In Democracy in America, French political thinker Alexis de Tocqueville details of his nine month trip travelling through the United States. While he originally came to the country to observe its prison systems, Tocqueville used his notes to describe the character of Americans, greater American society at that time as well as ideas regarding equality individualism and freedom. Regarding equality, Tocqueville says people of democratic nations such as the United States are driven to reach equality, and that pursuing equality is directly tied to national freedom. He then adds the difficulties regarding trying to destroy equality, as it is directly tied to living in a civil society, making it impossible to destroy one without destroying the other
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One of these individuals is Frederick Douglass, who was a slave on a large plantation in Maryland before prior to becoming a freeman and prominent leader of the abolitionist movement. Douglass makes notes of the evils of slavery at various points in his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, saying how slaves were often beaten, abused and killed for not completing certain tasks, adding that punishment and treatment from slave owners lacked any sort of natural understanding or reason towards doing these actions. (Douglass, 1982: 21-36). He also adds slaves are regarded not as people, but as livestock in cases of being sold or divided among a set of free individuals. This treatment gives Douglass a new reason to hate the institution of slavery as slaves are treated as a means of production over human beings with actual emotions and attitudes towards being sold away from their friends and family (Douglass, 1982: …show more content…
Washington. While he was by no means a segregationist, he did not strive for equality in the same manner of Douglass. Instead, Washington viewed differences among races as not inequality, but rather as purely social dynamic of living. In addition, this differences was not evil from Washington’s perspective, as one group’s lack of wealth compared to others that does not mean the system needs to be changed. This is especially true if the overall health of the system would be threatened by such as change. As an example, Washington used the use of fingers by man, saying while each finger is separate from itself and unique in its usefulness, all the fingers are essential to overall human health. In his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech, Washington argued African-American individuals should perform vocational jobs such as factory and maid work, saying work and labor will ensure progress of the American South and the protection of liberties while also creating a reputation for individual stability and strength (Washington, 1995:
One of these individuals is Frederick Douglass, who was a slave on a large plantation in Maryland before prior to becoming a freeman and prominent leader of the abolitionist movement. Douglass makes notes of the evils of slavery at various points in his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, saying how slaves were often beaten, abused and killed for not completing certain tasks, adding that punishment and treatment from slave owners lacked any sort of natural understanding or reason towards doing these actions. (Douglass, 1982: 21-36). He also adds slaves are regarded not as people, but as livestock in cases of being sold or divided among a set of free individuals. This treatment gives Douglass a new reason to hate the institution of slavery as slaves are treated as a means of production over human beings with actual emotions and attitudes towards being sold away from their friends and family (Douglass, 1982: …show more content…
Washington. While he was by no means a segregationist, he did not strive for equality in the same manner of Douglass. Instead, Washington viewed differences among races as not inequality, but rather as purely social dynamic of living. In addition, this differences was not evil from Washington’s perspective, as one group’s lack of wealth compared to others that does not mean the system needs to be changed. This is especially true if the overall health of the system would be threatened by such as change. As an example, Washington used the use of fingers by man, saying while each finger is separate from itself and unique in its usefulness, all the fingers are essential to overall human health. In his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech, Washington argued African-American individuals should perform vocational jobs such as factory and maid work, saying work and labor will ensure progress of the American South and the protection of liberties while also creating a reputation for individual stability and strength (Washington, 1995: