Frederick Douglass and Slavery
Frederick Douglass's writings reflected many American views that were influenced by national division. Douglass was a very successful abolitionist who changed America's views of slavery through his writings and actions. Frederick Douglass had many achievements throughout his life. Douglass, born a slave in 1817, educated himself and became determined to escape the atrocities of slavery. He attempted to escape slavery once, but failed. He later made a successful escape in 1838, fleeing to New Bedford, Massachusetts. Douglass's abolitionist career began at an antislavery convention in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Here, he showed himself to be a great speaker. Douglass became involved with many important abolitionist causes, both through his literary works, activities such as the Underground Railroad, and also his role in organizing a regiment of former slaves to fight in the Civil War for the Union army. Due to the Fugitive Slave Laws, Douglass became in danger of being captured and returned to slavery. He left America, and stayed in the British Isles. There he lectured on slavery, and gained the respect of many people, who raised money to purchase his freedom. In 1847, Douglass relocated to Rochester
Frederick Douglass's life as a slave had the greatest impact on his writings. Through slavery, Douglass was able to develop the necessary emotion and experiences for him to become a successful abolitionist writer. Douglass grew up as a slave, experiencing all of the hardships that are included, such as whippings, inadequate meals, and other harsh treatment. His thirst for freedom, and his burning hatred of slavery caused him to write Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, and other similar biographies. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass wrote the complete story of his miserable life as a slave and his strife to obtain freedom. The main motivational force behind his character (himself) was to make it through another day so that someday he might see freedom. The well written books that he produced were all based on his life as was Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. These books all start with Douglass coping with slavery. Frederick Douglass also had a reason to write these works. As a die-hard abolitionist, Douglass wanted to show the world how bad slavery really was. He did this very well, because he made many people understand the unknown, and made abolitionists out of many people. This man had a cause, as well as a story to tell. Douglass, as a former slave, single-handedly redefined American Civil War literature, simply by redefining how antislavery writings were viewed. There were other narratives written by former slaves, but none could live up to the educated, realistic accounts of slavery by Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglass is well known for many of his literary achievements. He is best known, now, as a writer. As a writer, Frederick Douglass shined. As a speaker, Frederick Douglass was the best. There was no abolitionist, black or white, that was more respected for his speaking skills. So impressive were Frederick Douglass's oratorical and intellectual abilities that opponents refused to believe that he had been a slave and alleged that he was an impostor fostered on the public by the abolitionists. In reply, Douglass wrote Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave (1845), which he revised in later years; in final form, it appeared in 1882 under the title Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (Quarles, Benjamin, Microsoft Encarta). One must not overlook Frederick Douglass's oratory skills when looking at his literary career; however, it is Douglass's form which left the largest impact on Civil War time period literature. Douglass's most significant autobiographical works include: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave; My Bondage and My Freedom; and Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. These three books are about the same person, and share a similar message, but are written by Frederick Douglass at different times of his life, looking at the past in different ways. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass uses a simp
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Approximate Word count = 1987
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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