Frederick Douglas: Joining The Abolitionist Movement

I am writing to you to tell you that I have decided to join the abolitionist movement and I will also tell you the reasoning behind it. I recently read the book: The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas and it had an impact on my perspective about slavery. The book is an autobiography of Frederick Douglas and his experience with slavery. Frederick talks about his struggles, his masters and the people who have affected his life. I would recommend that you read this book because it talks about the truth of slavery and I also urge you to join the abolitionist movement. I have always thought that slaves were always happy and not very smart. I have always assumed that they were well off as their slave-owners always provided them housing and …show more content…
They suffer from being exposed to all the cruel punishments and violent. When Frederick talks about his memory of his aunt being beat, he talks about feeling like he was a participant and witness to the punishment. Children did not have an option to opt of being witnesses of others being punished. I have always thought slaves were fairly happy because they are always singing but, I have found out that is a misconception. Slaves often sing when they are most unhappy to relieve them. Personally, I think that slave should sing for the enjoyment of it. Slaves had to be careful with who they talked to and what it was that they talked to them about. Slave-owners would send in spies to find out how slaves felt about their conditions and their masters. If they told the truth they could be punished and sold. I believe that no one should be punished for telling the truth. Frederick was negatively affected after his experience with Mr.Covey. Frederick describes the following after he is beaten: "I was broken in body soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered in my eye died; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me; and behold a man transformed into a brute!" (pg 41) Slavery gives owners so much power over their slaves. They are even able to control their outlooks on life and …show more content…
Children who are born into slavery are expected to always plan on being a slave even if their master is their father. Slaves that are the product of a slave women and their master were beat by their masters to avoid any implication of favoritism. They were also beaten by their brothers. I have learned that slaves know little to nothing about how old they are because they do not have the documentation to provide the information. Even if they had the documentation slaves might not be able to read. Slaves are prohibited the privilege of learning to read or write. If they do know it was something that they secretly learned or were secretly taught. Frederick talks about how families are torn apart. Often, children will be removed from their mothers when they are infants to try to avoid affection between the two. Some are lucky enough if they know who their mothers is. Throughout the book, Frederick mentions how slaves are deprived from their basic necessities including food and clothing. A working slave will receive eight pounds of pork and one bushel of meal as their monthly allowance. Children who are not old enough to work do not receive a regular allowance. For food they would get a coarse corn meal boiled which, they would have to compete over with other children. Working slaves receive two shirts, two pairs of pants, one jacket, a trouser, one pair of stocking and one pair of shoes yearly. Children