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Frederick Douglass

By Team Great

Born: 1818 in Maryland

Died: 1895 in Washington D.C.

He was born to a slave and a white man.

He lived with his grandparents.

At the age of six Frederick's grandmother took and left him at a plantation.

He would give bread to poor boys in exchange for reading lessons

He helped two Irish sailors who convinced him to run away to the North.

At local towns he would create a contest.

On who could write the best. Eventually he could write the dictionary.

Frederick was self-educated and met the fulfillment of Hugh Aulds' predictions of unhappiness.

A main event in Douglass life was meeting with the Columbian Orator a text book for college at the time. Which caused him to realize the injustice of slavery.

He would get beat up with his brother at least once a week up until his brothers death.

Auld's horse runs away and Douglass went to go get and then eats a full meal at the neighbors farm. After happening a few times Auld's decided to rent him out to the neighbors farm.

He arrived in Covey's Farm on January 1,

1833, he was forced to work in the fields for the first time. He had to guide a team of unbroken oxen and plow the fields.

Unlike most slave owners the Covey's work in the Field with the slaves. Mr. Covey would crawl through the cornfield to catch the slaves sleeping so he was given the nickname "snake."

Douglass lost his desire to learn and be cheerful. He taught about killing himself or even

Mr. Covey. He was restricted by hope and fear.

Covey finds Douglass in the stable and tries to tie him up. Douglass fights back so Covey calls two other slaves to help him but the slaves refuse. Douglass tells Covey that he will not stand being treated like an animal.

Covey and Douglass fight for two hours after which Covey brags that he beat Douglass even though he didn't even lay a hand on him.

Douglass ran away to New York City, then to New Bedfork, Massachusetts, where he worked as a laborer for three years.

At an anti-slavery convention in 1841,

Douglass was invited to describe his feelings and experiences under slavery. His remarks were so powerful that he was asked to start a new career as an agent for the

Massachusetts

Anti-Slavery Society.

People believed the Douglass was all talk and no experience so to counter skeptics he wrote an autobiography in 1845 called

Life And Times OF Frederick Douglass .

Douglass traveled to speak in Great Britain,

Ireland, and many other European countries.

Douglass came back with enough money to buy his freedom and start an anti-slavery newspaper which ran from 1847-1860.

During the Civil War Douglass was a consultant for Abraham Lincoln, stating that slaves that were in the North should be armed and make a stance against slavery.

After the war Douglass served as assistant secretary of the Santo Domingo Commission

(1871) and in District of Columbia he was the

Marshal (1877-1881) , finally he was appointed U.S. Minister and Consul General to Haiti (1889-1891)

Purpose

• Hardships often come with many blessings along the way. Frederick Douglass had his fair share of trials in his lifetime, struggling with the all so detrimental act of slavery. Though the white field owners did need to have people assist with the tending of their large fields, the manner in which they went about obtaining workers was cruel and unusual. At the time, the newly kidnapped African-Americans had no rights. Being taken from their own countries and brought to America, they were not viewed as highly as were others. They valued their lives and their rights, but they weren’t given the rights which white persons had. The continuous challenge of being educated, having paid work, and the ability to have things of value challenged the black people. Their values, ideas, and practices were looked down upon, including their love of music, God, and other practices. Although they did follow God, the White people felt the God which they worshiped was a separate God, a higher God.

• In our current world, many of the beliefs which past African-American cultures held are the ones which we practice and agree with today. The ideas of equal rights, equal property, and a love for all men included. The challenge still continues to find a level of fairness for each individual. Is there a level of fairness or is there a point at which a person must act and work for themselves to get out of the situation they are in? We feel that it is a little of both. With the practice of selfless service in our modern work as well as dedication, we can all work like Frederick Douglass and many black slaves did, from the ground up. To build from the ground up we must be willing to learn, experience the rises and the falls and take risks.

Purpose Continued

• Each person on this earth is of value. Whether to God, their own family, or an individual in which their life has made an impact, each life has meaning. We chose to elaborate on Mr. Frederick Douglass’ life and desire to attain an education and freedom, and also for his courage. Even though he was not able to go to school he still did everything he could to learn. He was not a quitter, in fact he was a do anything necessary to obtain what he desires type of individual. He valued the gift of knowledge and of learning and was not going to allow outside sources derail his dreams. He learned about anything and everything, this was especially beneficial towards his love of writing, which eventually became the focal point and focus of his career. He may not have gone to college but it has been told that his writing and spelling was better than person who has graduated from Harvard, a very prestigious school at the time, and still today. This knowledge of writing and spelling may be expected from a man who wrote a personally dictionary. He valued education and Life, even though those people who detained him did not value his life. He learned the gift of patience and to act for himself. He took responsibility and persevered through the toughest of times eventually attaining such high level of prestige.

Argument

A life of Slavery would drive the common person to be depressed, down trodden, and feel little worth of life. However, Frederick Douglass is not your common person per say. At the age of nearly 8 Frederick

Douglass left the Colonel Lloyd plantation on which we was raised. Being uneducated and very young

Douglass found a job working for Mr. and Mrs. Auld, taking care of their son Thomas. His desire to learn and to be more than just a slave drove him. Douglass bargained to run errands and give bread to white children in return for reading lessons, which would eventually propel him toward a meaningful education.

• Young and Black, Douglass fended for himself, making a way for himself to obtain an education in very rough times. Using a wooden fence, brick wall, and the pavement as his paper and a lump of broken chalk as a writing utensil, Douglass would work out solutions to problems, write stories, and use the knowledge he was gaining from the white boys to educate himself further just by what he could see around him. As motivation to continue to learn, Frederick Douglass challenged the white boys to competitions to learn more words. Struggling to continue on with his learning and struggling to understand the Columbian Orator, Douglass contemplated life and death, but a hope for his brighter future kept him alive and presevering through the hard times. Finally after much struggle, and obvious perseverance, Douglass was able to understand the orator and eventually was able to even write a dictionary. This knowledge however wasn’t about to be able to be used. Douglass was rented off to

Covey farm, plowing fields with unbroken oxen. Following a so called skirmish between Mr. Covey and

Frederick, which Mr. Covey bragged he won, Frederick Douglass ran away to New York City to fulfill his dreams even further. After little time in New York City he moved to New Bedfork, Massachusetts where he earned money to continue his learning, working as a laborer. As if it were not already hard enough to attain and continue an education, the constant moving and added pressure of earning an income slowed Frederick’s learning.

Argument Cont.

Finally being in a northern territory where slavery was much less even almost not at all an issue, Douglass was asked to speak at the Anti-Slavery Convention in Massachusetts. He spoke about his feelings and experiences under slavery and the nasty detrimental behavior of slave owners and plantations. His great knowledge and education compelled those to whom he spoke. His personal experience and educational prowess was so powerful that he was asked to become and

Agent for the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, beginning a new career and finally being able to use his great intellect. The doubt and disbelief was not yet over however. After many critics stated he lacked the experience to adequately compel and counteract slavery. To repel the disbelief Douglass wrote an autobiography in 1845 entitled “Life and Times of Frederick Douglass”.

• With the publishing of his autobiography Douglass was asked to venture over to European countries such as Ireland and

Great Britain, as well as many more to share the societies message. After his trip and tour over in Europe, Douglass had enough money to buy out of slavery, and enough to begin his own Newspaper company and printing operation. The

Newspaper was written and printed by Douglass and as can be assumed, was an Anti Slavery newspaper.

Continuing with his education and work knowledge Douglass became a consultant for Abraham Lincoln on his way to presidential candidacy. Douglass prompted each northern Black to have a gun ready and to be willing to make a stance against slavery. Following the war, Douglass was appointed to be the assistant secretary over the Santo Domingo

Commission in 1871. Following his service there he became the Marshall of Washington D.C. from 1877 to 1881 before being appointed as U.S. Minister and Consul General to Haiti from 1889 to 1891.

Following his long well educated and free working life Douglass passed away and left a legacy for which many others could attempt to follow. His dedication and desire to attain an education propelled him toward his goals, never giving up, and facing discouragement with true grit and determination. Not only could slavery not get him down all the way, not only could the doubters not get him down, but most importantly he believed and succeeded in not letting himself derail his dreams and aspirations. He had no choice from the beginning of his life to stay away from slavery, he was brought up within the bounds of slavery. Frederick Douglass did not allow this dilemma to deviate him much from his dreams and aspirations, he fought for his rights, his education, his life and in the end he created a better life for his posterity, allowing them to grow up in a non slavery lifestyle, all while having a role model to corral them, directing their way to great educational achievements.

Why we chose Frederick Douglass?

We chose Mr. Frederick Douglass for his courageousness even though he was not able to go to a real school he still did everything he could to learn. He learned about anything and everything, this was especially great towards his desire to write. He may not have gone to college but it is said that his writing and spelling was better than any person who has graduated from Harvard the "IT" school at the time and still today.

Jacob Relations

It is with my realization and understanding of my desires and correlation of my desires with Frederick Douglass’ desires that I understand that an education is where I start. The step by step learning process of a college education is where I desire to be at this time. Frederick never actually gave up.

Though he contemplated it just as any normal human being would, he never officially quit, nor can I imagine him ever actually doing so. After giving bread to have the white kids teach him, running away, helping on president Lincolns campaign, and beginning a newspaper, I realize just how focused he was and understand that I must have that focus to attain my goals. I am not allowed to say school and life are too hard, I have so much handed to me, and until I have to fight and work from the bottom up for what I want, how can I complain and give up. Mr. Douglass has inspired me to never give up, as well as solidifying my dreams and working towards them. There is one aspect to this I would like to add on a more personal level however. That being that once I have attained my goals, I will set new goals and I will innovate further, doing as Frederick

Douglass did, continuing to try new things, creating new ideas and objects, and experiencing out of the ordinary things.

Davids Relations

In My Eyes, a Great Man

He was born a slave as Frederick Bailey until he escaped to the north. As a slave he had to deal with cruel punishment, no schooling, no rights. He had to solve many of his problems by himself. The right man born in the wrong place and time accomplished so much. He helped changed law and culture through great difficulties forming an inspirational legend.

Young Frederick could not go to school with the other children, Mrs. Auld had sympathy and taught him the alphabet. He was how ever to get the boys from the neighborhood to teach him by giving them bread and by challenging them by saying he could spell better then they could. He used a piece of chalk for a pencil and pavement, brick walls and fences as paper. When he found a book the Columbian Orator he reread the book many times. Even though he thought his education was a curse he still knew it was knew it was important and glad to have it.

He paid attention the words of the people around him, one day he heard the term abolishment and this gave him hope to one day be free. He knew he had to be careful when planning to escape. After a failed attempt to run away with his beloved slaves he was a able to run away to the north. He didn’t let fear or his failure stop him from becoming free.

Even though he was free he still had to be careful in speaking out against slavery, due to cowardice slave hunters.

But this did not stop him from attending anti-slavery meetings. It didn’t stop him from speaking with Abraham

Lincoln either or writing his own autobiographies.

• Born a slave he didn’t let anyone stop him from getting an education, freeing himself, and speaking and writing for himself. He didn’t let anyone stop him and he tor down his boundaries. He bravely spoke out against slavery making him a hero from strong actions and words. Frederick Douglass –“if there is no struggle there Is no progress.” He overcame both moral and physical struggles.

Vinny’s Relations

Every one has had highs and lows in their life especially with school Mr. Douglass worked all his life to learn. He had many up but also for every up he was also brought down, but he did not let that stop him from become the person who he wanted to be. the person that he wanted to be was an educated man and he achieved it he did not have to go to a school no all he had to do was go out and take learning into his own hands. To a student today that does not seem so hard to just go and read a book so that you learn something we do that every day. Although we don’t do it the way

Mr. Douglass did he did not know how to read or write he had to teach himself how to do all of those things. So I believe Mr.

Frederick Douglass deserves to achieve a hero's statues for all the hard work that he has put in as a model for all student. So thank you Mr. Douglass for all your hard work.

Conclusion

• This man named Frederick should be ever immortalized as the greatest student to ever have learned. This man is embodied as a true

American hero for his work with precedent

Lincoln and with his work in ending slavery. We should all look at Frederick Douglass as a hero.

For all of his work to help inspire all students young and old to work hard and learn all that they can.

Special Thanks to…

I believe Mr. Frederick Douglass deserves to achieve a hero's statues for all the hard work that he has put in as a model for all student. So thank you Mr. Douglass for all your hard work.

Citations

• Works Cited

• Douglass, Frederick. Life and Time of Frederick Douglass . 1st Ed. Volume 1. Massachusetts and Baltimore: Frederick Douglass,

1845. Print. Retrieved November 25, 2011

• . "Frederick Douglass." Wikipedia . Wikipedia, October 2009. Web. 30 Nov 2011.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Douglass>.

Douglass, Frederick. A Narrative of The Life a Frederick Douglass, An American Slave . 2nd ed. Volume 1. Massachusetts (1845-

1851): Frederick Douglass Printing, 1860-Present. Print. Retrieved November 24, 2011

Frederick Douglass; Robert G. O'Meally (November 30, 2003).

Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave .

Spark Educational Publishing. Retrieved November 29,2011

• Williams, Heather Andrea. "How Slavery Affected African American Families." National Humanites Center: Teacher Serve .

National Humanities Center, November 30, 2011. Web. 19 Nov 2011. <http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/freedom/1609-

1865/essays/aafamilies.htm>.

• "Frederick Douglass: Talbot Count'ys Native Son." The Historical Society of Talbot County, Maryland-Museum and Gardens . The

Historical Society of Talbot County, 2002. Web. 26 Nov 2011. <http://www.hstc.org/frederickdouglass.htm>

Douglass, Frederick (1851).

Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave. Written by himself.

(6 ed.). London:

H.G. Collins. p. 10. Retrieved November 21, 2011

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