The Hypocrisy of American Slavery, Through the Eyes of...

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself is a powerful book in many respects. Douglass invites you to vicariously witness the monstrous atrocities he experienced during the antebellum period; a time when said atrocities were not only encouraged, but looked highly upon. Throughout his narrative, Douglass expresses his exponentially growing anger and fortitude. When the reader arrives at The Appendix, it soon becomes that much more apparent that the vice of slavery that is most troublesome to him, is the curtain of pseudo-Christianity surrounding it. Why did Douglass, against the advice of his publisher, decide to include this radical piece? Douglass was adamant about including The Appendix†¦show more content†¦From this it is apparent that the separation of church and state is vital. It was a widely accepted view to hold Jesus as divine; to view him as human was extreme and looked down upon. One can see this by the fall of Thomas Paine, a believer in Jesus as being human, after writing The Age of Reason. Paine and Douglass are not a far cry from one another: though their publications were around sixty years apart, both desired to detoxify religion in America. So how did an ideal such as Christianity in America become so convoluted, so manipulated, that the human conscience would allow something as horrific as slavery to endure? Acts in the name of Jesus are not new thought processes and their longevity is unparalleled. The manipulation of these acts, however, has been one of the most heavily relied upon validations of human barbarism in history. American Christianity reigned over slavery as the British once did over the colonies. â€Å"For the first time Christ was assuming the mantle of social advocate in addition to that of ethical teacher or holy redeemer† (Fox 204, 205). It can be said that Eli Whitney’s cotton gin added to the predomination of slavery in the south (Moynahan 55 0). Due to supply and demand, it was easy for slaveholders to fall into the evil mental trap of rationalizing slavery. The words of the Bible were manipulated by southern evangelicals to substantiate Christian slaveholding on theseShow MoreRelatedThe Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave1093 Words   |  5 Pagespossible difference.† -Frederick Douglass. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, by Frederick Douglass, shares the story of the struggles of an American slave during the eighteenth-century. Fredrick Douglass was born in Tuckahoe, Maryland in approximately 1818. While being raised by his grandmother, Betsey Bailey, he snuck around at night to meet his mother nearby, assuming that his slaveholder, Captain Anthony, was his father. From adolescence, Douglass knew he was differentRead MoreThe Narrative of Frederick Douglass and David Walkers Appeal869 Words   |  4 PagesAlthough slavery has long been abolished, th ere is no doubt that there were important pieces of literature being produced at this time. The most significant pieces of literature were those against slavery. Anti-slavery writings gave people a closer look into what it is was like to be a slave. Two writings in particular played an essential role in expressing the mistreatment of slaves and the African American race itself. The Narrative of Frederick Douglass and David Walkers Appeal, explained theRead MoreFrederick Douglass Essay817 Words   |  4 PagesWhen the African-American man Frederick Douglass wrote his famous speech, â€Å"The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro†, America was in a time of great distress. It was the year 1852, and the view of abolitionists was quickly spreading. It was the time of both provocative literatures such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin, as well as important resolutions, such as the Dredd Scott decision, showing the contrast between views at the time, both positive and negative towards s lavery. Frederick Douglass was a freed African-AmericanRead MoreNarrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass1401 Words   |  6 PagesSlavery: A Lifelong Escape To say that slavery only affects slaves is inaccurate; it dehumanizes the slaveholders too. Some of the slaveholders were sympathetic, innocent human beings. They were not automatically corrupt just because they owned a slave. Rather, slavery changed their actions and characters from merciful to vicious. In his autobiographical novel, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Douglass reveals how the act of owning slaves turns many dignified humanRead MoreThe Slavery And Summary Of Frederick Douglass1575 Words   |  7 Pages1800’s, slavery was a huge part of America. 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Slavery created an economic foundation for America that caused many repercussions due to the methods used to instillRead MoreFinding Identity in the Pathway from Slavery to Literacy Essay example1103 Words   |  5 Pagesman was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man.† -Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life (1845) The most shameful practices of American history is the act of slavery from the whites to the African Americans. Many African Americans were born into slavery and forced to feel inferior towards their white masters. Actual human beings were treated like animals. The inhumane condition of slavery challenged African Americans to discover their individual true identity. The whites defined theRead MoreThe Declaration Of Independence, All Men Are Created Equal1442 Words   |  6 PagesThe Declaration of Independence states â€Å"all men are created equal.† However, that concept does not contribute to Fredrick Douglass and Red Jacket, who represent two different cultures with a similar dilemma. Both argue the hypocrisy of the document, that only applies to a certain population of the United States of America. In addition, Douglass and Red Jacket are defending their beliefs among the injustices that they have came across with the â€Å"whites†. Even though Red Jacket is speaki ng up amongRead MoreKey Arguments in The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass1154 Words   |  5 PagesLife of Frederick Douglass†. A few of which include inequality, education, and Christianity as the keys to freedom in terms of its true values within the institution of slavery. While Frederick Douglass made some key arguments, he also made common ground to make his appeal for the abolition of slavery. One of the key arguments in â€Å"The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass† as well as in other narratives about slaves is inequality. Douglass attempts to show us how African American slavesRead MoreFrederick Douglass : An Influential Leader Of The Abolitionist Movement1531 Words   |  7 PagesFrederick Douglass was born into slavery in the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. He moved around many plantations. He was not raised by his parents and he received no education. From the start, Douglass’ life was destined for him to live and die a slave and have no meaningful impact on society. Despite these horrific conditions, Frederick Douglass became one of the most influential leaders of the abolitionist movement. This was largely because of his commitment to self education, his reliance on nonviolence