What Was The Life Of Frederick Douglass Impact On Society

Frederick Douglass, the author of the book “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, said “I saw more clearly than ever the brutalizing effects of slavery upon both slave and slaveholder” (Douglass, p.71). Modern people can fairly and easily understand the negative effects of slavery upon slave. People have the idea of slaves that they are not allow to learn which makes them unable to read and write and also they don’t have enough time to take a rest and recover their injuries. However, the negative effects upon slaveholder are less obvious to modern people. People usually think about the positive effects of slavery upon slaveholder, such as getting inexpensive labor. In the book “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, Douglass

“It was not color, but crime, not God, but man that afforded the true explanation of the existence of slavery; nor was I long in finding out another important truth, what man can make, man can unmake” (Douglass 59). In My Bondage and My Freedom, Fredrick Douglass explains in detail the harsh and cruel realties of slavery and how slavery was an institution that victimized not only slaves, but slave holders, and non-slave holding whites. Fredrick Douglass could not have been more right with his observation of slavery. In my opinion, slavery is not only an institution, but is a prime example of a corrupt business model that thrives on free labor, ultimate control, and wealth.

Douglass uses family relationships, starting with his own birth, to gain the compassion of his target audience. He never knew the identity of his father, but it was "whispered" (Douglass, Narrative, 43) that it was his master. Douglass shocked his Northern white readers when he informed them that slaveholders regularly split slave families for no reason. This upset Northerners because their family units were the foundation of their communities. People couldn't believe that slave children were taken

During early 19th century, the entrenchment of Southern slavery, there was discussion between planters who benefitted from it and abolitionists who fought against it. Most Americans, especially those in Southern states, understood that slavery system could not help parting from their economic and social system. Southern slavery system brought big economical benefits. However, it negatively influenced American society as a whole rather that positively.

Slavery was a harsh system that consisted of forcing other human beings to work in harsh conditions; as well as restrict their freedom to the point where they had none. Slavery was first introduced into Colonial America in 1619, and lasted for 245 years. During those 245 years, slavery harshly affected those who were involved in its system. The institution of slavery has profoundly influenced and shaped multiple aspects of Colonial America and the United States. Slavery influenced the 13 Colonies and the U.S. by the growth in sales for Cotton, and farming. Slavery shaped Colonial America and the United States culturally, by proving to the slaves that white people were far more superior than African Americans, religion and Cult of Domesticity. Lastly slavery shaped Colonial America and the United States politically by causing rebellions, and abolitionism.

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

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

During the eighteenth century, slavery was already well-established section of the American labor system. As the amount of slaves grew in size, they did not receive rights, and were mostly separated from their families. They were mostly needed for agricultural labors and had to work mostly from dusk to dawn. Frederick Douglass’s experiences as a slave was different than that other colonial labor because of the strict treatment he received from his masters, the inferiority to other humans that he felt, and the harsh conditions he lived in.

Imagine not having the rights to your own body. Picture yourself or your love one being viciously beaten at another individual’s free will. Now, visualize how your life would be if you were owned by another individual and at any time could be sold to the highest bidder. Imagine yourself as a slave. Growing up in a society that is affected by its history slavery is a topic that nearly everyone has been educated on. Some individuals my know the details of what occurred during the 1800s in which slavery took place and others may just have a general knowledge as to what to occurred but no matter what an individual may know or how much an individual has been educated on slavery there is no doubt that slavery in occurred. The events that took place during the time of slavery were brutal, vicious, cruel, and most of all inhumane. People, actual breathing human beings, were beaten, maimed, tortured, and disfigured due to the color of their skin. In addition to these cruel beatings and torment slaves were forced into hard labor for little to no earnings at all. The life of a slave was consumed by their owners, their life was not their own. As a result of these horrifying acts salves would adopt extraneous measures, techniques, and tactics to escape their painful reality. In her work, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Ann Jacobs highlights her personal story of pain, strength, and endurance throughout her time in slavery and her escape from the fastened grip of her master

Throughout the life of a slave from the mid 1600s to mid 1800s they would become subjected to various methods of torture, some emotional and some physical, that would ultimately affect them psychologically changing their perspective of the world, simultaneously inspiring some to modify the social structure. Most slaves would unfortunately never experience freedom therefore the truth about their miserable lives would never escape the plantations that they were stationed in, luckily some slaves would manage to escape from time to time. One of these fortunate slaves was Frederick Douglass, a renowned advocate for freedom and equality who also exposed the mistreatment of slaves and encouraged people to join the

To determine whether or not slavery helped or hindered the confederacy there needs to be an overview on the change, continuity, cause, consequence, significance and perspective of slavery. Slavery originated from the southern states and was slowly progressing towards the Free states. Slavery lasted from 1625- 1865, that’s close to a quarter of a century. Although slavery officially ended in 1865, there were many long term effects that resulted between the whites and blacks. There was segregation, and hatred between the two social classes which resulted in different perspectives and views. There were many consequences that resulted from slavery especially towards the whites. As years later progressed there was hatred towards the whites and whites hating on their own race for the mistakes that they’ve caused. In reality there were many different perspectives towards slavery in different states. Some states were happy without slavery and other states had a demand towards slave states. Overall slavery was something that changed and shaped America. It caused both good and bad things to form but it was an investment for whites to be slaveholders, especially down south and they were trying to make it any way possible to create more states slave states. That’s what leads to the question: Did slavery help or hinder the Confederacy? This question will be focusing on the slave states, confederacy and the Civil war in particular to help analyze and answer

Slavery, due to its overall violent nature, had lasting effects on African American’s. Enslaved African Americans faced tremendous turmoil internally and within society with all that they had to deal with. The most apparent and disastrous affects of slavery during the 18th century was the overall dissolution of society in regards to human rights, families, and the inability for slaves to voice an opinion of their own. Slavery brought forth major suffering. African American’s who were enslaved experienced many troubling and painful feelings and emotions. With slavery, came problems; physical, emotional, and traumatizing experiences. Slavery was corrupt and dehumanizing. Some of the leading factors that resulted in why slavery was so awful was the tension and conflict it caused in society, families were split up and sold off separately, and lastly, it led to extremely inappropriate and wrongful forced sexual relationships between slave masters and their slaves, specifically young girls and women.

The humankind is one of large ego and guilt, and in every period during history have they done selfish acts in the name of “survival”. Every generation, and every culture built much in this world, yet might have still used the wrong path to do so. America is one major example for this. The Americans, just like many other cultures, have used immoral techniques for the benefit and prosperity of themselves and their dawning country. They stole the lives of millions in order to keep their lives intact. Americans captured Africans and traded them in the colonies, and tormented them in order to utilize them as slaves to work under their control and grow their land. Such an immoral act had a huge impact throughout history even up until today.

Close your eyes and imagine that you don’t know how to read and write. Imagine that life has not blessed you with the ability to discover and capitalize on opportunities that cross your path each day, simply because you cannot recognize them. Would you feel held back? Would you feel that you had been robbed? Would these feelings cause you to feel trapped…maybe even a like a slave?

In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself, Frederick Douglass establishes for us the many factors that lead to the continual enslavement of the black race by connecting his own plight to that of other slaves as a plea for the abolition of slavery. The evil of slavery infected every master to pervert the truth to his own satisfaction and Douglass explains how slavery corrupts the humanity of both slave and master. The legal system was also not an option for slaves to turn to for help because they had no legal rights. The fear of losing friends and never being able to trust anyone again was enough to keep many back in bondage. And the lack of education left their minds dulled to any