Slavery was a severely cruel time in the United States before the Civil War. One of the known slave owners during that time was Colonel Edward Lloyd. The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass by Frederick Douglass describes the struggle of most African Slaves under the supervision of so-called masters. It was rare to find a pure hearted slaveholder at the time; most of them could not care less of the slaves. All they wanted was fame and money. For them, the lives of their slaves is no more than the lives of common animals. Colonel Lloyd is a very rich man who owns all of the slaves and lands where Douglass grows up. Lloyd wants his slaves and often punishes them unfairly. Colonel Lloyd was unlawful because he was harsh, prestigious, and wealthy. Colonel Lloyd was extremely harsh. They received punishments in a form of whip every time to commit even a simple mistake. His punishment also included taking the slaves their basic needs such as food and clothing. “Scarcely a day passed, during the summer, but that some slaves had to take a lash for stealing fruits.” (Douglass, 325). This statement describes the severe consequences of just doing the smallest actions. He also is prestigious, which also means he owned many slaves. The large plantation consist of many overseers that managed a group of slaves. “The plantation …show more content…
Colonel Lloyd’s wealth is so great that he has never even seen some of the hundreds of slaves he owns. One day, the Colonel meets a slave walking on the road. Lloyd, without knowing himself, asks the slave about his owner and how well he is treated. The slave said that his owner is Colonel Lloyd, and that he is treated unfairly. “Colonel Lloyd kept from three to four hundred slaves.” (Douglass, 321). In addition to this, he owned a plantation that was enormous and he himself had difficulty to manage. The land he owns had a large garden that people from all over Maryland came to