Frederick Douglass
How did Frederick Douglass impact slavery?
Who is Frederick Douglass ?
Frederick Douglass was an African American social reformer ,orator, abolitionist, writer, and statesman. He married a woman named Anna Murray-Douglass who helped him escape slavery. Once he escaped , he moved and changed his last name to Johnson, but one of his friends told him that there are already a lot of Johnsons, so he changed his name to Douglas from Walter Scott's poem,"Lady of the Lake" and added another "s" to it.
What started his abolitionist movement?
When he was a young boy, he felt that him not being able to read or write was depriving him of his freedom ,so he learned how to read from his master's wife until she got in trouble then from poor white children for food . He also started reading a newspaper called,"The Liberator" and one of the authors said some inspiring words that Douglass took to heart. He was also invited to the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society to speak about his experience as a slave and his escaped. He was surprised that the people actually sat up and listened.Since he wasn't a free man, Douglass had to move from the US to England,Ireland, and Scotland. Finally, Ellen Richardson purchased his freedom from Hugh and Thomas Auld for $1250
What were his thoughts on slavery and did he have any mentors?
Frederick Douglass wanted to end slavery in all its forms and promote the moral and intellectual improvement of colored people. His mentor was William Lloyd Garrison until their relationship went down hill.Since not all of their beliefs were the same, they didn't talk about everything together. Garrison's religious views were more suspect(hanging around Quakers,Unitarians and holiness perfectionist) while Douglass more of a theological orthodox.He also talked to Abraham Lincoln about ending slavery.
Fighter for Freedom: The Frederick Douglass Story
Accomplishments and Motivating Quotes
Fredrick Douglass wrote autobiographies about his life in slavery called,"My Bondage and My Freedom","Life and Times of Frederick Douglass".He gave hundreds of speeches and wrote books about his life and how he was treated"Poverty,ignorance,and degradation are the combined evils,those constitute the social disease of the free colored people of the US"-Frederick Douglass He also had three keys for success:Take advantage of every opportunity,Use the power of spoken and written language to effect positively change for yourself and society.