Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was a slave in the 1800’s. He hardly knew his mother before she died due to the separation between parents that usually occurred for all slaves. He was never sure who his father was, though it was whispered that it was his own master. If it was his master who parented him, it did not help him against the cruelties of slavery; and wasn’t expected to, as very few of the mulatto slaves were helped in any way by their white parents. As Frederick said, “slave holders have ordained, and by law established, that the children of slave women shall in all cases follow the condition of their mothers”. Frederick did follow his mother into slavery, and met much harsh treatment and saw many things starting at an early age. Frederick wrote the events of his life to show people the cruelties, injustices, and unchristian ways of slavery.

When Frederick was sent to Baltimore, he found he was living with a mistress much less experienced in the ways of slavery, and from her he learned his letters. This was a crucial point in his life. Besides getting the foundations of his learning, this brief teaching from his mistress showed him the biggest reason why the white people were able to enslave his race. Education leads to freedom; or at the very least a greater hunger for it. The more he read, the more he began to fully realize the horrors of slavery and how completely unreasonable, and inexcusable it was and resolved not to stay in slavery forever and to escape when the best chance came; or die trying. Frederick learned the arguments against slavery and placed them beside his own experiences to see the truth. He wrote about this to show the world what they didn’t want to see.

Where ever Frederick was he saw cruel treatment of slaves. Countless horrific episodes or comments are scattered through out the pages of his life. He wrote about the first terrifying scene he saw that, “he made her get upon the stool, and tied her hands to the hook…her arms were stretched up at their full length, so that she stood on the ends of her toes…he commenced to lay on the heavy cowskin and soon the warm red blood came dripping to the floor.” Beatings were not the only offences that slaves endured, lack of food, separation from families and friends, and verbal abuse were also very common. Frederick watched this happen to those around him and felt the pains himself. He wrote all these things so people could really see what was happening and could not deny the cruelty without a stone heart. He wrote so the tortures his fellow slaves endured wouldn’t slip by without any notice at all.

Often, through out the writings of his life, Frederick spoke out on how unchristian the ways of slavery are. He was appalled by the cruelty of his Methodist masters who professed that they had great faith and were very religious, sometimes even twisting scripture to justify themselves. Frederick went as far as to say that “Were I again reduced to the chains of slavery, next to that of enslavement, I should regard being the slave of a religious master the greatest calamity that could befall me.” He could not accept the things that these slave holders would do as anything but far from Christian. After reading pieces from the book The Columbian Orator, such as a narrative between slave and master and speeches on Catholic emancipation, he knew it wasn’t Christian; and wrote to prove it.

Frederick Douglass knew first hand the inhumanity of slavery, and just escaping himself was not enough for him. Thousands of other slaves were still suffering, and their children looked to the same fate. Many people in the North did not know the full extent of the horrors of slavery. He wrote the truth of slavery. He wrote all the events in his life so that they would be exposed undeniably, and the world, after seeing would be held accountable to change its ways.