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Fitzhugh's Diseases And Peculiarities Of The Negro Race

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“He the Negro is but a grown-up child, and must be governed as a child, not as a lunatic or criminal. The master occupies toward him the place of parent or guardian. We shall not dwell on this view, for no one will differ with us who thinks as we do of the negro's capacity, and we might argue till dooms-day in vain, with those who have a high opinion of the negro's moral and intellectual capacity (Fitzhugh).” Within this document, not only are the ideas of social theorist George Fitzhugh being stated, but the theories are also being justified throughout this document as well. Going into depth behind his theories and beliefs against the African American people. Fitzhugh describes the African American people, or a common Negro, as being improvident …show more content…

There was a population of people who felt that African Americans deserved the same rights as anybody else, like the abolitionists. In this document written by Dr. Cartwright titled Diseases and Peculiarities of the Negro Race the topic of the mental health of the African American community is mentioned and discussed. Within this document the connection between the mental health problems and religion is made, in order to fully understand why the average enslaved African American, decides to run away (Dr. Cartwright). A lot of the members of society at this time felt that the reason the slaves would run away, was because of a disease called Drapetomania. The disease that causes Negros to run away from their masters, is what Drapetomania was known as during these times. The document titled Diseases and Peculiarities of the Negro Race written by Dr. Cartwright …show more content…

Douglas refused to give his speech on July 4th of that year, stating that was not a free time for his people (Douglas). Speaking of the African American community, Douglas felt the heartfelt terms used when referring to America’s Independence Day, did not correctly describe the emotions and struggles faced by the black people of this period. Terms used that would relate directly to The Fourth of July, such as happiness, freedom, citizenship, and liberty were terms that held no value towards African Americans, at all. The African American people of this time were not free, they were not citizens, they did not portray and emotions of happiness, and did not reflect any nature of liberty towards their country. These were all tones and moods set in motion by the institution of slavery, Douglas being an abolitionist believed, that institution needed to be abolished so the country as a whole, could properly flourish (Douglas). Douglas shares a clear but clouded view of African Americans, he wanted a certain level of cooperation for his community, with a shared amount of anger and justice he also wanted to depict. Within his speech, where he addressed a population of mixed races, Douglas

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He had seen firsthand how African Americans experienced brutality growing up. He had seen this when Jess Alexander Helms a police officer brutalized a black woman, and dragged her to the jail house. He had explained it as “the way a caveman would club and drag his sexual prey”. This shows how little rights African Americans had in these days because he was unable to do anything. All of this happened while other African American individuals walked away hurriedly.

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Not obtaining the intellectual capacity as a normal white man or women. Fitzhugh states, “we presume the maddest abolitionist does not thing the negro’s providence of habits and money-making capacity at all compare to those of the whites”, meaning that they are not able to ever be or even compare to be like the whites. The white is far more superior in every way. Allowing them to live among the whites is almost a blessing according to him. Saving them from the cruel slavery in Africa, “or from idolatry and cannibalism”.

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Furthermore, he also explains that he, too, dealt with the “fugitive-slave laws, Dred Scott decision, indictment for treason, and long and dreary indictments.” By explaining that he understands the difficulties they faced, the audience knows that he understands their pain. His mentioning of their hardships allows him to declare that their “duty...is not to cavil over past grievances.” In other words, he wants his fellow African Americans to look past their difficulties and to fight with those who failed to even recognize them as citizens. By explaining that he empathizes with his audience,

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He explains that an African American man likes and does the same things as a white man, for instance when he says “Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love. I like to work, read, learn, and understand life” (l 21-22). Society doesn’t view the truth that African Americans are the same as everyone else. The speaker states “I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like the same things other folks like who are other races” (L 25-26). He explains how he feels about other races in society viewing him as being different just because he is African American (l 34-36).

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Mr. Frederick Douglass’s main point was slavery and that the celebration of Independence Day did not hold the same meaning for African Americans, free and slave, as it did for whites. He expressed that asking him to speak about the Fourth of July was a mockery. Mr. Douglass criticized the concept of celebrating independence in America. He questions how one can celebrate independence when African Americans were enslaved for years, oppressed and were not granted the same liberties and rights as those granted to whites. Mr. Douglass pointed out that slavery makes the celebrating of the Fourth of July disingenuous.

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Frederick Douglass’ speech titled “What, to the slave, is the fourth of July” perfectly works to change the audiences viewpoints on the nationwide issue of slavery. Set into the Northern town of Rochester, the abolitionist appeals to the senses of the pro emancipation group of white people gathered before him. Achieved through varied shifts in tone and different rhetorical devices, Douglass perfectly explains the pure irony that the town is conveying, exposing their hypocritical standpoint on the nation’s most freedom based holiday, the Fourth of July. Douglas opens his speech by uniting himself with the audience, making them feel as though they are part of the same social class, and almost immediately segregating them in the same breath. Douglas writes “Fellow Citizens; above your national, tumultuous joy, I hear the mournful wail of millions” revealing to

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Even if independence was established and “all men are created equal” is mentioned, it is not freedom if race changes the way people look at you and behave around you. Near the end of the speech, Douglas states that he is tired of speaking about the government because he felt that the nation itself was very hypocritical. How can one declare independence when there are individuals who treated like an item, like they are nothing but a piece of property that can be separated from their families and be transported from place to place? There was a reason why Douglas made the speech on the fifth of July and not the fourth. It was because everyone celebrated the birth of independence on that day and not everyone gained their freedom on the day of July 4, 1852.

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The article was directed towards the African American community or the Negroes to offer an alternative ideology. The sources was created in and attempt to create a new movement that would advance the negro people without compromising higher education, civil rights and self-respect. Since he is directly scrutinizing the work of a Negro man, his work can be biased and that affects the reliability of the source given. The path given to us by Booker T. Washington is an ineffective one and gives no structure to what was previously done for the past fifteen years. The source is important because you need to advocate change for the betterment of the Negroes in order for the generations to be successful in what they do.

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The author shows how the teachers as well see him in an unacceptable way. During the time of slavery, they minorities were usually tagged with the word “negro”, and it is used with the prose of this autobiography as well when Gregory refers to paydays as the “Negro

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Though America is built on strong foundations such as liberty and independence, the trials of slavery leads one to conclude that freedom for one does not necessarily mean freedom for all. In the speech “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” by Frederick Douglass, he explains how “The sunlight that brought life and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me” (Douglass n.pag). The fourth of July to a white person means a day of celebration and independence, whereas to an African American slave there was a constant reminder of the struggle they went through. Continuing on, Douglass also states how “This Fourth [of] July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn” (Douglass n.pag).

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Douglass expresses to his spectators, while they dwell in the luxurious ability to partake in this joyous celebration of freedom for a nation, not everyone in that nation is sharing in the celebration. In The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro, he writes “The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you and not by me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn” (Douglass 1).

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Would you like to know the key to success; the way that the African American race lifted themselves out of oppression? W.E.B DuBois was a man of great character and wise words. He has written many essays such as “The Talented Tenth”, “College Bred Negroes”, and “Of Booker T Washington and Others”. Many of his essays discuss African Americans and their struggle during the time of emancipation and slavery; they were written for the benefit of the underestimated race. Not only were these essays helpful to people in the 1900’s, but they are also valuable in the 21st century.

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This gives the reader a first hand look into what it was like to be an African American during the Revolutionary era. These people were viewed as a lesser race only because of the color of their skin, or as Wheatley states, the speaker’s “diabolic

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Frederick Douglass’s “What the Black Man Wants” captures the need for change in post Civil War America. The document presses the importance for change, with the mindset of the black man being, ‘if not now then never’. Parallel to this document is the letter of Jourdon Anderson, writing to his old master. Similar to Douglas, Mr. Anderson speaks of the same change and establishes his worth as freed man to his previous slave owner. These writings both teach and remind us about the evils of slavery and the continued need for equality, change, and reform.

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[were] that those of African descent do not deserve to be citizens of the American social body.” (Seaton 57). This ideology was held well into post-emancipation and people of colour were blinded and romanticized into the idea of “social responsibility” and the notion that they would be equal so long as they cooperated with white people. The idea of cooperating and working with white people “is to keep Blacks segregated from the rest of American [life]” (Seaton 57) and is symbolized through the narrator as he is “[b]lindfolded…could no longer control [his] motions. [He] had no dignity.”

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