Frederick Douglass: A Struggling Champion

Essay by ahale March 2009

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Frederick Douglass was an American abolitionist who was a very influential and inspirational person during the time of slavery and is still to this day. He was a firm believer in the equality of all people, whether black, female, American Indian, or other minority. Frederick Douglass was born in 1818 and died in 1895 - from the time that slavery was universal in America to the time it was becoming a memory. Douglass was able to free himself from slavery and through years of tireless efforts, he helped to free millions more. His life was a demonstration of courage and persistence that continues to serve as an inspiration to those who struggle in the cause of liberty and justice. Without the works and struggles of Frederick Douglass, America's society might not be where it is today.

Black children born into slavery in the 1800's didn't know that they deserved to be free or have their own civil rights.

Until becoming educated, Frederick Douglas lacked this same knowledge of freedom. Coming to this realization is what gave Douglas his inspiration to become an abolitionist. Frederick Douglass was born in February, 1818 on the eastern shore of Maryland.� After being separated from his mother when he was only a few weeks old, he was raised by his grandparents. The lives of slaves were full of hard times and sadness. Slaves were bought and sold at random. Their slaveholders consistently whipped them. Douglass describes the first time he ever witnessed a beating in his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. He says, "Before our master began whipping Aunt Hester, he took her into the kitchen, and stripped her from neck to waist, leaving her neck, shoulders, and back entirely naked. After crossing her hands, he tied them...