Narrative of the life, Frederick Douglass, United States, southern population, Lewis and Clarke's expedition, slaves, slavery, racial gap
In the first half of the 19th century, the United States is facing a lot of changes in social, economic and political levels. Economically speaking, the country has evolved positively thanks to new models of production brought by the Industrial Revolution. Nonetheless, at this time, slavery was still very present in the life of Americans. In the south, for example, about one third of slaves constituted the southern population in the antebellum period. While in the north, in the 1770s and 1780s, a lot of states abolished slavery, so this raised a lot of tension between the north and the south of the United States. Indeed, to the north, slavery was an evil institution, for them, slavery was not moral and ethical but, in the south, they lived thanks to the slaves on their large plantations, so there were a lot of conflicts.
[...] They were beaten as soon as they were not ‘in the field at sunrise' (l31). Horrible acts of violence were lavished on them such as ‘I have known him to cut and slash the women's heads so horribly that even master would be enraged at his cruelty' (l79). At any moment, they could be beaten because their executioners were always armed (l78). And all of this was legal thanks to the slave codes which authorised, indemnified or required violence to make it clear to the slaves that they were less than nothing. [...]
[...] Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass - Frederick Douglass (1845) In the first half of the 19th century, the United States is facing a lot of changes in social, economic and political levels. Economically speaking, the country has evolved positively thanks to new models of production brought by the Industrial Revolution. Nonetheless, at this time, slavery was still very present in the life of Americans. In the south, for example, about one third of slaves constituted the southern population in the antebellum period. [...]
[...] But thanks to his faithful fight the abolition of slavery, the goal of all his life, will be proclaimed by Lincoln on December after his victory in the Civil War, which began in 1861. Bibliography Biography.com Editors. The Biography.com website. ‘Frederick Douglass Biography,' A&E Television Networks, April https://www.biography.com/people/frederick-douglass-9278324, Accessed 16 Dec 2018. Mettra, Mélanie, et al. Abraham Lincoln: The American Civil War and the Abolition of Slavery. 50Minutes.com NBC News.1800-1850s: Expansion of slavery in the U.S.,27 May 2008, http://www.nbcnews.com/id/24714472/ns/us_news-gut_check/t/s-s-expansion- slavery-us/. Accessed 16 Dec 2018. Norton, Mary Beth, et al. People and a Nation. [...]
[...] So how does Frederick Douglass use his own past as a slave to denounce and show the conditions of being a slave, and to argue for slaves' rights during the 19th century? By telling his own story to prevent future generations. But also, through all the obstacles he overcame and all the scars that will remain engraved both physically because of the blows and mentally, forcing feeling lonely, without family or person of trust. In addition, he showed to the entire world that slavery was exploitation and that slaves were considered as livestock. [...]
[...] In reality, owners did that because they were afraid. Slave owners were far outnumbered by their slaves and they lived in daily fear of rebellions and uprisings. The violence helped them to terrify their workers and to submit them. For anti-slavery campaigners, the violence was one of the worst aspects of slavery. They said that owning slaves turned men into monsters. The violence was not the only thing that hurt the slaves, there was also the separation of their family when they were children. [...]
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