In order to undermine their ability to rebel, legislators deprived slaves of their ability to be literate. The South Carolina Act of 1740, a reaction to the Stono Rebellion, was the first act that limited slaves’ literacy. The Virginia Revised Code of 1819 states that any meetings or schools that teach slaves reading and/or writing “shall be deemed and considered an unlawful assembly” (“Original Documents”). Literacy of slaves was limited in order to take away their sense of possibility and prevent them from advocating for their freedom and equal treatment.
Summary of Evidence:
Illiteracy prevented slaves from mobilizing and collaborating and being able to use the law to their advantage slave acts that were passed about the literacy of slaves
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He was born a slave, however escaped from slavery 1838 to New York, where he declared himself a free man (“People”). Frederick Douglass advocated for the freedom of slaves by giving speeches and creating his newspapers. His newspapers were abolitionist papers such as, The North Star, Frederick Douglass Weekly, Frederick Douglass’ Paper, Douglass’ Monthly, and New National Era (“Frederick Douglass Civil Rights Activist”). He also advocated for equal treatment of emancipated slaves. Frederick Douglass is an important example of how literacy would benefit slaves. He wrote a book called Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave about his life as a slave. In the book, after gaining the ability to read and write, he stated “freedom now appeared, to disappear no more forever” (30). He is saying that being literate would open up all kinds of possibilities for slaves, whether it be sending letters or writing fake emancipation passes to gain freedom. Frederick Douglass shows that he believes literacy is essential to slaves’ progress, because without literacy, slaves will continue to be inferior to white men, taking away any sense of