The False Claims of the Defenders of Slavery Back when there was slavery, people understood that owning people was wrong, but if they did not own people than the economy would fall apart. To make sure this would not happen; people came up with reasons to justify having slaves so that they could save their economy. The defenders of slavery made the claims that slaves never complain and were happy, they had no human attachments, they had no desire for knowledge, and they had no inclination to work for themselves. However, Frederick Douglass challenges these defenses of slavery in two ways: the practice of slavery that accounts for the claim the defenders make and by telling real life examples. One defense that Douglass challenges is the
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Douglass exposes the method that slave owners use to break human attachments in their slaves’ lives. Slaveholders sell their slaves as punishment to keep the other slaves in line. One example of this is when slaveholders would separate mothers from their children at a young age. A slaveholder did this to Frederick Douglass and his mom when he was a baby. Douglass explains how this causes him to feel like his mother’s death was “the death of a stranger” (4). Douglass believes that slaveholders did this to “hinder the development of the child’s affection toward its mother” (3). Douglass not only explains the reason that slaves have no human attachments, but he gives real life examples of slaves creating human attachments with each other. For example, Douglass’s mother walked at night to be with Douglass for a short time before she had to leave. She only did this a few times during Douglass’s childhood because she had to be in the fields by morning or her slaveholder would punish her. Douglass’s mother cared enough about him to go and visit him a few times, even though her slave owner held the threat of punishment over her head. Douglass tells a second example of human attachment when he opens his own Sabbath school to teach slaves to read and write. He grow attached to the men he and grew attached to the men he taught. He even grew to love them. Douglass says that he “loved them with a love stronger than any thing I have experienced since” (105). Douglass also explains the main cause that slaves do not run away. It is because they have made attachments to the other slaves they live with. Frederick Douglass says, “that thousands would escape from slavery, who now remain, but for the strong cords of affection that bind them to their friends” (134). This disproves the fact that slaves make no human attachments. They actually care for each other enough to give
Douglass exposes the method that slave owners use to break human attachments in their slaves’ lives. Slaveholders sell their slaves as punishment to keep the other slaves in line. One example of this is when slaveholders would separate mothers from their children at a young age. A slaveholder did this to Frederick Douglass and his mom when he was a baby. Douglass explains how this causes him to feel like his mother’s death was “the death of a stranger” (4). Douglass believes that slaveholders did this to “hinder the development of the child’s affection toward its mother” (3). Douglass not only explains the reason that slaves have no human attachments, but he gives real life examples of slaves creating human attachments with each other. For example, Douglass’s mother walked at night to be with Douglass for a short time before she had to leave. She only did this a few times during Douglass’s childhood because she had to be in the fields by morning or her slaveholder would punish her. Douglass’s mother cared enough about him to go and visit him a few times, even though her slave owner held the threat of punishment over her head. Douglass tells a second example of human attachment when he opens his own Sabbath school to teach slaves to read and write. He grow attached to the men he and grew attached to the men he taught. He even grew to love them. Douglass says that he “loved them with a love stronger than any thing I have experienced since” (105). Douglass also explains the main cause that slaves do not run away. It is because they have made attachments to the other slaves they live with. Frederick Douglass says, “that thousands would escape from slavery, who now remain, but for the strong cords of affection that bind them to their friends” (134). This disproves the fact that slaves make no human attachments. They actually care for each other enough to give