In the 1800’s, the issue of slavery was growing rapidly and the need for compromise was strong. This issue divided the North from the South. As the cannons fired Fort Sumter on the night of April 12, 1861, the start of the Civil war had begun. The African Americans were not giving up without a fight and contributed to the warfare. African Americans used various methods to fight for their freedom during the Civil War such as passing information to the Union Army and serving in the Armed forces. These actions affected them and the United States by bringing home a win for the Union, making slaves free people. To begin, the slaves dedicated their lives to save the future. A former slave and author of the famous newspaper, The North Star, displays how loyal they were. Fredrick Douglas made many editorials about abolition. He explains that slaves had exposed themselves to bullets to bring important documents and information to the …show more content…
After the Emancipation Proclamation stating that slaves were allowed to join the Union forces, the African American population decreased. A man enlisted in the war spoke to his wife stating, ¨When i shall have the opportunity of seeing you in the full enjoyment of freedom¨ (Doc 6). In other words, Samuel Cabble means that he is happy to fight for the freedom of his people. Based on the illustrations in ¨Journey of a Slave From the Plantation to the Battlefield¨, a slave died for standing up for what is right (Doc 5). Fredrick Douglas states, ¨ and there is no power on earth which can deny that he has earned right to citizenship in the United States¨(Doc 7). Based on the document, Douglass believed the African Americans will earn the right for citizenship in fighting for the Civil War. Lastly, The 13th Amendment to the US Constitution announced that slavery and owning people shouldńt exist in the United States unless due to a punishment (Doc
“From this time I understood the words abolition and abolitionist, and always drew near when that word was spoken, expecting to hear something of importance to myself and fellow-slaves.” Douglass struggled getting help from the government enforcing safeguard the freedman’s rights. He continued to fight for equality for all society and spread his message to the youth before his death, “less than a month before his death, when a young black man solicited his advice to an African American just starting out in the world, Douglass replied without hesitation: ‘Agitate! Agitate! Agitate!’’’
On June 2 1865 the United States entered into its bloodiest battle it had ever gotten into since the founding of the country. Over 600,000 people died in battle and all over the issue of slavery. When the civil war was over many thought that slavery had ended and that black people would get the freedom that had been wanting. Although the civil war had ended, white southerners kept African Americans as slaves under new laws passed called Black Codes. After the civil war, African Americans wanted more rights and more freedom.
In one of his more famous speeches, “What to the Slave is The Fourth of July” Douglas gave so Americans and reflect on their independence and freedom while many others, the blacks, didn’t have that as well as criticizing slavery and American hypocrisy as well as increased awareness. Another way that Douglas spread awareness was through “The North Star” a prominent black newspaper that Douglas founded and edited which was also a big platform for spreading pro-abolition messages around the United States as well as promoting the Underground Railroad and providing information for those who sought freedom. Having a bond with Abe Lincoln, he influenced the President to allow African American men to enlist as soldiers in the Union Army. Douglass was too keen for black males to join the army because he believed that it would help speed up the “liberation of the black man and the protection and stability of the nation” ultimately paving the way for them to become citizens.
Maggie Grundy Mrs. Carey Hush E 3 October 2014 Frederick Douglass: Introduction and Outline I. Frederick Douglass used his words through his writing and speeches to express his desire for freedom and equal rights for the African-American slaves. Douglass encouraged equal rights and liberties for his fellow people as a Civil Rights leader. He wrote three autobiographies about his hardships through life and established "The North Star" which was an anti-slavery newspaper. Douglass knew the value of his skills were and took every opportunity, in writing and speeches, to show the brutality of slavery.
Thus, around twenty years of age, Douglass was restive, had seen and experienced enough of the cruelties of slavery, and successfully devised a plan to escape from bondage and find freedom in New York City. In New York City, he created his own newspaper the North Star, he authored three outstanding autobiographies, and developed into one of the most important abolitionist of his time period. Through his penetrating writings, Frederick Douglas was able to persuade many people that slavery was cruel, thus empowering him to promote the abolishment of
According to the article, “Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania” (1790), the Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery was passed on March 1, 1780. It was the first attempts to begin abolishing slavery. The given act forbidden further imported slaves into states and required slaveholders to regularly register slaves to establish any children born in Pennsylvania “free persons” regarding the specific conditions. Stated in the passage, African-Americans were able to vote but many whites preventing most. Unfortunately, they were unable to use their voting rights because whites did not allow it to happen.
Abolition is the action or an act of abolishing a system, in this case, the abolition of slavery. Abolitionists are people who favor the abolition of a system. In the 1830’s, the abolitionist movement was raised to power with an anti-slavery message. Their goals were to raise the hopes of northern people and to abolish slavery. Over the years, these separate abolitionist groups started to solidify becoming an organization of people all fighting for the same
Frederick Douglass was a great writer, but he wasn’t always. He was an escaped slave who used that in his speeches as a topic to gain the attention of his audience. His audience was a seemingly sympathetic one and got to them through rhetorical questions. Douglass wanted to convey the message that there are many changes that need to be made.
Both King and Douglass were advocating for the same thing: their constitutional sanction of freedom. Both men, in their respective letters touch upon parallel thoughts and beliefs that revolve around the much bigger topic of racial inequality and discrimination. Both men were discriminated against and they talk about their experiences and plight in their very distinctive yet special styles. Born in the year 1817, in an era of open and unashamed slave trade, Frederick Douglass’s story begins as a serf to Mrs. Hugh in the city of Maryland.
Nick Baxter What caused the Civil War? DBQ The Civil War was caused by three main reasons are economic differences, interpretation of Constitution, and moral beliefs. The North and the South were very different economically.
he uses bold words and biting criticism to call attention to the gross injustices and hypocrisy of slavery in the United States. In the opening remarks of his speech, Douglas provides heart-wrenching descriptions to pull his audience into the lives of their fellow
Therefore, freeing the slaves was not important. All men aren’t created equally as shown in these times. The belief that slavery was wrong, was not strong enough for the the Constitution to overcome. Mr. Freehling said, “The only way Africans could be free was if they were sent back to Africa”.
Douglass points to the vast unwillingness from the group of whites that refuses to fully perceive and accept African-Americans as deserving and equal citizens of the nation. Based on his personal experiences as a slave, Douglass is abundantly aware that the battle to abolish slavery is not an easy task. For the first twenty years of his life, he witnessed firsthand the abject cruelty of that institution in our country. Tactfully, Douglass seizes this opportunity to publicly highlight the unmerited and coarse differences in the treatment between the whites as opposed to the blacks living in the United States during this time period. He makes a “powerful testaments to the hypocrisy, bigotry and inhumanity of slavery” (Bunch 1).
They made many sacrifices to better the country “ this former slave, this negro, beaten to his knees, exiled, visioning a world where no man is lonely, none hunted,alien, this man, superb in love and logic, this man shall be remembered.” lines seven through ten in the poem “Frederick Douglass” This shows the speakers gratitude
Introduction: During the 1800’s, Slavery was an immense problem in the United States. Slaves were people who were harshly forced to work against their will and were often deprived of their basic human rights. Forced marriages, child soldiers, and servants were all considered part of enslaved workers. As a consequence to the abolition people found guilty were severely punished by the law.