The Tragedy in the Autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas

The tragic life of a slave is detailed in Fredrick Douglas’ autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas: An American Slave. Douglas recounts many stories and details of his time as a slave. Early on, slavery flourished in the colonies, causing much harm and difficulties to African slaves. It is important to note that slavery was considered acceptable by many who benefitted from slave labor. The chance to become rich was more important than a human life. Slavery was, and still is, the epitome of evil in all forms.

Douglas tells a story of longing to be free from oppression and tyranny. He shares a time when he was twelve years old, and dreaming of a day he could learn to read. However, learning to read gave way to the extent of slavery throughout the colonies. He often thought of the slaves who did not know how to read, and how they were fortunate they were for their ignorance. He continued with how lowly and cruel slave owners were, and thought them to be the most evil and vile human beings.

The more he read, the more he hated his captors. The sting to his soul was insurmountable and the anguish he faced was heart breaking: learning was a curse.

Often, we hear of the cruel punishments endured by slaves, but Douglas sheds light on the mental abuse he and other slaves suffered. The excerpt from his book depicts his emotional and mental anguish. Douglas goes on to state that he wanted to die, but the smell of freedom was more important.

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He could taste freedom, but he must endure further hardships to attain his goal. He told a story of how he helped two Irishmen unload stones from the wharf. They asked if he were a slave, and when Frederick replied yes, the two men agreed that he should be set free.

They told him to run away to the North and there were people who could help him. However, he desires to learn to read weighed out, and he decided against fleeing to the North. Frederick Douglas knew he had to educate himself to help himself and others like him. He knew that learning to read was his way to a better life, so he endured his punishment at the hands of his tormentors.

When discussing slavery in the colonies, we often think of African slaves that were affected the most. However, Native Indians were virtually wiped out. With European colonization, Native Indians were plagued with disease, famine, and war. They too, were entrenched in slavery. They were forced from their land, and made to work until they died. It is imperative that we remember that they suffered at the hands of slave owners.

The Indian Removal Act of 1830, implemented by Andrew Jackson, forced five tribes from their homeland. The Cherokee and other tribes had established schools, homes, farms, and set out to establish roots in their communities. However, they were regarded as savages, and looked upon as a great burden to society.5 The Cherokee petitioned government so they could “remain on the land of our fathers”, with no avail. Their voices drowned out by the public outcry for their removal.

After forced removal from their homes, Natives were sent on their way to the Oklahoma Territory. Furthermore, the tribes were faced with many hardships along the way to their new home. Thousands were afflicted with hunger, disease, and threats from rival tribes. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 sent many to an early grave, and the result was the loss of over 4,000 Native Indians along the Trail of Tears. Forced from their homeland, Native Indians suffered a severe decline in their population. There are those, Andrew Jackson, who justified the cruelty many suffered; African slaves, Native Indians, and many others, and greed was the defining factor.

After the seizure of the African slave trade, the need to buy and sell slaves continued in the states. The slave trade was a very profitable business, and many whites and free blacks relished in the notion that slavery was alive and well. The New Orleans Slave Market, did quite well for the domestic slave trade in the U.S. Slaves were bought and sold to help plantations with the rise of cotton. It is hard to believe that slavery was still prevalent in the 1850’s, but plantation owners did everything they could to keep slavery going, even kidnap free black men.

Solomon Northrup, a free black man from New York state, was kidnapped while visiting Washington DC.10 He wrote about his time in slavery, and his story was made into a motion picture, Twelve Years a Slave. In his writings, Solomon recalls how the slave market worked. Slaves were washed, shaved, and dressed so they appeared to be more suitable to buyers. They had to run, jump, and preform like circus animals. Many in the market were families and cried and begged not to be separated. Solomon witnessed Eliza, a slave, and her children in the process of being divided. His heart hurt for them as he watched Eliza scream for her children.

However, her cries went unheard, rather, she was promised a beating like no other. The sheer horror made Solomon want to weep for her, but he knew better. Her son Randall reassured his mother all would be well, but they all knew the worst was yet to come. Like a pig at an auction, slaves were sold to the highest bidder. Solomon lived as a slave for twelve years, not knowing what became of his family, but he survived to witness his freedom.

Slavery was brutal, and many shared the same fate. We have a moral obligation to understand the terror they went through. We must not ignore the trials African and Native Indian slaves endured; furthermore, we must recognize that Native Indians were also slaves to greed.