Frederick Douglass played an exraordinary role in American history. He was a American abolitionist, women's suffragist, editor, orator, author, statesman and reformer. He was a firm believer in the equality of all people. He became the first African-American to be nominated as a Vice Presidential candidate, running on the Equal Rights Part ticket. He also became leader of Howard University, the first University for African-Americans in the US. He was a great African-American.
Frederick Douglass was born a slave in Maryland, 1818. He was seperated from his mother when he was still an infant, and had to live with his grandmother. He never saw his brother and his two sisters until he was seven years old. Everyone said that his father may be a white man, that his father was his owner, Aaron Anthony. But he never knew about his father's identity. At age seven, Frederick Douglass was seperated from his grandmother and moved to the Wye House plantation to live with his Aaron Anthony. When Anthony died, Frederick Douglass was given to Lucretetia Auld, the wife of Thomas Auld. And she sent Frederick Douglass to serve Thomas's brother Hugh Auld.
Frederick Douglass was taught how to read by Hugh Auld's wife, Sophia at age twelve. She was breaking the law teaching slaves how to read. When Hugh Auld found out, he disapproved, saying that if a slave learned to read, he would become dissatisfied with his condition and desire freedom. So she never taught him how to read again. But Douglass learned and he began to read newspapers, political materials, and other books. Later, Doulass was hired out to a Mr. Freeman, and he taught other slaves at that place how to read the New Testament at a weekly Sabbath school. When the word spread, slaves became very interested in learning how to read. In any week, more then 40 slaves would show up to attend lessons. It lasted for six months without being noticed. Freeman was complacent about their activities.
In 1833, Thomas Auld took Douglass away from Hugh after a dispute. Thomas then sent him to work for a poor farmer, Edward Covey, who had a reputatuion as a "slave-breaker". Douglass was whipped regularly. Douglass was only sixteen years old when he nearly broken psychologically by his ordeal under Covey. Douglass later fought back against the beatings. After losing a confrontation with Douglass, Covery never beat him again. Later, Doulass tried to escape from Mr Freeman and Covery, but failed to do that.
In September 3, 1838, a year after he met a free black, Ann Murray, Douglass tried to escape again, and this time succeeded. He escaped by boarding a train to Havre de Grace, Maryland, and he dressed in a sailor's uniform and carried identification papers that was provided by a free black seaman. He took a ferry to Susquehanna River at Havre de Grace, and went to Wilmington, Delaware by train. There, he went to "Quaker City" (Philadelphia, Pennslyvania) by steamboat, and reached to New York in less then 24 hours. He eventually married Ann Murray.
In 1845, Douglass spent two years in Great Britain and Ireland, and he gave many lectures there. On of his speeches which he gave in 1847 was, "I do not go back to America to sit still, remain quiet, and enjoy ease and comfort. . . . I glory in the conflict, that I may hereafter exult in the victory. I know that victory is certain. I go, turning my back upon the ease, comfort, and respectability which I might maintain even here. . . Still, I will go back, for the sake of my brethren. I go to suffer with them; to toil with them; to endure insult with them; to undergo outrage with them; to lift up my voice in their behalf; to speak and write in their vindication; and struggle in their ranks for the emancipation which shall yet be achieved." When Douglass was in England, he recalled he was treated not "as a color, but as a man." During his trip, Douglass became officially free by his own British supporters. Douglass also believed that education was the key for Afican-American to improve theier lives. In 1863, Douglass conferred with President Abraham Lincoln and with President Andrew Jackson on the treatment of black soldiers and the subject of black suffrage. Douglass believed the it was right to have freedom for the African-Americans and guarantee thier rights.
In 1847, Douglass published his owned newspaper called The North Star. And four years later, he merged it with Gerrit Smith's Liberty Party Paper to form Frederick Douglass' Paper, which was published until 1860. The North Star was the newspaper that escaping slaves followed north in search of freedom. Douglass agreed with Smith and Lysander Spooner that the United States Constitution was anti-slavery document. This reversed his earlier belief that it was pro-slavery. William Lloyd Garrisaon, who was concerned that the fabric of the constitution was part of the support for slavery, was worried that the North Star competed with his own Nation Anti-Slavery Standard and Marius Robinson's Anti-Slavery Bugle. So Garrison expressed his opinion by burning copies of the document.
When Lincoln was assassinated, some of the audience asked Douglass to speak. Douglass spoke frankly about Lincoln, saying good and bad things in his account. Douglass called him "the white man's president" and also stated, "Can any colored man, or any white man friendly to the freedom of all men, ever forget the night which followed the first day of January 1863, when the world was to see if Abraham Lincoln would prove to be as good as his word?". The audience was aroused by his speech and gave him a standing ovation. Someone later said, "I have heard Clay speak and many fantastic men, but never have I heard a speech as impressive as that." Later,people claimed that the widow Mary Lincoln gave Douglass Lincoln's favorite walking stick in appreciation.
By the time the Civil war ended, Douglass became one of the most famous balck men in the country, known for his orations to fight for freedom for the Afican-Americans and such issues as woman's rights. His statue was put up in Ireland and England. Douglass argued to the Abolitionists that because the war was to end slavery, that African-Americans should be allowed to engage in the fight for their freedom. Later, President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation declared in January 1, 1863, the freedom of all slaves in Conferderate-held territory. Douglass said as he was awaiting the proclamation: "We were waiting and listening as for a bolt from the sky...we were watching...by the dim light of the stars for the dawn of a new day...we were longing for the answer to the agonizing prayers of centuries.". Now that the North did not return the slaves to the South, Douglass fought for the equality for his people. So he made plans with Lincoln to move the liberated slaves out of the South. William Lloyd Garrison stated that, "Slavery is not abolished until the black man has the ballot." Douglass argued against that. Later, in 1865, Douglass traveled everywhere in the North, speaking out, warning the black suffrage supporters and the country that the former slaves were regaining control at the South.
In 1865, slavery was outlawed everywhere in the US by the post-war ratification of the 13th Amendment. The citizenship and equal protection under the law was provided by the 14th Amendment and all citizens were being protected by the 15th Amendment from discriminated against in voting because of the race.
In February 1866, President Andrew Jackson said he supported the interests of the southern whites and wanted to block voting rights for the blacks. He and Douglass later parted. Douglass wanted the African-Americans to have the right to vote. Many people supported President Johnson. In June 1866, the Congress passed the 14th Amendment, which guaranteered that the Civil Rights Bill was protected by the Constitution, and was finally ratified in July 1868 after the states approved it. Of course, it did not guarantee that blacks the right to vote, but in most states, blacks were already voting. In 1869, Douglass said that voting rights for blacks must be won immediately, and he tried to persuaded the woman suffragists, and that woman can wait. Douglass said, "When women because they are women are dragged from their homes and hung upon lampposts, .....then they will have the urgency to obtain the ballot". Doulass's relationship with the woman suffragists later became good. But the woman's right to vote did not come until later in the 20th century.
Frederick Douglass fought for what was right and what was wrong. Like Douglass said: "I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.". He did many great things that many people cannot do. Douglass was an American hero.
