Frederick Douglass
In American history, the abolitionist movement had a particularly large influence on its society in the 19th century. One of its main triggers is considered to be the Second Great Awakening which was a religious revival era in the early 1800s. This reform spread through the Northeast and Midwest especially, bringing back the temporarily-lost religious influence on Americans that brought them to this continent in the first place. It converted countless numbers of people to new sects of religion such as Methodism, Baptism, and Mormonism. However, some historians could argue that perhaps the most important outcome of the Second Great Awakening was the rise of the abolitionist movement. With preachers everywhere promoting equality guaranteed by Christianity and its Bible, it is not surprising that people (white population) began to question the morality of slavery. Northerners asked, "Does the Bible prohibit the act of slavery?", while the Southerners retorted, "Does the Bible not allow freedom of property which includes slaves?".
Among the numerous leaders of abolitionism, Frederick Douglass became known as one of the most famous men that advocated for emancipation. Douglass was born into slavery as a child, sometime around 1818, in Talbot Count, Maryland. Both his parents had trivial influence in his childhood and at around the age of ten, he was bought into the home of Hugh Auld in Baltimore, Maryland. There, Douglass was taught the bare basics of reading and writing the English language by Auld's wife. Although Auld banned his wife from illegally educating him when he found out, it is safe to say that Douglass's intellect originated from this period of his life.
At the age of 20, Douglass was able to escape slavery with the help of his later wife, Anna Murray. Together, they settled into a thriving free black community in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He became an active member of a black church and gave countless numbers of speeches for abolitionist cause as part of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. At this point, he was also a proud subscriber to William Lloyd Garrison's The Liberator (impressed by Douglass, Garrison actually featured him in multiple articles of the newspaper). After the publication of his autobiography, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, in 1845, he briefly traveled to England where he disseminated anti-slavery sentiments. He returned to the States as a free man after locals, heavily influenced by his stories, gathered enough funds to purchase him freedom.
By the Civil War era, anyone would have come across the name "Frederick Douglass" at one point in their lives. He was one of the most famous black men in the United States of America. Following the war and Lincoln's famous Emancipation Proclamation, he held a great amount of government official positions. He first served as the president of Freedman's Savings Bank for two years. He was then named the marshal and recorder of deeds for the District of Columbia by the Republican Party. But perhaps his most accomplished role in politics appeared when he was nominated for vice president as Victoria Woodhull's running mate, for the Equal Rights Party in 1872.
By the time of his death in February of 1895, Frederick Douglass left an unforgettable presence in the American society. His story of escape and tireless devotion to the abolitionist cause inspired many blacks and whites to keep pursuing their dreams. He changed the way many white people perceived blacks by proving that education and intellect was not a possibility just for them. He loyally stood by many other reform groups that sought for the same equality as himself, such as the feminists; in fact, his death occurred right after he attended a meeting for the National Council of Women. He is currently buried in the Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, NY.
Among the numerous leaders of abolitionism, Frederick Douglass became known as one of the most famous men that advocated for emancipation. Douglass was born into slavery as a child, sometime around 1818, in Talbot Count, Maryland. Both his parents had trivial influence in his childhood and at around the age of ten, he was bought into the home of Hugh Auld in Baltimore, Maryland. There, Douglass was taught the bare basics of reading and writing the English language by Auld's wife. Although Auld banned his wife from illegally educating him when he found out, it is safe to say that Douglass's intellect originated from this period of his life.
At the age of 20, Douglass was able to escape slavery with the help of his later wife, Anna Murray. Together, they settled into a thriving free black community in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He became an active member of a black church and gave countless numbers of speeches for abolitionist cause as part of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. At this point, he was also a proud subscriber to William Lloyd Garrison's The Liberator (impressed by Douglass, Garrison actually featured him in multiple articles of the newspaper). After the publication of his autobiography, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, in 1845, he briefly traveled to England where he disseminated anti-slavery sentiments. He returned to the States as a free man after locals, heavily influenced by his stories, gathered enough funds to purchase him freedom.
By the Civil War era, anyone would have come across the name "Frederick Douglass" at one point in their lives. He was one of the most famous black men in the United States of America. Following the war and Lincoln's famous Emancipation Proclamation, he held a great amount of government official positions. He first served as the president of Freedman's Savings Bank for two years. He was then named the marshal and recorder of deeds for the District of Columbia by the Republican Party. But perhaps his most accomplished role in politics appeared when he was nominated for vice president as Victoria Woodhull's running mate, for the Equal Rights Party in 1872.
By the time of his death in February of 1895, Frederick Douglass left an unforgettable presence in the American society. His story of escape and tireless devotion to the abolitionist cause inspired many blacks and whites to keep pursuing their dreams. He changed the way many white people perceived blacks by proving that education and intellect was not a possibility just for them. He loyally stood by many other reform groups that sought for the same equality as himself, such as the feminists; in fact, his death occurred right after he attended a meeting for the National Council of Women. He is currently buried in the Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, NY.
I appreciate the effort you put into writing this, and I thought you did a good job of connecting the Second Great Awakening with growing abolitionist sentiment. After doing some research myself on Frederick Douglass, I found out that he also worked with Susan B. Anthony and President Lincoln to abolish slavery. Him working with other leading figures further demonstrates his importance as an abolitionist. Source:
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ReplyDeleteThis is a really insightful post about Frederick Douglass- I had always seen him as a significant figure in the abolitionist movement, but never knew he had such a huge impact and role in the national government. It is truly amazing that an African-American, even in a time of racial conflict, was able to rise up against those harsh conditions and truly create a voice for himself in society at the time. Did you happen to read about any of the reactions to his papers in the North and South? I'm curious to see how society at the time felt about his writings.
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