obtaining. Douglass was not only a speaker, but was an author of his time. Many colleagues wrote of him and his life even after he passed away. In Douglass’ works he spoke of his ignorance and blunders, but continued to sow his good seed. In the book “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas an
Frederick Douglass, an inspirational man and the most well known African American abolitionists, was enslaved since birth (“Frederick Douglass,” Historic World Leaders). He attempted escape twice and failed, but on the third try, he was successful. Once in the North, Douglass joined in on abolitionist groups and used his powerful speeches to share his experiences with the public. As he had learned to read and write, he was able to become the editor for the newspaper, North Star, and even spoke to audiences in London about abolitioning slavery and his experiences (“Frederick Douglass,” Notable Black American Men). Serving as a slave from birth to age 20, Frederick Douglass never stopped fighting for his freedom or others’, as after he escaped
Frederick Douglass was an african american abolitionist who was once a slave. He had important roles in the ending of slavery since he was on of the greatest known slaves rights abolitionists. Frederick Douglass was born in Talbot County, Maryland in a slave estate during 1818. Although he was only a boy, he was treated like most of the mistreated and broken slaves. He grew up living with his mother Harriet Bailey, but never knew his father. Though it is believed by many people that his father was Captain Aaron Anthony, a rich, white slave owner.
Frederick Douglass was determined man. He was born into slavery, but this did not stop him from learning how to read and write, becoming a free man, and giving multiple speeches about his opinion on slavery before his death in 1895. I read this in “Frederick Douglass” by Ed Combs. In “Oration” by Frederick Douglass, he gave a speech on slavery. He told the crowd that that the 4th of July was a mockery, as long as people were still held as slaves. Slaves were not allowed to learn how to read or write, but he became literate despite the fact that he could be whipped by his slave owner if he was caught. “He began reading everything he could lay his hands on” (Combs 163). This helped Frederick gain the knowledge that he would later use to become a
Frederick Douglass is a man who was a slave and became an abolitionist. There was a group called Ladies Anti-Slavery Society, who asked Frederick to talk on his point of view onto the Fourth of July, which represented independence day. In his speech, he would side with his own people because he couldn’t differ between if he had independence or equality. “I am not included within pale of glorious anniversary! Your independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us” (Douglass 290). From his statement, he is talking in a way for a more stronger yet convincing method for persuasion. He gave a realistic image of how it was unfair for the life of African Americans. “What, am I to argue that it is wrong to make men brutes, to rob them of their liberty, to work them without wages, to keep them ignorant of their relations to their fellow men. . .” (Douglass 292). With years passing by African Americans begin to achieve political rights, freedom, and some equality. It was a great struggle to achieve as far as today, but Frederick Douglass’ goal was able to be accomplished through time.
Along with his education, Douglass felt that it was his responsibility to help those still stuck in slavery by speaking out against the injustices done to black people. In his narrative Douglass main point behind writing it was to make people realize that America wasn’t truly the land of the free if slavery still existed. He even created an abolitionist newspaper called The North Star, which was the most influential antislavery newspaper of its time and reached international fame. Douglass believed that the key to ending slavery was to convince the masses of their folly in allowing this atrocity to continue. He did this by convincing the Christians in the North that slavery was against God’s will and the Constitution itself. Through his writing and speeches Douglass convinced many of the northerners to abolish slavery and create a truly free
In the Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass: an American Slave, written by himself, the author argues that slaves are treated no better than, sometimes worse, than livestock. Douglass supports his claim by demonstrating how the slaves were forced to eat out of a trough like pigs and second, shows how hard they were working, like animals. The author’s purpose is to show the lifestyle of an American slave in order to appeal to people’s emotions to show people, from a slave’s perspective, what slavery is really like. Based on the harsh descriptions of his life, Douglass is writing to abolitionist and other people that would sympathize and abolish slavery.
However, he was definitely going to have some trouble getting what he wished because that was a very sensitive topic and many white would be against getting rid of slavery since many were masters and owned slaves. Frederick Douglass was not the one to give up on something he believed to be important to him. He believed that it was going to be tough to get antislavery over with because the United States Constitution and the churches supported slavery, therefore Douglass believed that the whole system is filled with false hopes (13). Frederick began to get into politics because he noticed that Abraham Lincoln was not really doing much to end slavery. His reasoning was changing and he was not really trusting Lincoln as much as he was in the beginning. Frederick Douglass noticed that President Lincoln was acting really slowly at wanting to free the slaves. Douglass was really disappointed because he was doing everything he could to abolish slavery but not Lincoln. When President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation Douglass began to trust President Lincoln again. Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation (173) was the most important point for Frederick Douglass because he really showed that he cared to free the slaves. Frederick Douglass kind of regretted saying the negative comments about President Lincoln because he noticed that it was not his fault he was not moving along
The rapid advancement has enabled the level of achievements within the last decades to be beyond belief. However, people seldom reflect about how these progressions were achieved: through learning from the past. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass enabled people to understand why abolitionist movement in America during the 1800s was necessary and broadened their views by explaining how slavery, an idea so disturbing and unacceptable was the norm in the relative past. Douglass shares his story in hopes of changing the perception of some while firmly expressing his belief that people should stand against slavery.
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” This famous quote is from a speech given by one of America’s most influential abolitionist speakers, Frederick Douglass. Born into slavery, this great American leader led a life many of us would find impossible to bear. After gaining his freedom from slavery, Douglass shared his stories through impressive speeches and vivid autobiographies, which helped America move forward as a country liberated from racial inequality. Although Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave allows readers to understand what life was like for slaves in antebellum America, the most important and relevant lesson to take away from this narrative today is the importance of perseverance. Douglass’s courage to resist and learn paired with his determination to keep his faith and ultimately find himself, is something to which people from every culture and time period can relate.
In Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Mr. Douglass gives many examples of cruelty towards slaves as he shows many reasons that could have been used to abolish slavery. Throughout the well-written narrative, Douglass uses examples from the severe whippings that took place constantly to a form of brainwashing by the slaveholders over the slaves describing the terrible conditions that the slaves were faced with in the south in the first half of the 1800’s. The purpose of this narrative was most likely to give others not affiliated with slaves an explicit view of what actually happened to the slaves physically, mentally, and emotionally to show the explicit importance of knowledge to the liberation