How Slave Owners Justify Their Choice

Frederick douglass was abandoned by his grandma at the age of 6 at the plantation of his master. At age eight, Douglass was sent to live with Hugh and Sophia Auld , relatives of douglass’ master, in Baltimore to work as their houseboy. Sophia taught Douglass the alphabet until (because of the law against teaching slaves) her husband forbade her to continue. Douglass depended on himself to learn by exchanging food for reading and writing lessons from neighborhood boys. From The Columbian Orator, which he paid for at the age of twelve or thirteen, he was able to understand the power of spoken and written word and it's ability to bring positive change that will remain.

In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass explains, in great detail, how slave master would use a variety of methods to dehumanize slaves located on their plantation. These methods involved both severe physical and psychological trauma. Nevertheless, Douglass remains diligent and finds a way to resist the harsh reality of being a slave. Because of his immovable desire to acquire knowledge to his fighting encounter with Mr. Covey, these experiences help shape Douglass to be the archetype of what it means to go from slavery to freedom. This essay will highlight the physical and psychological tactics used on slaves. In addition, the aspect of how Douglass resists the

Literacy was Douglass's first step on the road to his freedom, and that of his fellow African slaves. In addition, Douglas knew less about the slavery unfairness, until after finding the book The Columbian Orator, which was explaining the cases against slavery. He was angered by what he learnt about this book, and what the masters have done to the slaves. The book made him think that slavery was his fate, and there was no escape from it.

Reading opened his eyes to his “wretched condition” (2057) and he longed for independence and freedom. He did not desire this for himself alone, but also for his fellow slaves. He “imbue[d] their minds with thoughts of freedom” and sought to “impress them with the gross fraud and inhumanity of slavery” (2077). Douglass took the lead in devising the plans of escape; his skill in reading and writing was instrumental in his plans. While at Master Hugh’s, Douglass acquired the copy-books of his master’s son, Thomas. He taught himself to write and soon “could write a hand very similar to that of Master Thomas” (2059). This ability helped Douglass to formulate the plan of escape from Mr. Hamilton. He wrote several “protections” for himself and the other runaways under the name of Mr. Hamilton’s. Though this escape attempt was unsuccessful, it is a testimony to the Douglass’ genius which would not have existed without his education. His ability to read and write planted the desire for freedom and enabled him to attempt to achieve it.

On Monday July 5th, 1852, Frederick Douglass captivated his audience at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York with one of the most powerful antislavery orations ever delivered, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”1 As an African American and former slave himself, Douglass was a crucial component to the Civil Rights movement and the abolishment of slavery. His concern for equal rights sprouted as early as twelve years old, often listening to debates among free blacks in Baltimore, as well as becoming a member of the East Baltimore Mental Improvement Society. While enslaved, he taught himself to read and write with the patriotic essays and speeches in Caleb Bingham’s The Columbian Orator, which emphasized the power of a speaker’s

1. Douglass taught himself how to read and write. At first, Douglass’s mistress taught him how to read the alphabet before her husband prohibited her from doing this. After that he started to teach himself how to read by reading books and newspapers, and how to write by copying his little Master Thomas’s written in the spaces left in the copy-book when his mistress goes to the class meeting every monday afternoon. However his most successfully way of teaching himself how to read was to make friends with the white boys whom he met in the street. He bribes them with food to get them to teach him. He also learned how to read and understand the meaning of the name on the timber.

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave was written by Douglass himself, giving a detailed description of the slaveholders cruelty. Douglass was born in Tuckahoe, Maryland, and he makes known that he does not know his specific birthdate, “... no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it.” (47), but it was approximately around 1818. Once being enslaved, and then escaping in 1838 he became known as an eloquent speaker for abolitionists, being able to deliver passionate speeches about the role of a slaveholder and their relationship to their slaves, especially since he was one of them. Douglass even discovered the true meaning of the songs sung by enslaved people, “ I did not, when a slave, understand the deep meaning of those rude and apparently incoherent songs, I was myself within the circle; so that I neither saw nor heard as those without might see and hear.” (27). The book is not an easy read for those who believe in equal rights, as Douglass put into painful words the description of brutal whippings, signs of no mercy, and people being taken advantage of because if they had shown mercy they believed they would have lost their dignity.

In addition to Jacobs’ account, Douglass’ narrative focused on his journey through manhood and freedom – “…I wished I could be as free as they would be when they got to be men … ‘Have not I as good a right to be free as you have?’” (Douglass, Chapter VII) – as well as, “This battle with Mr. Covey was the turning-point in my career as a slave. It rekindled the few expiring embers of freedom, and revived within me a sense of my own manhood.” (Douglass, Chapter X). He had no freedom, but when he decided to fight back against the evil hand of slavery, he found it and made it his own. As a slave, he had no right to freedom, which in turn belittled his own manhood. His fight with Mr. Covey restored his sense of honor, his entitled manhood, as well as a spark of freedom he did not previously have.

In the book Narrative of The Life of Fredrick Douglass, and American Slave, we find that Fredrick went through a lot of manipulating and diminishable acts. Some are: being separated from his mother at birth, being whipped, witnessing aunt Hester being whipped as a kid, not getting enough to eat, a deprivement of clothes, and witnessing old Barney getting killed. Slave owners would do this to make slaves inferior and also have insurance that the slaves won’t run away. Despite these horrific conditions, Douglass through standing up to Mr. Covey, Learning to read and write, and earning his own money, eventually got the skill and courage to escape slavery.

Frederick Douglass was so over slavery that he decided to escape from it and become free. Before escaping, he went to work for Mr. Butler who had a shipyard and from there he would try to run away. Mr. Butler never suspected anything bad from Douglass, so he would pay him twenty five cents. Working for Mr. Butler was not a bad experience for Douglass, Mr. Butler was a good master towards him. Douglass loved his friends and was sad he would have to leave them again. When the day came, he was more nervous than ever, since escaping from your

Douglass contributed immensely to the already building tensions between the North and South and brought attention and gave a human face to the atrocities of slavery. He demonstrated that the institution of slavery should not be the foundation of a nation that proclaims itself be free, for to claim yourself a free nation and have slaves creates in inconsolable dichotomy. In one of his many speeches he spoke about a fight he had with his overseer and told the audience of the incident “You have seen how a man was made a slave, now you shall how a slave was made a man. The bloody fight, was a turning point in my career as a slave. It was a glorious resurrection from the tomb of slavery to the heaven of freedom.” His autobiography introduced readers to the true horror of the slavery, and forever discredited the Southern myth of the “happy, docile, indifferent slave” that was so often used to defend the antiquated practice. Douglass goes on to explain that slaves would act happy to avoid the harsh punishments associated with finding fault with their masters. He explained that no matter how docile the slaves may appear to be it is merely an illusion brought about from an inconceivably brutal institution. Douglass’ story in many ways completed reinvented the American dream—he was born into a life of servitude but he went on to become of the most accomplished men in history. A slave made a

In 1833 Douglass was sent to a “slave breaker” who flagellated him constantly in an effort to physically and mentally break him down. Finally after 6 months of working with covey in all kinds of weather conditions every day except Sunday, Douglass was “broken in body, soul, and spirit.”(Douglass 2064-2128) Douglass lost the will to do anything intellectually he was numbed expressively “my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died…” (Douglass 2064-2128). After enduring this treatment he tried to get protection from his former master and absconded to him. After this covey was set on beating Douglass to death and in a stable he tried where Douglass fought back and told covey “that he had used me like a brute for six months, and that I was determined to be used so no longer.”(Douglass 2064-2128) Only until Douglass seized this opportunity was he no longer subject to covey’s yoke of oppression. No longer bound his mind was free to soar and he was able to pen his autobiography in addition he was also an abolitionist who helped end slavery. His path through slavery was harsh and it took great patience to withstand that condition and to rise up. His experience of slavery was no different than any other slave of the time

Following the death of Captain Anthony, Douglass was sold to his son-in-law. Captain Anthony’s son in law beat Douglass repeatedly. One afternoon, while being beaten, Douglass fought back, and the beatings stopped. Motivated by his triumph, he decided to attempt to escape. Douglass borrowed the identification papers of an African American sailor while working at the shipyard ,and he escaped to New York. Douglass married an African American woman and settled in Massachusetts. While looking for work, Douglass became interested in the abolitionist movement. He then attended an abolitionist meeting where he gave a speech of his experiences as a slave. He was hired by the Massachusetts Anti-slavery Society to give speeches. Douglass traveled throughout Massachusetts giving motivational speeches. Then, persuaded by Harvard students, he decided to write an autobiography about his experiences as a slave. Later on two more autobiographies were published about Douglass, each more in depth than the last. Because of Frederick Douglass and other abolitionists similar to him, slavery has become a decreasing issue in the world today.

With these tools, he would then educate others on the sufferings and wrong doings of the slaves in the South. In Chapter 6, paragraph 3, Douglass states “…I set out with high hope, and a fixed purpose, at whatever cost of trouble, to learn how to read” (410). As a man, he strongly looked at slavery and at freedom right in the eyes. In Chapter10, paragraph 9, Douglass states “You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man” (424). In this quote he is explaining how he defended and stood up for himself against his Master. This action changed the way by which his Master dealt with him in the future. He did not wait 7 long years hiding out as a frightened slave, hiding and being quiet. As a matter of fact, at the age of twelve, Douglass states in his autobiography “…and the thought of being a slave for life began to bear heavily upon my heart” (412). It took Douglass approximately 8 months of planning before attempting and succeeding in obtaining his freedom. In Chapter 11, paragraph 5, Douglass states “But I remained firm, and, according to my resolution, on the third day of September, 1838, I left my chains, and succeeded in reaching New York without the slightest interruption of any kind” (443). Most of his life, Douglass prepared for freedom. Through many ways, he educated himself so that he could use his knowledge to become free.

Slavery for slave masters meant having the right to property. Having the right to do with as you please with your possessions. Slavery for slave owners meant dealing with your belongings the way you saw fit. Slave owners used rape as a weapon to gain submission from their slaves and in the process gain more slaves. In the article by National Humanities Center On the slave master relationship slave owners in order to gain submission degraded and brutalized slaves.