Your Freedom Is Not Free Essay

A major difference between Lincoln and Douglass were their views on the Constitution. Douglass changed his views about the Constitution; at one point he believed it was a proslavery document and then he changed his opinion to believe it was an anti-slavery document. Lincoln never changed his opinions about the Constitution. “Lincoln saw the Constitution as neither a clarion call to abolition on a proslavery scandal. It was a compromise. It recognized slavery, but only out of necessity and only three times”. (Ibid., p.63) Lincoln believed in the founding fathers and believed that they had envisioned and end to slavery in the future of the then-fledgling United States. He also believed they had to make concessions to allow for the formation of the Union. “Unlike Frederick Douglass, Lincoln did not claim those concessions had not been made. He accepted them, but that didn’t mean he liked them.” (Ibid., p 63)

Henry David Thoreau’s words that “disobedience is the true foundation of liberty” and that “the obedient must be slaves” is a political statement that never lost its topicality during the Romantic era. Thoreau is an important contributor to the philosophical and American literary movement known as New England Transcendentalism. Nature and the conduct of life are two central themes that are often weaved together in his essays and books that were published in the Romantic era of literature. Thoreau brought these two themes together to write on how people ought to live a simplistic life. His naturalistic writing intertwined cataloging and observation with Transcendentalist views of nature. Through his life and his work, Henry David Thoreau has contributed to American Literature since the Romantic era.

Douglass and President Lincoln agreed that slavery needed to be abolished and the Nation needed to be united as one. Lincoln realized that he needed to bring in Frederick Douglass; the combination of a strong and influential black leader and the President of the United States could now create a cohesive group of abolitionists and the Union. Frederick Douglass realized that President Lincoln’s own personality and political judgment would help him free slaves across the country. Realizing each other’s strengths, both men were able to be effective through the use strong actions and powerful words of one another; their relationship played a key role in changing the nations views on slavery and race.

While Emerson and Thoreau certainly have difference of opinions, they recognize the need for public discussion and discourse. Emerson declares “a foolish consistency” to be “the hobgoblin of little minds” (Emerson 367). This is shown in their essays “Self-Reliance” and “Civil Disobedience” in which they support individuality and personal expression. Despite their contrasting views of society and government, the two most

America is the universal symbol of freedom. But is it really free? Does the history of the United States stay true to the ideas of our forefathers? Or has the definition been altered to fit American policies? Has freedom defined America? Or has America defined freedom? I believe America was at first defined by freedom, then after time, America defined freedom, altering the definition to fit the niche it fits in, but still keeping key components so it still seems to be staying true to the ideas of America’s founding fathers.

Early on in Douglass’ career as an abolitionist, he affiliated his beliefs to fellow abolitionist, William Lloyd Garrison, claiming that the

Douglass worked by being a famous orator preached against slavery and eventually joined the Republican Party where he worked with Lincoln and the party to promote and work toward the end of slavery. By 1858 Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were saying the same thing, preaching the same antislavery politics. Liberty or Slavery must become law of the land” (Oakes 5) Beyond Garrisonian newspapers, he began to embrace abolitionist politics and the idea that the Constitution supported slave emancipation. “Lincoln saw the Constitution as neither a clarion

In conclusion, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Frederick Douglass were both writers during the abolitionist movement. They both touched the lives of many and gained support from people all

When comparing Civil Disobedience and The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, it is apparent that Thoreau’s ideas and thoughts are communicated more powerfully and effectively in The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail. Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee utilize compelling, connotative diction and illustrate grievous matters to elucidate Thoreau’s objections to various issues concerning the government’s actions.

Fredrick Douglass and Harriet Tubman had many things in common. For example they were both slaves, and they both escaped and became abolitionists. So how did this connect to becoming

Douglass welcomed the conflict as the cataclysmic event needed to wipe slavery from America. As always, he acted as the "nation's conscience", arguing that the war was about more than union and state's rights. It was, he said, about a new birth of freedom, a great step towards the nation promised in the Declaration of Independence. Douglass knew that this new freedom had to be won both on and off the battlefield. Though he was too old to serve in battle, himself he recruited other African Americans to fight in the Union Army, including two of his sons, who served with the famous 54th Massachusetts. Away from the fighting Douglass continued to write and speak against slavery, arguing for a higher purpose to the war. He met with with Abraham Lincoln to advocate for African American troops and to encourage Lincoln to see the war as a chance to transform the country into a more perfect nation. Douglass' influence was crucial to Lincoln's evolution as a thinker over the course of the war. This influence can be seen in the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln's second inaugural

Douglass thought to be a true Christian, you must treat others right and have proper morals and virtues to life by. They both just thought Religion should not be mixed with who you were. That you should always be a good person regardless of what you believed in.

In 1831 William Lloyd Garrison found a newspaper “The Liberator” a very powerful voice for the antislavery movement and in this way he was making powerful enemy for himself. In 1833 Harriet Beecher Stowe had a trip to South by her first trip to South she had a big change on her life by what she saw and it impact on her way of writing. In 1837 John Brown after failing in his business and murder of an antislavery activist he devotes his life to the cause. In 1838 Frederick Douglass run away from slavery and he joined William Lloyd Garrison for an antislavery movement. Douglass became a very powerful public speaker in North with presenting his own personal life story as a slave. Because of his old owner he went to U.K and he experienced a free life. In 1847 he came back to U.S.A and he own an antislavery paper. In that year John Brown met Douglass in Massachusetts and he shared his radical to him to raise army to free the slaves. In 1852 Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom’s Cabin. This book changed the heart and mind of Americans through slavery. In 1859 John Brown had a secret meeting with Frederick

Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther king Jr. fundamentally altered the American tradition of protest and reform. Both of them shared the same idea, but viewed them differently. Dr. King wanted to ultimately raise awareness and open doors for groups while Thoreau wanted more individual rights for people.

In the midst of the mid 1800’s the united states was at a pinnacle point in both its history and its development. During this time frame many key arguments and events took place that would later shape this nation; however, two key events of note were the Mexican American war, and the drive and push for nationwide abolition of slavery. Along with such strong and radical Movements, were radical opinions and in the case of Henry David Thoreau, he was no exception. In his Drive to End both the both the mexican american war , and slavery Thoreau partook in several forms of protest and speech writing. In Henry David Thoreau Speech “On the Duty of Civil disobedience”, Thoreau encompases the philosophy and ideas behind his resistance of the United States government through the uses of a variety of Surface Features and modes of discourse to form a strong argument for the rise of civil rebellion against America, their involvement in the mexican american war, and the country's; stance on slavery.