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Comparison Of Slavery: John Calhoun And Harry Douglass

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Back when the United States was just starting to make there own identity away from Great Britain in the 19th century one of the most debated topics was if slavery should or should not be aloud in the country. It split the country between the north and south and was a major talking point of politicians and activists for years. Two of those individuals that spoke out in favor of there respected sides were John Calhoun and Harry Douglass. Both men feel very passionate about the issue at hand, and when the topic is something like slavery, you needed to be very persuasive for people to switch the way they think. They each gave a speech speaking out about what they thought was right and both men made good points for there side, while they both had …show more content…

All this is saying to me is that he knows that he is doing something wrong and he is trying to make it last as long as he can because he knows that the anti-slavery group will eventually get enough support to end slavery. Calhoun even says that he believes that if the abolition movement reached congress then it would gain popularity among "the ignorant, the weak, the young, and the thoughtless" (Calhoun) and it would not be good for the South. No where in Douglass's speech do you see him try to run away from the opposition. In fact, you see him talk about some of there biggest arguments (like how slaves are better off in the U.S and that slave masters are kind), where as Calhoun is afraid to defend his believes in congress. It feels like Calhoun is just trying to push the inevitable discussion of slavery back because he knows that he and all slave owners are guilty of a horrible …show more content…

Most likely he is speaking to a room full of northern white people who have no idea how horrible being a slave could be. If he would explain in detail some of the horrors that happened on a plantation I don't see how any could still be pro-slavery. Even if the people have heard a hundred different accounts of slave stories it still would break your heart hearing what some people had to go through. This is where Calhoun has the advantage because people would believe him when he said that slave masters are nice to slaves because he is a slave owner and he probably knows plenty of different slave owners as well. He uses his "expertise" in the matter to inform people all about how slaves are better off under a slave masters roof because Africa isn't nearly as civilized as here, and people would believe him since it is a first hand account. That's why Douglass should have shared some of his own experience, it could have really helped push his

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