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Narrative Touched The Lives Of Americans

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Through the use of shrewd analyses of the psychology of slavery, his expressive assertions of self, and his remarkable command of style, Douglass’ narrative touched the lives of Americans like no other, revolutionizing slavery forever. In 1688, feelings began to take over reality when four German Quakers settling in Germantown, Pennsylvania issued the first formal protest to abolish slavery in the American colonies. These Quakers, otherwise known as “friends” and members of The Religious Society of Friends, were among the first great wave of German immigrants drawn to Germantown by the religious beliefs of the founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, William Penn. Like Penn, they believed that the inner light of God was present in all people, even slaves. Through religious values, these Quakers published the first written protest to the American public arguing that slavery was un-Christian and hypocritical (First Protest Against Slavery). Although this protest failed to make any immediate changes towards emancipating slavery, it sparked a chain reaction of abolitionist appeals because it wasn’t just word of mouth, it was a written document. The act of publishing documents and newspapers became extremely popular during the abolitionist movement, specifically in the 1830s. Following the religious revivalism that took place during the Second Great Awakening, various authors had taken up the cause of “immediate emancipation”. Newspapers like William Lloyd Garrison’s the

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