Frederick Douglass is the abolitionist and the author of the Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass, published in 1845. His autobiography illustrates his life and the lives of enslaved people. During slavery in the United States, how could slaveholders or masters manage controlling enslaved people? Enslaved people endured their master’s violence, severe labor, and unjust treatment, such as having little or no food. Life as an enslaved person was worse than a beast because they were dehumanized based on their race. 

Frederick Douglass was one of the enslaved people who endured and was traumatized by the cruel acts of slavery. However, Frederick Douglass was luckier than other enslaved people. He had the chance to be educated and had a better master than other enslaved people. The mistress taught him the alphabet, but very soon, the mistress stopped teaching him; even though it was a short amount of time, it was enough to add fuel to the fire. Soon, he knew what the word “abolish” meant. Education was the vital point that made Frederick Douglass think about what slavery was and if it could be justified. Most enslaved people had no chance to read or be educated because it was illegal to be educated. They were separated from their parents after they were born, and their masters blocked every form of education from enslaved people by giving physical punishment.

Masters, and slaveholders, put lots of effort into managing enslaved people in psychological ways as well. For example, masters made clothing specifically for enslaved people. What can be interpreted is that slaveholders tried to emphasize their social class to them through this clothing. To express their superior colonial style, masters deliberately made a difference in the fabrics of enslaved people’s clothes which emphasized their social class and made them realize that they were inferior. The Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass was written after he escaped from slavery. It demonstrates the lives of enslaved people and his escape from slavery. Because of their identity, they had to go through harsh and unfair punishment. To this day, Racism is a societal issue, and the anti-racism movement is an ongoing battle.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Douglass#/media/File:Frederick_Douglass_(circa_1879).jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrative_of_the_Life_of_Frederick_Douglass,_an_American_Slave#
/media/File:LifeOfFrederickDouglassCover.jpghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrative_of_the_Life_
of_Frederick_Douglass,_an_American_Slave#/media/File:LifeOfFrederickDouglassCover.jpg 

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