Brandon Burns in Articles

Frederick Douglass: Why He Is Important?

Fredrick Douglass, born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, was a black man who worked as a slave, human rights leader, abolitionist, author, activist, public speaker, feminist, statesman, and social reformer for Americans everywhere. Today, a quick online search will lead you to numerous essay samples of his work as an author, and articles that chronicle his life and the revolution he led against racism and inequality.

If you’re in high school or college, you’ve probably heard a lot about this leader. His life is often used in samples of writing. If you have to write an essay concerning him, you’re in luck. Many essay samples on Fredrick Douglass can be found online.

Recently, Frederick Douglass’s legacy was once again brought into the limelight when President Donald Trump referenced the revolutionary leader in his speech on black history month in 2017. You can read what authorities think about the issue here. Let’s take a closer look at the early life of this black leader and his rise to fame as an activist and author.

Early Life

Frederick Douglass was born to a native black woman who worked as a slave in Talbot County, Maryland. A small boy with an afro, Douglass lived with his birth mother for only a short while before being sent to live with his maternal grandmother, Betty Bailey. When Douglass turned six, he went to work in the Wye House plantation. From here he was sent to work for Hugh Auld in Baltimore.

At this plantation, Hugh’s wife, Sophia, secretly taught this young black man the alphabet, defying state law in the process. However, Hugh strictly forbade his wife from continuing teaching Douglass once he found out. He believed learning would render the boy incapable of working hard at the plantation. From here, Douglass continued his education stealthily with the help of a few schoolboys.

After his master’s death, a young Douglass was sent to work for William Freeland. Here he tried educating other black individuals and taught them how to read the New Testament at his weekly Sunday school. However, word quickly spread in the small town riddled with racism. Though Freeland himself never interfered with Douglass’s lessons, other white employers quickly dispersed the gathering with clubs and stones.

Eventually, Douglass went to work for Edward Covey, a farmer famous for treating his workers brutally. Covey regularly abused Douglass while he worked for him. However, soon, Douglass stood up for himself and won a physical altercation with Covey. After this, Covey stopped beating up Douglass. This was the hardest time in Douglass’s life, and he tried escaping numerous times. He was finally successful in 1838, when he fled to New York, with the help of Anna Murray, a free black woman.

Escape to Freedom

Frederick Bailey successfully escaped from the clutches of his cruel owners in Maryland took refuge in the famous abolitionist David Ruggles’ house in New York – a city famed for its stance against racism and inequality. Once there, he asked Anna Murray to join him, and they were married on September 15, 1838. He eluded the authorities for many years by changing his surname to Douglas. By doing this, he was able to work in the city as a laborer for three years.

Rise to Fame

Frederick Douglas, as he was now known, joined the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and became a licensed preacher. This helped him polish his oratory skills. He was also highly impressed by the works of William Lloyd Garrison, a notable abolitionist and journalist. The two men eventually met, and under Garrison’s insistence, Douglas eventually became a prominent leader and speaker in the abolitionist movement.

In an antislavery convention in Massachusetts, Douglas gave a moving and eloquent speech on his life and struggles under slavery. His speech made a lasting impact on the audience and quickly catapulted him into his new career as a leader of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. The society toured all through America in an attempt to promote its cause. Though Douglas faced severe backlash and was physically assaulted and injured numerous times, he never wavered from his cause as a black anti-slavery, anti-racism, and anti-inequality activist and leader.

Douglass went on to author some of the best American literary works that cemented his position as a prominent author, public speaker, and activist. Some of his best works include:

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

My Bondage and My Freedom

Life and Times of Frederick Douglass

After writing his first autobiography, Douglass traveled to England and Ireland for a two-year tour. Here he amassed a significant following who helped him raise funds to purchase his freedom from his slave owners finally. In 1847, Douglas was finally a free man.

Prominent Work as an activist

In 1847 Frederick Douglass founded the first black, anti-slavery, anti-racism, and abolitionist Newsletter called The NorthStar. Douglas continued to rally for equal rights for all regardless of caste, creed, color, and sex. He was the only black man to attend the gathering of feminist activists, called Seneca Falls Convention.

Douglass also split from his longtime mentor and idol Garrison in 1847. The two had a falling out when Douglass stated his opinion on how the US constitution could be a vital instrument in the path to abolishing slavery, something which angered Garrison tremendously.

When the Civil war arrived in America, Douglass was one of the most influential black men in the country. He used his fame to elevate the status of African Americans in the civil war and even counseled President Lincoln and later President Andrew Johnson on the treatment of black soldiers and black suffrage, respectively.

Douglass is largely credited for the emancipation proclamation made by president Lincoln in 1863 and in the sanctioning of the thirteenth amendment, which led to slavery being permanently outlawed in the United States.

Douglass occupied numerous important roles in the state council and was also the first black man to be nominated for vice president in 1872.

Conclusion

Frederick Douglass is one of the most notable figures in black history and played a prominent role in helping to abolish black slavery in the United States. One of the only African Americans to be awarded high posts in the state, Douglass, was a true leader in the fight against racism and inequality. Douglass fought against numerous social issues, including women’s rights and human rights, as well. You can find numerous sample essays online that glorify Frederick Douglass’s work against racism and label him as a champion of equal rights!