Frederick Douglass History Essay Research Paper Coursework

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FREDERICK DOUGLASS
Frederick Douglas was a black abolitionist who was born in a south. Early in his life, he was a slave himself but he escaped and joined with other abolitionists for blacks’ emancipation and other civil rights in the US. Early in his life, he had learned how to read and write which was a big achievement for a slave. He fought for the emancipation of slaves through books and lectures.
As Frederick was growing up, he became increasingly agitated by slavery and this prompted him to escape to the north. Escaping the south was not easy because escapees could easily be recaptured and returned to their owners. Recaptured slaves were subjected to more inhumane working and living conditions as a punishment for their escape. Frederick himself was a victim to this tough his masters were more lenient. His first taste of partial freedom was when he arranged with Hugh, his master to buy his time. Buying time meant partial freedom but in exchange for other things. Hugh agreed to this because this meant he would benefit from Frederick. Master Thomas was very strict man and he had left Hugh as his agent. Although Frederick had earlier asked him to buy his time and denied him, Hugh allowed him to buy his time but on some conditions. His partial freedom made him yearn for more freedom. One day, his partial freedom came to an end when he visisted his friends on one Saturday night unknown to him that he was not supposed to leave without informing his master. Hugh was afraid that if he could go that far without informing him that meant that he could also escape hence he discontinued his freedom.
One Sunday, he decided to escape as Hugh was not home all day. Frederick did not have relations where he was working, he had only few friends and those are the ones he would miss, but he had to leave. It would have been harder for him to leave relatives but since he had none left, he stood to lose very little by leaving. Also, he was required to give all his earnings he had accumulated from his labor to his master. Frederick felt that he had a right to his earnings and did not turn the earnings in to Hugh or his owner. On that Sunday he left ready to start his new life of uncertainty but he hoped would eventually figure it out. Frederick used eagle sailors document to grant him a pass over the checkpoints he went through to go to New York. He was however afraid that he would be found out before he arrived to his destination.
On arrival to New York, he realized that although he had escaped, he was not yet free as he couldn’t use his true identity. One day he met Stuart who took him and introduced him to Ruggles. His wife, Ann Murray, who was a free woman later joined him in New Jersey. Frederick’s host found him a job new Bedford and began to work. With a good arrangement with the conductor whom he gave his two music books as a security to pay his fare and to repay him once he had a means of earning a living he travelled together with his wife. It is when he was working career here, that he met Mr. George foster. He was recruited to antislavery and liberator movements. He worked to win more followers to bolster and grow his movement. He also lectured about slavery in the south though he was ...