Essay Database

Frederick Douglass's Autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, is situated in a context that was not open to, or fond of the straightforwardness of his writing style. His open identity in an anonymous world of anti-slavery literature thrust him into international fame. His writings are often compared with that of Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. Unlike Jefferson and Franklin, however, Douglass's Narrative was inspired by much more than a harsh, …

…girls fighting for offal thrown into the street and women being beaten until too exhausted to even stand provided a foundation for events as critical as the Emancipation Proclamation. He showed courage beyond that which was called for by standing, as a former slave, against those who would oppress a person because of the color of their skin. His narrative is powerful and moving and it a cornerstone of the civil rights we have today.