There is clear evidence to show the existence of the contented slave. The speech, which was reprinted in the National Antislavery Standard on May 22, 1845, appears below. 20). He describes an event in which anoverseer shoots a slave for not following a command and when asked to defend his actions “[h]e argued that if one slave refused to be corrected, and escaped with his life, the other slaves would soon copy the example; the result of which would be, the freedom of the slaves, and the enslavement of the whites.” (Douglass 1845, p.23) This defence was considered to be satisfactory by the slave owner which suggests that they believe that their current structure of society could easily be broken. However, in contrast he also spoke of how the slaves would ‘mutually execrate their masters when viewed separately,” (Douglass 1845, p.20) presenting that while they may not have understood why what their slaveowners were doing was wrong, they understood that they did not like this treatment. 11). Douglass also attempts to illustrate the cruelty of slavery in the Inhumanity of Slavery in which he argues that it is clear that slavery is cruel due to the fact that there were laws in the slave towns prohibiting slaveowners from abusing their slaves. The image he sketches is graphic, describing his body as “mangled,” one eye “nearly knocked out of its socket.”. He gives an account of an event in which his master brings another slave home, strips her to the waist, ties her up, and whips her. This would therefore suggest that they did not actually see it as a natural structure to society and therefore this sentimental argument may be effective. Registered office: Venture House, Cross Street, Arnold, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG5 7PJ. Since Frederick Douglass was unable to support his argument with data and research, his logical appeals were often from common knowledge. In chapter twenty, Douglass addresses this question and makes a sophisticated critique of the economics of slavery. Douglass compares himself to an ox used for plowing while with Covey, suggesting that his only use was as brute strength (Ch. Frederick Douglass, being a former slave in the American south, offered one definition … Company Registration No: 4964706. Douglass drew on the tradition of natural law in his argument against slavery. In both cases, it works to deprive the people of the true value of their work for profit of the owner. His speeches and articles helped … We've received widespread press coverage since 2003, Your UKEssays purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on reviews.co.uk. The feeling was very bitter toward all colored people in Baltimore, about this time, (1836,) and they—free and slave—suffered all manner of insult and wrong. The argument that Douglass is putting forward here is the fact that slavery does not belong in the United States because it is not a liberal concept and the United States as a country is liberal. He attempts to demonstrate this in the Narrative by describing some of the horrific experiences he witnessed. Ultimately Douglass argues that “slavery is alike the sin and shame of the American people; it is a blot upon the American name.” (Douglass 1855, p.346). His wife began to educate Douglass by teaching him how to read. It was only after becoming educated that Douglass learnt of the true injustice of his existence, he “now understood what had been to [him] a most perplexing difficulty [..] the white man’s power to enslave the black man.” (Douglass 1845, p.33) This leads one to question, if a slave lacks this knowledge, are they free, and if so, then is slavery all that cruel? After escaping from slavery, Frederick Douglass published his own Narrative (1845) to argue against slavery and for emancipation. In this essay I have discussed two of the key arguments against slavery that Douglass puts forward in the Narrative. This essay is not an endorsement of any political party or statement. PIED 1601- Freedom, Power and Resistance: An Introduction to Political IdeasTITLE How successful is the argument against slavery that Douglass makes in the Narrative, and what (if any) its implications for society today?In this essay I will analyse Douglass arguments against slavery, beginning with his argument that slavery is cruel and therefore wrong. Douglass sees explaining this as an “important element in the overthrow of the slave system” (Ch. In chapter twenty, Douglass returns to Baltimore after his time with Covey where he performed field labor, generally considered the most basic of labor. Study for free with our range of university lectures! (2020 Summer) ENGL 152W: Readings in American Literature, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International, Frederick Douglass’ Economic Critique of Racism in My Bondage, My Freedom, Frederick Douglass’ “Second Sight” and his Philosophical Critique of Slavery, Theory of Man. But, with characteristic dread of offending the slaveholders, these poor, white mechanics in Mr. Gardiner’s ship-yard—instead of applying the natural, honest remedy for the apprehended evil, and objecting at once to work there by the side of slaves—made a cowardly attack upon the free colored mechanics, saying they were eating the bread which should be eaten by American freemen, and swearing that they would not work with them. Douglass describes another event which exposed that slaveowners may not have seen slavery as the natural structure to society. Douglass questions whether “the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in the Declaration of Independence, extended to [the slaves] us?” (Douglass 1852, p.4) and speaks of how their celebrations of independence only further reveals the difference between the freeman and the slaves. This entry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. February 22, 2021 | No Comments No Comments The document explained from his point of view, that he was treated “perfectly” fine as a house slave before slavery came into full effect. Douglass's arguments against the horrible institution of slavery are embedded in the telling of these experiences. Registered Data Controller No: Z1821391. If working-class people were able to bring about emancipation, Douglass reasons, it would bring a bout a more economically fair world for everyone, including white (and non-Black) workers. Douglass does not use persuasive arguments and loud words. So, while they did not understand that they were unfree, they still felt that they were being treated with cruelty, hence meaning that Douglass’ argument would still stand. This is revealed from his arguments and examples he has given that condemn this act. The use of this idea that slaves were sub-human can be seen in the Supreme Court case of Dred Scot vs Stanford, in which a slave attempted to sue, however, the Chief Justice ruled that the slave was not a full man and therefore did not possess the rights granted under the Constitution, and hence  had no right to sue anyone. The history of Western democracy and republicanism places a firm emphasis on justice and social progress, which Douglass argued must have subsequently influenced the general ideas of America’s founding documents.
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