ipl-logo

Research Paper On Frederick Douglass

934 Words4 Pages

n this autobiography, Frederick Douglass narrated his life as a slave. Douglass wrote this autobiography so that people could learn about the horrific things he witnessed and experienced as a slave. He talked about the conditions he lived in, and the way his masters treated him. Throughout the book, Douglass describes the process of becoming free; both physically and mentally. III. Life as a slave was tough. Slaves had very little knowledge of everything. Douglass for example, did not know his birthday nor age (1). He also did not know who his dad was, all Douglass knew was that his father was white. Rumors went around saying that his father was also his master, but those rumors were never one-hundred percent confirmed (2). Slaves were not …show more content…

Slaves got very little, horrible tasting food, which led them to starvation. The most fortunate slaves got three types of clothing items per year: two shirts, a pair of pants, and a pair of shoes (10). The not so fortunate ones, children for example, only got shirts. No shoes, no pants, nothing else!!! Douglass also says that they did not have beds. The closest thing they had to a bed was a blanket (11). During the coldest nights, Douglass would “crawl into this bag” and sleep there (29). In the mornings, slaves were expected to rise at the sound of a horn. If for some reason a slave did not get up quickly, the overseer would be “ready to whip anyone” …show more content…

He once saw his master whip a woman while her children where begging him to stop (11). If slaves disobeyed their masters rules, they would be punished. This happened to his aunt Hester, she went out one evening when her master requested her presence. When she was found, she was stripped of her clothes and tied to a hook. The master started to whip her until “red blood came dripping to the floor” (6). This happened when Douglass was quite young. The worst part was that the masters took “great pleasure in whipping a slave” (4). Another horrible event that Douglass witnessed was seeing his brother get stomped on by Master Andrew “till the blood gushed from his nose and ears” (49). He also experienced a beating himself when he did not take off his clothes when his master ordered him to. His master “lashed” him “till he had worn out his switches, cutting” him “so savagely as to leave marks visible for a long time after” (62). Douglass used situations he experienced to prove that the life of a slave was

Show More
Related
439 Words | 2 Pages

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.

Read More
697 Words | 3 Pages

Introduction: The book Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass was a book about Frederick and his experience of slavery. Frederick’s mom was a slave when he was born so Frederick was born a slave. Frederick was separated from his mom at a very young age and his dad is most likely Frederick’s master. Fredericks early years working as a slave wasn’t as hard as everyone else’s because he was still young and serves in a house rather than working in a field.

Read More
825 Words | 4 Pages

For example, if a slave wasn’t working properly in his or her post then they were whipped. In chapter two Frederick Douglass says “Mr. Severe, the overseer, used to stand by the door of the quarter, armed with a large hickory stick and heavy cowskin, ready to whip any one who was so unfortunate as

Read More
1502 Words | 7 Pages

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass, is a poignant account of his experiences as a slave in America. Born in Tuckahoe, Douglass, like most slaves, knew neither his birthday nor his father, although some suspected his master, Captain Anthony, of fulfilling the role of the latter. After the death of Captain Anthony, Hugh and Sophia Auld became Douglass’s new owners. Sophia taught Douglass the alphabet, after which he secretly continued to get lessons on how to read and write from the little white boys on the street. During his time in Baltimore, Douglass began to feel dissatisfied with the notion of being a slave for life, and his secret education only fueled his desire to escape.

Read More
1080 Words | 5 Pages

In “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, Douglass narrates in detail the oppressions he went through as a slave before winning his freedom. In the narrative, Douglass gives a picture about the humiliation, brutality, and pain that slaves go through. We can evidently see that Douglass does not want to describe only his life, but he uses his personal experiences and life story as a tool to rise against slavery. He uses his personal life story to argue against common myths that were used to justify the act of slavery. Douglass invalidated common justification for slavery like religion, economic argument and color with his life story through his experiences torture, separation, and illiteracy, and he urged for the end of slavery.

Read More
966 Words | 4 Pages

These speeches were a key factor in his success in spreading awareness about the hardships of slavery. In 1845, Douglass wrote and published his first autobiography, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,” which revealed his horrific past along with his escape to a new life. This script was a powerful tool, spreading worldwide awareness about slavery, and helped him further progress his fight against slavery. The detailed stories revealed in the book caused readers to second guess Douglass, assuming a former slave could not write with such elegance.

Read More
747 Words | 3 Pages

They worked in harsh conditions with little to no breaks and only stopped if told to. They also had little to no clothes "In hottest summer and coldest winter, I was kept almost naked--no shoes, no stockings, no jacket, no trousers, nothing on but a coarse to linen shirt, reaching only to my knees.”(pg. 23) The masters of slave wanted everything to be done the right way and if this were not done how they wanted it the slaves got in trouble and were punished. What was hard for Douglass was that his master was his father and his mother was a slave.

Read More
622 Words | 3 Pages

Douglass' life took place in a time where the white man ruled over the black folk, and made the whole race slaves. The lacks were not given any sort of education, on the other hand whites were given an opportunity to learn. "... It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but offered no ladder upon which to get out." (Douglass 36)

Read More
630 Words | 3 Pages

Douglass shares that slaves are not equal. In chapter 2, Douglass describes what his life as a slave was like. Douglass states "Their yearly clothing consisted of two coarse linen shirts, one pair of linen trousers, like the shirts, one jacket, one pair of trousers for the winter" (page 38). This shows that slaves don't get what they need/deserve because the limited amount of clothes is not enough for the whole year. This shows that they are not equal to the privileged whites.

Read More
734 Words | 3 Pages

In the darkest time of the United States, Frederick Douglass, an American slave, saw first-hand the horrors of slavery. Seeing this sent him on a mission to escape from slavery to the north, but several moments in his life changed his mission either for the better or the worst. Several turning points in Frederick Douglass’s life, including his unexpected move to Baltimore, and his time in Edward Covey’s farm shaped his aggression and attitude toward slavery. The first turning point occurred when Douglass was unexpectedly moved to Mr. Hugh Auld in Baltimore, Maryland.

Read More
498 Words | 2 Pages

Douglass tells about his own childhood and how his father might have been a slaveholder. He explains

Read More
573 Words | 3 Pages

The book says, “There were no beds given to the slaves, unless one coarse blanket be considered such.” This explains that the slaves only had one little blinked no matter how cold the night was. The text says, “They find less difficulty from the want of beds, than from the want of time to sleep.” This means that Douglass doesn’t really care about the want of beds and blankets but he does about the amount of sleep that he gets. Finally, the article states, “I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.”

Read More
301 Words | 2 Pages

In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass's battle with his master Covey is a turning point in his career as a slave in that he resolves to no longer be docile and subservient as a slave. In fighting back against Covey, Douglass frees his mind from the psychological effects of slavery. Douglass's battle with Covey marks the end of Douglass being obedient and not questioning the word of authority like he was brought up to do. Douglass vows that "the white man who expected to succeed in whipping, must also succeed in killing me." (Douglass, 83) By refusing the role of an obedient slave, Douglass also refuses the slave mindset and liberates himself.

Read More
1294 Words | 6 Pages

SUMMARY Frederick Douglass was born into slavery, taken away from his mother as an infant, and raised on Colonel Lloyd’s large plantation, under Captain Anthony. He was not allowed to know his birthdate, as slaves were to be treated as less than human. Even as a child, he knew of the brutal treatment of slaves, particularly by Mr. Austin Gore and Mr. Severe. The slaves were given the bare minimum required to survive, and beaten, whipped, and, on one particular occasion that Frederick Douglass mentions, shot dead.

Read More
738 Words | 3 Pages

Frederick Douglass was born black to a black mother and a white father, neither of which he was very close with. His mother, Harriet Bailey, worked for a man named Mr. Stewart. The only times Douglass saw his mother were a couple times during the night when she would walk 12 miles from the plantation she worked on to his home. Douglass never knew his father, but there were rumors that he was a slave master. Douglass spent the majority of his childhood as a slave, surrounded by the harsh treatment of his fellow slaves and poor conditions on the farms.

Read More

More about Research Paper On Frederick Douglass

Open Document