Blog #6- Fundamental American Liberties

A Lecture on the Anti-Slavery Movement 1855- Frederick Douglass

The slave as a man and a brother, must be the vital and animating thought and impulse of any movement, which is to effect the abolition of slavery in this country. Our anti-slavery organizations must be brought back to this doctrine…”

Frederick Douglass counters some abolition movement by disassociating them with abolishing slavery and instead having their own agenda that does not coincide with freeing slaves. The Liberty Party, however, has abided by their stance in pushing for liberty for the slaves. The anti-slavery movements should always keep in mind that the slaves that are helpless and being maltreated have people that love them and may even have children that they may never see because of the foolish captivity that they are held in. Also, that they are humans just like the white and should have the liberty as such. Incorporating the horrifying details that the slaves experienced into the teachings is important so that those who are listening can have a change of heart and support the movement. Not everyone may agree to abolishing slavery but accurately teaching the lives of the slaves instead of accomplishing different agendas, such as saving the North or leaving the slaves to fight for themselves, will cause peopleto look at the issue differently. Douglass expresses that all anti-salvery movements should go back to these teachings of whichthe movement was soley based on (freeing the slaves) and properly educate everyone so that slavery can be abolished.

I chose this quote because it was interesting how Douglass was reminding people of why the anti-slavery movement was created in the first place. He implied that establishing emotion from the gruesome acts done to the slaves would appeal to people to support the movement, however, it is of no shock that people already know what is being done to them, they are just ignoring it. But I do agree with the idea that being reminded of the violent treatment will strengthen any movement to engage the audience and encourage the abolition of slavery.