Reuben
5th January 2002, 10:32
Frederick Douglas was born a Slave in southern America, and went on to be the most important campaigner for the abolition of slavery. However, it seems that while very little is said about him, alot is said for the racist President Lincoln, who openly said "If I could keep the Union, and keep slavery, I would". In my opinion, many people still have not come to terms with the fact that, to a great extent, African-American slaves were responsible for their own emancipation.
As a young slave he was known for being rebellious. One of his most significant acts of resistance as a slave was, when he was a teenager, to illegally set up a school teaching slaves to read and write. Interestingly, he decided that, instead of using biblical texts, they would use secular writing relating to liberation. Eventually, as a young man, he managed to attain false papers and break free to the North, where there were still slave hunters.
Once up north, he quickly became involved in the abolitionist movement and was so eloquent that he was asked to attend lectures at which he would describe his experience of slavery. however conflict came between him and the white abolitionists, when he started making his own points rather than Just describing his ordeals and leaving the white intellectuals to advocate abolition etc.
He went all around the country and at points was forced to show the scars on his back to those who doubted he was ever a slave. He had taken the abolitionist movement to such prominence that he eventually had an audience with lincoln whom he convinced along with others, to abolish slavery across america. Aside from being instrumental in the abolition of slavery, he was the first male to endorse the women's suffrage movement and to second their demands.
A great liberator and resistor.
Frederick Douglass.
As a young slave he was known for being rebellious. One of his most significant acts of resistance as a slave was, when he was a teenager, to illegally set up a school teaching slaves to read and write. Interestingly, he decided that, instead of using biblical texts, they would use secular writing relating to liberation. Eventually, as a young man, he managed to attain false papers and break free to the North, where there were still slave hunters.
Once up north, he quickly became involved in the abolitionist movement and was so eloquent that he was asked to attend lectures at which he would describe his experience of slavery. however conflict came between him and the white abolitionists, when he started making his own points rather than Just describing his ordeals and leaving the white intellectuals to advocate abolition etc.
He went all around the country and at points was forced to show the scars on his back to those who doubted he was ever a slave. He had taken the abolitionist movement to such prominence that he eventually had an audience with lincoln whom he convinced along with others, to abolish slavery across america. Aside from being instrumental in the abolition of slavery, he was the first male to endorse the women's suffrage movement and to second their demands.
A great liberator and resistor.
Frederick Douglass.