Slave Narratives and Frederick Douglass: Abolitionist Literature and Rhetoric

What are slave narratives?

Biographical accounts of the lives of enslaved people and how they gained freedom, often through escape.

From whose perspective are slave narratives typically written?

From the perspective of the enslaved person, either written by them or for them.

What role did slave narratives play in history?

They were an important part of the abolitionist movement.

How are slave narratives often introduced?

They are often introduced with letters by writers or activists.

When was Frederick Douglass born?

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in 1818.

What significant event happened to Douglass in 1833?

He was sent to a 'slave breaker' and worked in the fields for the first time.

How did Douglass escape slavery?

He escaped in 1838 by using the papers of a sailor from a friend.

What is the title of Douglass's famous work published in 1845?

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.

Who was Frederick Douglass's father?

His father was one of the white slaveholders in the area, most likely his master, Captain Anthony.

What did Douglass do when he was 9-12 years old?

He was sent to live with a relative to work as a house slave and take care of their baby son.

How did Douglass educate himself?

He taught himself to read and write using borrowed materials and by learning from white boys in the neighborhood.

What type of literature did Douglass read as a slave?

He read abolitionist literature to educate himself.

What is one of Douglass's renowned speeches?

His speech 'What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?'

What were some prevalent assumptions of the proslavery argument?

1. The South is civilized and its culture is good. 2. Slavery is not as bad as claimed; there are good slave owners. 3. Slavery is necessary for the economy. 4. The Bible supports slavery. 5. Black people lack the same kind of soul.

How did Douglass respond to the proslavery argument?

He argued that even gentle southern belles commit murder, that it truly is bad, and that the system is broken and will destroy itself.

What is the 'Curse of Ham'?

A biblical justification for slavery, where Ham, a son of Noah, is cursed by Noah for seeing him drunk and asleep.

What happened to Ham in the biblical story?

Ham saw Noah drunk and fell asleep, then told his brothers, leading to Noah cursing Ham's family with slavery.