Colin Poole (2239 words) Essay Example For Students

Colin Poole (2239 words) Essay Colin Poole HIST 308 First Paper Throughout the Antebellum era,one issue that large in part contributed to the political and social climate of the era was the issue of slavery in the United States. This would be the subject of bitter debate over the years,culminating in the American Civil War. Before that,numerous writers and orators,both black and white,wrote and spoke on the issue,some with more moderate,peaceful views,and some with more militant,at times violent views regarding the issue of slavery. One of the more peaceful voices of the discussion was Frederick Douglass. Born into slavery,Douglass escaped his enslavement in Maryland as a young man. Upon arriving in New York,he married Anne Murray,and theysettled in New Bedford,MA to begin their life together. As Douglass became older,he became a prominent voice of the abolitionist,becoming a leader in both New York and Massachusetts. Douglass quickly became famous for incredible talent for oration,and for his passion and measure in fighting slavery. Regarded as perhaps the most prominent black abolitionist of his day,Frederick Douglass impacted the abolitionist movement and societys view of black Americans ina remarkable,reverberating way,and redefined the way American slavery literature was written. Frederick Douglass began writing and speaking during a time when the division within the Union was prominent for all to see.At this time,Douglass had a heavy hand in bringing attention to the debate of slavery.Douglass accomplished muchthroughout his life.Born aslave in 1817in Maryland,heeducated himself and became determined to escape the atrocities of slavery.Douglassattempted to escape slavery once,but failed.He later made hissuccessful escape in 1838.After settling in New Bedford,Douglasss abolitionist careerbegan at an antislavery convention at Nantucket,Massachusetts.Here,he first demonstrated his skills as a powerful and eloquent orator.Douglass became involved with many importantabolitionistcauses,through his literary works,through his work with theUndergroundRailroad (Aptheker, 1989).Due to theincreasing stringency of fugitive slave laws,Douglass found himselfin danger ofbeing captured and returned to slavery.To avoid this,he left America,and stayed in the British Isles.The re he lectured on slavery,and found similar popularity among abolition-minded British people. Some of these peopleraised money topurchase his freedom.In 1847,Douglass relocated to Rochester,New York,and becamethe person in charge of the Underground Railroad.Here he also began the abolitionistnewspaper North Star,which he edited until 1860(Bowers, 2010). During this period,Douglass became friends with another well-known Americanabolitionist,John Brown.Brown was involved with the Underground Railroad,and laterwanted Douglass to join him on terroristic attacks on a United States government arsenalat Harpers Ferry.Douglass declined to participate in such activities.In the aftermath of John Browns attack on Harpers Ferry,Douglass fled for a time to Canada,fearing that his association with John Brown could threaten him.He returnedafter several months,and supported AbrahamLincolns campaign for president.FrederickDouglass remained a prominent figure of black abolitionismbefore dying in 1895,inWashington,D.C(Aptheker, 1989). Frederick Douglasss life as a slavenaturallyhad the greatest impact on his writings.With his experiences,Douglasss experience as a former slave allowed him to paint a rather vivid picture for his audiences the cruelty the life of a slave was fraught with.Douglass recounted cruel instances ofwhippings,inadequate meals,and other harshtreatmentin a detailed way.His thirst for freedom,and his burning hatred of slavery caused him to writeNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass,and other similarworks.InhisNarrative,Douglass wrote the complete story of his miserablelife as a slave and his strife to obtain freedom.Douglasss youthful motivationwas to make it through another day so that someday he might seefreedomeventually.This would,unsurprisingly,become the subject of Douglasss writings. While these books all start with Douglasscoping with slavery,though as he was noted for his strong communication skills his writings served another purpose.As acommittedabolitionist,Douglass presented the brutality and inhumanity of slavery in an eloquent,urgent,and convincing way.Through telling his story,he won the hearts and minds of many who found themselves disgusted by the abhorrent institution of human enslavement(McFeely, 2011). Technology and Education Essay Bontemps,Arna.100 Years Of Negro Freedom.Westport,Connecticut: GreenwoodPress,Publishers,1980. Bowers, Jerome.Frederick Douglass, Accessed June 3, 2010. Douglass, Frederick.Frederick Douglass: Selected speeches and writings.Chicago Review Press, 2000.pp.260-71. McFeeley,William.Frederick Douglass.New York: W.W.Norton Company,1991.