Frederick Douglass

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  Personal Background:
  
  
  ·       I was born in February of 1818 on the Holme Hill Farm in Talbot County, Maryland.
  
  
  ·       My father was an unknown white man, but my mother, Harriet Bailey, worked under the bitter conditions of slavery in nearby plantation fields and would sometimes venture out at night to see me as a child.
  
  
  ·       When I was only a few weeks old, I was separated from my mother and raised by my grandparents.
  
  
  ·       At about the age of six, my grandmother took me to the plantation of my master and left me there, only never being able to recover from betrayal and abandonment.
  
  
  ·       When I was about eight, I was sent to Baltimore to live as a houseboy with Hugh and Sophia Auld, relatives of my master.
  
  
  ·       Even though I did not have a formal education, my master taught me the alphabet.
  
  
  ·       I made the neighborhood boys my teachers, by giving away my food in exchange for lessons in reading and writing.
  
  
  ·       After an aborted escape attempt when I was about eighteen, I was sent back to Baltimore to live with the Auld family, and in early September, 1838, at the age of twenty, I succeeded in escaping from slavery by impersonating a sailor.
  
  
  ·       I was the first slave to stand publicly and declare my fugitive status, became a prolific lecturer, and published many newspapers during my lifetime, which were devoted to causes in the name of "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" for all.
  
  
  ·       I was internationally recognized as an uncompromising abolitionist, indefatigable worker for justice and equal opportunity, and an unyielding defender of women's rights.
  
  
  Issues:
  
  
  ·       Abolition of slavery
  
  
  o   Stance: Found support for the abolition of slavery in my audience with persuasive techniques.
  
  
  ·       Justice and equality for all
  
  
  o   Stance: I am an indefatigable and devote worker moving towards equality and justice for all.
  
  
  ·       Women’s rights
  
  
  o    Stance: Unyielding defender.
  
  
  ·       William Lloyd Garrison gave me the inspiration to challenge the government and country to reform. Because Garrison and I share common interests in reform, he served as a mentor in my life.
  
  
  Solutions:
  
  
  ·       In 1841, at an abolitionist meeting in Massachusetts I delivered a moving speech about my experiences as a slave and was immediately hired as a lecturer by the Massachusetts Anti-slavery Society.
  
  
  ·       My life as a reformer ranged from abolitionist activities in the early 1840s to my attacks on Jim Crow and lynching in the 1890s. For sixteen years I edited an influential black newspaper and achieved international fame as an orator and writer of great persuasive power.
  
  
  ·       The color of my skin created a minor obstacle because it took a great amount of persuasion for an African-American to gain American’s support for the abolition of slavery, justice and equality for all, and women’s rights.
  
  
  ·       In thousands of speeches and editorials I levied an irresistible indictment against slavery and racism, provided an indomitable voice of hope for my people, embraced antislavery politics, and preached my own brand of American ideals. In the 1850s I broke with the strictly moralist brand of abolitionism led by William Lloyd Garrison and supported the early women's rights movement.
  
  
  Relationship to others:
  
  
  ·       Abolition- I, Frederick Douglass, feel Americans should focus on the immediate abolition of slavery. Due to childhood experiences, my fellow African-Americans do not deserve to endure slave cruelty.
  
  
  ·        Women’s Rights- Although I fought for equality and liberty for all, women’s rights were a high priority
  
  
  ·        Lydia Marie Child and William Lloyd Garrison would be among my top supporters in abolishing slavery in the United States.
  
  
  ·       I am in direct opposition to Lyman Beecher and his gradual process in the abolishment of slavery in the United States. This is an institution that must be removed in order to achieve an ideal society for all.
  
  
  ~Muñoz