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Why Did Frederick Douglass Continue His Education

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In the mid-1800s, slaveholders believed that education and slavery were incompatible with one another because at the time, mixing the two would be dangerous for not only slaveholders but for slaves themselves. Douglass describes this fear of danger in his mistress, who changed her attitude towards Douglass’s education as she seemed to also become amxious and fearful of her husband, Master Hugh. Slaveholders believed that if all slaves began to understand their human rights and question why they were property, they would rebel, becoming a danger to their owners and eventually spread anguish throughout the slave population. Although Douglass seemed to experience some of this anguish, he was determined to continue his education throughout his life. Throughout his life, Douglass took advantage of many small opportunities to strengthen his reading and writing skills. After he was first denied an education by his mistress, Douglass would give extra bread from his property to the poor and hungry white children around town; in return, they would give him reading lessons. Douglass also …show more content…

Because of his education, he formed a hatred towards slaveholders and was discontented with his wasted life as a slave. In his essay, Douglass expressed that the thought of freedom may have been the only thing that kept him hopeful through his anguish. If slaves, like Douglass, were able to question their rights to freedom, or successfully argue and fight their way out of slavery, the institution of slavery would crumble. Douglass was an example of what slaveholders feared: that education and slavery, when mixed, were dangerous to both slaves and the institution of slavery. Douglass’s used his education to fight out of slavery, and eventually become an example of past and modern battles to promote

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Here, Douglass expresses his sadness of the fact that slave owners would refuse the education to any slave, claiming that it would just damage the slave even more. This was just one way of eliminating any possibility of a slave to try to compete against a slave

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Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass is one individual who most completely fits the definition of a “great” individual. His entire life was dedicated to breaking down the walls that separated any person from their given rights. This historic figure greatly increased the strength of the abolitionist movement, Douglass’s greatest passion, with his writing and oration. Frederick Douglass began life as a slave but rose to become a Presidential advisor and ambassador. This figure is important due to his legacy in history, personal ideals, and the audiences that listened.

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This self-education was a critical step in his journey towards freedom and advocacy. Douglass recognized that knowledge and education were the key to breaking free from the chains of slavery and empowering himself and his fellow slaves. Through his writing and speeches, Douglass became one of the most influential voices of his time, advocating for the abolition of slavery and the rights of African Americans. Both Montag and Douglass show that education can be a powerful tool for transformation and liberation. Through education, they gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them, and they are able to challenge the oppressive systems that seek to limit their

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Confidence Begins with Determination In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass himself talks about the endurance he had to go through being a slave and the determination he had to break free and earn the education he wanted. Throughout the story, Douglass explains what he had to go through between the hunger and getting beaten living a life of a slave. Douglass says that it would be a blessing, rather than a curse. From the beginning to the end, Douglass had not been a different person when he went through slavery.

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Frederick Douglass in his narrative “Why I learned to Read and Write” demonstrates how he surpassed many obstacles along the way towards getting an education. These obstacles not only shaped Frederick’s outlook on life but also influenced him in his learning to read and write. Frederick’s main challenge was that of not being an owner of his person but rather a slave and a property to someone else. Frederick Douglass lived in the time when slavery was still taking place and slaveholders viewed slavery and education as incompatible. The slave system didn’t allow mental or physical freedom for slaves; slaveholders were to keep the apt appearance and slaves were to remain ignorant.

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465 Words | 2 Pages

The mid- to late-nineteenth century was a dark time for slaves in the United States of America. There was a constant struggle for power and social standing in the South, and slaves, were caught in the middle. In order for Frederick Douglass to free himself from the educational and spiritual darkness of slavery, it was essential for him to learn to read and write. Throughout his childhood Douglass was passionate about his need for education.

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According to Mistress Hugh, “education and slavery were incompatible with each other” (Douglass, 33). Although Mistress Hugh had stopped teaching Douglass how to read, the seed of knowledge had already been planted. In the years that followed, his hunger for knowledge did not dissipate. Douglass devised various methods to learn to read and write in very clever ways.

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Douglass acquired a deep passion to educate himself and other slaves, as their slave owners fought heavily to prevent slaves from obtaining any knowledge. As a result, he comes a leader throughout the population of slaves and a “trouble maker” to the handlers. Douglass thus is moved to several different plantations, and after an agreement with his owner, Hugh Ault,

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793 Words | 4 Pages

Education gives hope for Douglass’s life since he began to truly understand what goes on in slavery. As he figured out more about the topic, his self motivation poured out hope in his life. As Frederick saw an opportunity to become

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African-American slaves were forbidden to obtain the knowledge of being able to read or write, stemming from the fear of white masters that educated slaves will overpower them. Douglass managed to learn to read by bribing poor and hungry white boys into teaching him in exchange for bits of bread. Douglass illustrates his thirst for literacy through “[The] bread [he] used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins, who, in return, would give [him] that more valuable bread of knowledge” (pg 23). This reveals how much Douglass valued education and took advantage of all the knowledge he had access to. Today’s youth, especially the ones belonging to a minority

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502 Words | 3 Pages

She taught him until she was told to stop. Next Douglass gave food to some of the boys from a school in change of teaching him to read. Even though the task might seem so simple for the slaveholders, slaves like Douglass sometimes found was around their

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973 Words | 4 Pages

Because of this, he successfully creates a contrast between what the slave owners think of and treat the slaves and how they are. Douglass says that slave’s minds were “starved by their cruel masters”(Douglass, 48) and that “they had been shut up in mental darkness” (Douglass, 48) and through education, something that they were deprived of, Frederick Douglass is able to open their minds and allow them to flourish into the complex people that they are. By showing a willingness to learn to read and write, the slaves prove that they were much more than what was forced upon them by their masters.

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1727 Words | 7 Pages

With all the knowledge he was gaining, he began to comprehend everything around him. The things he was learning fascinated him, but the “more [he] read, the more [he] was led to abhor and detest [his] enslavers”(Douglass 35); however, that should not be viewed as a negative affect but a positive one. No one should want to be deceived for their entire life. This hatred that he built up motivated him to continue to further educate himself. As a result, he later motivated other slaves to earn an education by having “[availed] themselves to [an] opportunity to learn to read” (Douglass 69) by Douglass teaching them every Sunday.

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836 Words | 4 Pages

Furthermore, Education opened Douglass’s eyes to the reality of his injustice as a slave; thus, compelling him to action as he recalls, “In moments of agony, I envied my fellow-slaves for their stupidity. ”(Douglass, 2014, p.133) Education caused Douglass heartache. While attaining his education benefited Douglass, he could not relate to his fellow slaves. The fellow slaves had the ability to remain content with their current state of being since it was all they had ever known. Douglass knew otherwise and longed for the forbidden life as a free man, as it changed from an unattainable idea into an achievable

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1673 Words | 7 Pages

Douglass is always curious and he never gives up even when he finds several obstacles in his way, because he perfectly knows what his goal is: he needs an education to get his freedom. He is determined to get it even though it requires a lot of hard work. Douglass is sure of the potential of education. As a matter of fact he knows well that knowlegde can change his life while leading him to freedom. Douglass has both the motivation and the determination because he is aware that owing to education he can get to great places in his life, and that education makes the world a better place

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