History

Frederick Douglass was an African-American whose role in ending slavery and the suffering of the black people is highly recognized. He was born in 1818 and died in 1895.His mother was a slave who worked tirelessly at a farm that was owned by a white wealthy man. Before the American Civil War, many black people worked as slaves in farms owned by the white land owners .They experienced great suffering as they were exposed to brutal beatings and abuse from the slave owners. In some cases, women slaves were abused sexually by their owners. The harsh realities of slavery were evident in the way that the white land owners treated the slaves .Douglass experienced the tough life that was lived by slaves since his mother and siblings worked as slaves. When he was old enough to work in the farm, Douglass became a slave but managed to escape to New York. While in New York, he advocated for equality of all people regardless of ones race or gender. He was an author.speaker, reformer, abolitionist and a women suffragist.

Thesis Statement
Frederick Douglass made great contribution to the efforts that were directed towards abolition of slavery in America. He used his work as an author, a speaker and a reformer to fight for equality and respect of the civil rights of the black people. His experiences as a slave provided him with a good understanding about the problems that black people were experiencing. He supported their liberation and integration in the American society.

Discusssion
Frederick Douglass was born in February 1818 as a son to a woman slave who worked near Holme Hill Farm. His mother worked in the cornfields around the Holme Hill farm hence Frederick was sent to live with his grandmother until he was old enough to work in the farm. His family went through great suffering due to the brutal beatings they received from the land owner and lack of enough of food after working very hard in the farm .His interaction with the white family made him realize that learning how to read and write was the only way he could get his freedom.However, Hugh Auld who was white criticized Frederick efforts to learn because it could make slaves desire freedom (Foner, p.50). He therefore began to read and later began to read articles on democracy, courage and liberty. He detested slavery and was angry with the Southern states legislators who did not want slavery abolished. He escaped from his white master and then arrived in New York on September 4, 1838. He was filled with great happiness and hope due to the freedom he had just acquired. His work as an abolitionist and campaigner against slavery and social injustice was made possible by his freedom .While in New York, Douglass joined organizations that advocated for the abolition of slavey.He became a speaker hence traveled on lecture tours to emphasize on the need for the black people to be liberated. His autobiography Narrative of Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave which was published in 1845 made him very popular. His popularity brought him close to powerful American leaders such as Abraham Lincoln. Douglass called for constitutional amendment that would support the voting rights of black people and women. His contribution against racial injustice is still appreciated up to date.

Douglass struggled to find a good place to stay after moving to New York. He had a hard time trying to escape the southern slave catchers who used to roam the city streets in search of slave fugitives. He managed to settle down with the assistance of fellow black people. Douglas worked together with other abolitionists to condemn slavery (Douglass, p.257). He often read newspaper articles published in the Liberator, and this equipped him with great knowledge on the issues of democracy, liberation and the need for slavery to be abolished. The newspaper known as the Liberator was edited by William Llyold Garrison who was an outspoken leader of the American Anti-slavery Society. Douglass became a member of this society and began to attend lectures organized by the society in New Bedford. Together with the other black leaders, he condemned racial prejudice that was  experienced in America because it promoted slavery  and denial of the civil rights of the black people .As a result, Douglass became a preacher at the black Zion Methodist Church. This provided him with an opportunity to criticize attempts by the   white southerners to have freed slaves moved back to Africa. For example, some freed black slaves had agreed to move to Liberia which was a settlement area that was established for them. Douglass was opposed to such African colonization schemes and asserted that America was the real home to the black Americans .Therefore, African Americans were to remain in America .Through statements that he published in the Liberator, he criticized and opposed coloization.His autobiography, Narrative of Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave was published in 1845.This book became very popular and was very instrumental in exposing the evils that resulted from the slave system. The narration of his experiences in his autobiography together with those of his family members exposed the harsh realities of slavery to the American society. For example, slaves in plantations were treated in an inhumane manner (Douglass and William, p.60).Abolitionists were engaged in efforts to end slavery, and this required some financial support (Quarles, p.67). He traveled together with other abolitionist agents of the American Anti-slavery Society to various states after he was hired by the society as its agent and speaker. He also became a traveling lecturer and talked about his life experiences in order to advocate for the end of suffering of the black people. He was linked to the Garrisonian school of anti-slavery movement. Douglass believed that slavery would end despite the great resistance those efforts to liberate the black people received. He used the opportunities he got to interact with people and educate them on the evils of the slave system.However, he did not support slave uprisings and violent resistance because they created more racial tensions in the country. His conviction and belief that slavery would be abolished was evident in articles that he published in the Liberator. Together with William Garrison, Douglass criticized the church which failed to take a firm stand against slavery. He met abolitionists who had managed to persuade the Parliament to have slavery abolished in British colonies (Simon, p.416).

Douglass was an eloquent speaker who spoke against social injustice created by slavery and the belief that the white people were more superior to the black people. His own experiences as a slave were expressed in his speeches and lectures. When he was twenty three years old, Douglass spoke before a crowd that had attended a meeting held by the American Anti-slavery Society branch of Massachusetts.

His talent as a speaker was recognized by William Garrison, a leader in the society. He was hired to work as an agent in the organization. This required him to travel with other agents to tour various places and speak out against slavery, injustice and inequality.   His eloquence attracted large crowds and the narration of his experiences provided a good example of what many black slaves especially in the south were going through. He advocated for moral persuasion in the fight against slavery and urged the slave owners to free the black slaves that they owned .Despite the resistance that abolitionists  like Douglass   received from slave  owners and leaders especially the southern state legislators, Douglass was determined to make an impact by speaking out against slavery constatntly.He encouraged leaders to make amendments  in the US Constitution so that the black people were allowed to run or vote for political office. He proposed that the slave hold confederacy in the South to be dissolved. His ability to narrate about his experiences created a dramatic effect about the brutal beatings that many slaves received from the owners for minor mistakes or no mistakes at all. He was able to use humor in his speeches and this made his audiences enjoy listening to him. Due to the slaveholders fictions and proslavery propaganda to counter the work of abolitionists, Douglass spoke against efforts that portrayed the lives of slaves to be enjoyable. He was able to refute proslavery accounts, spoke against racial discrimination and encouraged women to fight for equality in employment and leadership. He participated in a tour organized by the American Anti-slavery society in1843.Despite the intimidation that he often experienced from those who opposed slave abolition, he continued to speak out against social injustice in the society.

Douglass was a great writerauthor whose q work changed the mindset of many people in issues concerning the abolition of slavery. In states such as Pennysylvania, the Pennsylvania Abolition Society supported anti-slavery efforts by giving legal support to slaves who were arrested while seeking shelter (Newman, p.60). He informed the society on the need to have the black slaves freed and the civil rights of all people respected. His subscription to the Liberator, a newspaper edited by William Garrison after he moved into New Bedford opened his eyes on the need for black people to demand for their civil rights. His fight against slavery and racial discrimination directed towards African Americans was boosted by his ant colonization statements that were published in the Liberator. Apart from the Liberator, Douglass talent as a writer enabled him to sell subscriptions to a newspaper referred to as Anti-Slavery Standard. He advocated for non-violent resistance through his articles in these newspapers. Douglass was able to use his popularity to emphasize on the need to have the civil rights of the black people respected. His autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass was sold in large numbers despite the criticism that it received from some individuals and white supremacy groups. Ten years later, he enlarged his autobiography and published My Bondage and my Freedom. Another autobiography, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass was published in1881 and later in 1892 was enlarged.

His role as a women suffragist can be attributed to his belief in equality within the society regardless of ones gender, race or wealth. Women in the American society were discriminated and denied their rights to vote. Due to the domination of men in leadership, women lacked opportunities to compete fairly with men for employment and leadership. Douglass supported political equality for women. This became one of the aims of the American Anti-slavery society. Many men were opposed to efforts that promoted gender equality and hence considered the issue of fighting for women rights to be a distraction from the struggle against slavery. However, Douglass supported the participation of women delegates in abolitionist movements. Both white and black women contributed to anti-slavery efforts as well as women emancipation(Martin,p.136).Because women understand well the problems that parents and children experience in the society, allowing them to give their opinion  about issues affect the society  is a good move towards finding effective solutions to problems that exist. Women were denied equal voting rights with the men because they were considered inferior to men and more suited for domestic chores. The refore, they were hindered from running for political offices which were seen to be best reserved for me. Black women were in worse situations than the white women. Black women worked in farms as slaves and the role of taking care of the children was very difficult.Furthermore, the women were required to take their children to work with them in the fields when they were old enough to work. Many were denied the opportunity to be with their familes.Douglass understood the suffering of women due to slavery or gender discrimination. He encouraged them to fight for their rights instead of waiting for male leaders to acknowledge their needs. He was one of the men who attended the Pionner Womens Rights Convention that was held in July 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York. Many activists who fought for the rights of the suppressed in the society also wanted the suppressed to be allowed to vote (George, p.132).He championed for the women rights to vote and encouarged women to speak out against discrimination .Douglass was convinced that women had the right to demand for their rights and hence was seen as a major figure in the struggle for liberation of the suffering in the society.

Frederick Douglass contributions to the African American history have made great impact up to date .His role as an abolitionist called for the freedom of the black people from slavery and suffering. The efforts of abolitionists such as Douglass together with the support of leaders such as Abraham Lincoln made America a free interracial society (Savage, p.89). African Americans who exist today owe their freedom to the efforts that were made by abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass. He increased public awareness about the slave system and his experiences through his articles and books serve as a reminder of the suffering that the people have undergone through due to social injustice. His courage and determination is an inspiration to many people who consider his efforts on fighting slavery, injustice and gender inequality to have paved way for the freedom of the black people after the American Civil War. Despite the fact that he did not attend school, he was able to learn how-to read and write. His role as a speaker against social injustice and racial discrimination has made him a symbol of good leadership. The society experienced degradation of women and between 1850s and 1860s, women movement to fight for women rights was formed (McMillen, p.93).His work continues to influence decisions that are made in leadership and upholding of moral values in the society. His efforts paved way for the success of civil rights movements and leaders against racial discrimination. The black people were granted their voting rights and although racial disparity is evident in political leadership, many African Americans have been elected to hold top government positions. A good example is the election of the first African American president Barrack Obama.The contributions he made still encourage the society to respect civil rights and uphold good morals.

Conclusion
Frederick Douglass played a vital role in the liberation and freedom of the African Americans. He was born and brought up as a slave and had very tough experiences in the farms where his family members worked. He was concerned about liberation, social justice and equality. He advocated for the civil rights of the black people and encouraged women to fight for their rights. His great talent as a speaker and a writer made it possible for him to make great contribution in abolitionist mevements.He was one of the few men who supported the rights of women and gender equality. His role in shaping the African American history was very significant.