Compare And Contrast Thoreau And Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass differs from H. D. Thoreau in the sense that he doesn’t believe that all government is oppressive and manipulative. When it came to the issue of slavery, an injustice recognized by most, Douglass felt true in his convictions to do whatever possible to end such an inequality. He may have changed his opinion on the Constitution around 1851 once the issue of slavery became more of a prejudice than an oppressive institution centered around injustice towards people’s senses of equality and freedom. He clearly understood there to be a time for rebellion to the current system in place if everything isn’t reflective of the principles set out in the Declaration of Independence and the preamble of the Constitution. “It shall not avail that the Constitution and …show more content…
In this respect, Douglass and Thoreau share the same sort of vigor and scrutiny towards an unjust functioning government. “In short, we hold it to be system of lawless violence; that it never was lawful, and can never be made so; and that it is the first duty of every American citizen, whose conscience permits so to do, to use his political as well as his moral power for its overthrow” (Douglass, p.5). However, Douglass differs from Thoreau on the basis of compliance with government. Douglass, being a former slave, would do anything to ensure his freedom. This goes to say that one must be willing to die for your freedom in order to truly have conviction and right over it. This is in accordance with joining the military and dying for one’s own country. Where Thoreau deemed it right and just to resist that exact obligation, it goes directly with Douglass’ aspires to reach freedom at all costs. He becomes realigned with Thoreau only when dealing with unjust laws in that arguing there’s no obligation to something that is unjust in its very