Frederick Douglas: The Most Enslaved People In American History

Frederick Douglas was one of the most influential formerly enslaved people in American history. Douglas was born into slavery on a Maryland farm, he was transported a few times going to different places in Maryland. One of his owners’ wives briefly taught him to read and write, which sparked Douglas’ love for education and led to him becoming one of the most influential abolitionists in history. While he was enslaved, slavery was at its peak as the invention of the cotton gin led to the rebirth of slavery in the South. Slaves were flooding into the South in astronomical numbers. On the opposite side, industrialization was taking over all of the big cities. Northern economic development and the expansion of Southern slavery significantly shaped Frederick Douglas’ enslavement as the booming cotton industry led to slaves facing the toughest years of their lives. …show more content…
However, due to a high demand for cotton in the North and the creation of the cotton gin, the cotton industry was booming. Settlers began to occupy more land in the deep South. due to its climate and soil fertility , to develop cotton farms. These farms would not run without labor, this led to the revival of a diminishing slave market. Slaves came in at historical numbers and were met with excruciating labor, constant beatings, and lost connections with family members. These conditions are displayed in the book, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, which is about Frederick Douglas’s journey from being a slave to one of the most influential abolitionists in