Frederick Douglass Paper

In it's early years, America enforced slavery particularly in the southern states. Many slaves spent there entire lives working hard labor for no pay. Others, such as Frederick Douglass managed to break away. In his autobiography "The Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass", he examines the evils of slavery mainly their affect on people. He states that slavery affected everyone including slaves, slave masters, and people who weren't even involved in slavery.

One negative effect of slavery is that it changes people. When Douglass was young he was being educated by his mistress. Whenever he wasn't working in the fields he was learning how to read and write. Soon after her husband found out, she stopped and suddenly grew bitter and cynical towards Douglass. She had gone from a caring woman to a mean, bitter woman.

Slavery also had a psychological effect. When reading on the History of America, he discovered that the nation that promoted slavery once fought a war based on individual freedom. This made him angry towards his slave owners and toward the country to which he lived in. There were other times where Douglass was suicidal and thought he would never get out. Slavery had driven him to insanity and hatred.

Conflict was also created by slavery. Abolisionists in the North sought to end slavery. However, the South resisted and often riots would break out. Douglass, an abolisionist himself believed that if something would not be done soon, an even bigger conflict would break out. People who were fighting against slavery were in danger due to the unpopularity of what they were attempting. Slave owners saw abolisionists as terrorists due to the belief that what they were doing was right.

Overall as Douglass would explain, slavery was the one true evil in that it changed people, affected them psychologically, and created conflict.