William Lloyd Garrison

The antebellum period saw several reform movements take place. There were movements for temperance, public school reform, abolition of slavery, women’s rights and dealing with poverty, crime and the mentally ill. The various reform movements that took place during this time achieved varying levels of success. The temperance movement initially began with a goal to reduce the alcohol consumption of Americans. This changed when Lyman Beecher condemned any use of alcohol at all. Evangelical…

Authors of any piece of literature have a vast arsenal of weapons to use in order to entice readers. Among biggest and most powerful weapons in said arsenal are rhetorical devices; these weapons are capable of aiding the author in his attempt to change his readers. In the autobiography Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass the author, Douglass himself, through the use of adroit allusions to the bible and descript imagery that depicts the absurdity of slavery as an institution.…

Frederick Douglass Essay The Narrative on the Life of Fredrick Douglas, an American Slave was a story in which Frederick Douglas illustrated struggles within his lifetime and how the causes of these struggles is slavery. He drew a very clear picture of his definition of slavery, as well as freedom. Slavery meant not allowing the enslaved to think for themselves, thus allowing them to be manipulated into not desiring freedom at all. Douglass defined freedom as the ability of free thinking,…

In the late nineteenth century, America faced one of its biggest downfalls as the Confederates separated themselves from the Union. Tension grew within the country and the Civil War erupted. One major reason why this war began was because the Confederates wanted slavery, and the Union did not. The people who opposed slavery were called abolitionists and they were found throughout the United States. One of the most famous abolitionists was Frederick Douglass. Douglass was a politician, lecturer,…

Nat Turner was born a slave in a Virginia plantation owned by Benjamin Turner. He was very religious and believed that when he was little, he talked about events that had occurred before his birth. He claimed that he received divine visions and that god had spoken to him. According to Turner, the insurrection was god’s will that he was prophesized to carry out. These murders were carried out to terrorize whites, yet abolitionists still supported their actions, little did they know that the men…

Bernier, Celeste-Marie. “His Complete History? Revisioning, Recreating and Reimagining Multiple Lives in Frederick Douglass’ Life and Time (1881, 1892.)” Slavery & Abolition 33.4 (2012): 595-610. Web. 28 Oct. 2015. This journal explains more about Fredrick Douglass’ books and writings about slavery, abolition, and his life struggles. It takes passages from his books and gives descriptions, examples and explains what Douglass’ mindset was, or could have been, at the time he wrote his stories.…

Frederick Douglass and the Power of Knowledge Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) was an influential African-American writer, news paper editor, orator, civil rights activists, and diplomat. He was born into slavery and had a deprived and tragic childhood, which he has described in his Narrative of Frederick Douglass. Once he escaped the suffocating chains of slavery he proved himself an intelligent and powerful figure, and become the symbol of the abolitionist movement, which was blooming in the…

Abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass (1818-95) was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland, around 1818. Although the exact year and date of Douglass's birth are unknown, Douglass chose to celebrate it on February 14th. Douglass was raised by his grandmother(Betty Bailey). At a young age, Douglass was sent to work a Baltimore plantation owned by Hugh Auld, where he would learn the skills of reading and writing. Little did he know, these skills would eventually vault him to a national…

Neal Dow was a man who contributed to many causes during his time. He was a general for the union during the Civil War and was also very active in the cause of abolishing Negro Slavery. He was also a presidential candidate in 1880 for the Prohibition party. “Among additional social causes, he interested himself in crime prevention, prison reform, and women's rights” (Neal Dow Prohibition Presidential Candidate 1880). The cause he is most known for is the temperance movement which is the…

“Nat Turner is asked, “Do you not find yourself mistaken now?” and he answered “Was not Christ crucified.” This excerpt is from The Confessions of Nat Turner. Being interviewed by Thomas R. Gray, Nat Turner reveals the nature of the rebellion. Turner was captured on October 30, 1831, after eluding capture for two months after leading one of the deadliest revolts in American history during the morning of August 31, 1831. The rebellion was suppressed in one day but remains iconic. What makes it…