Frederick Douglass Resistance To Freedom

Douglass resisted oppression at an early age and was able to use his education to escape the South; however, he did not stop using this form of resistance once he achieved freedom. Once Douglass safely reached the North, he used his knowledge to help the entire slave community resist oppression. Douglass began to openly write and speak in anti-slavery meetings about his experience as a slave and his journey while escaping. The first time Douglass “felt strongly moved to speak” was “while attending an antislavery convention at Nantucket, on the 11th of August, 1841.” Since that time, he became “engaged in pleading the cause of [his] brethren” (Douglass 100). Since slavery was still considered legal in the South at the time Douglass was freed,
the papers he published not only exposed the injustice within the slave industry, but also helped prove to white individuals that African Americans did not represent the “inferior race.” By attending anti-slavery conventions, he raised awareness regarding the circumstances of slavery, and because he had been a slave, individuals found his stories both truthful and credible. Douglass’ eloquence in his speaking and writing, along with his general ability to escape slavery, challenged the dominant ideology that African Americans were uneducated savages. His resistance, displayed first through his will to learn and later through his work to abolish slavery, not only helped him achieve freedom, but led to the emancipation of all slaves. By educating himself, Douglass helped make the pathway to freedom much easier. Though select slaves, like Frederick Douglass, managed to resist oppression through receiving an education, while still enslaved, and use their knowledge to expedite their paths to freedom, countless slaves were unable to become literate until they were free. However, these former slaves still contributed to the ultimate emancipation of slaves. For example, Henry Bibb, a famous abolitionist, did not learn how to read or write until he had already escaped his plantation. Bibb was the son of an African American slave and her master, and therefore grew up working on a slave plantation. At a young age, Bibb was exposed to education for the purpose of faith; however, those that taught African Americans were often caught immediately, leaving Bibb illiterate until he escaped from his plantation in Kentucky and moved to Michigan. Though Bibb had already gained freedom once he escaped from his plantation, in his narrative, Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, An American Slave, Written by Himself, he describes how he “resolved to go to Detroit...and go to school, in January 1842,” in order to assist the rest of African Americans that were still enslaved in their paths to freedom (Bibb 174). Education for African Americans was strongly discouraged in the North, but Bibb still possessed the desire to learn. He attended school for approximately two weeks and learned to read and write from W.C. Monroe, an abolitionist minister. This act of pursuing education, despite the fact that it was looked down upon for African Americans, exemplified the resistance needed to gain freedom. The following year, Bibb began to publicly speak about his experience as a slave. In his speeches, he detailed how “slavery had robbed [him] of [his] freedom, deprived [him] of education, banished [him] from [his] native State, and robbed [him] of [his] family” (Bibb 178). By using his education to craft eloquent speeches that exposed the injustices of slavery, Bibb not only displayed that the slave industry needed to be broken, but also proved to society that African Americans were not the “inferior race.” His ability to speak and write about his circumstances in a sophisticated manner proved that African Americans were not uncivilized creatures that needed to be enslaved to be controlled, though they were often painted in this light. Furthermore, by simply speaking and writing about his experiences, Bibb became a prominent abolitionist and was able to gain a following. Both African American and white individuals realized the corruption that spurred as a result of the slave industry and therefore united to abolish this industry. Education permitted Bibb to raise awareness regarding the circumstances of slaves living in the South. Without an education, Bibb would not have been able to make as much of an impact as he did. Therefore, his education played an important role in the abolition of slavery. Using education as a form of resistance proved successful when President Abraham Lincoln noticed the injustice within slavery and announced the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
Although the act of teaching a slave how to read or write appears somewhat small and insignificant, subtle actions like these portray the resistance that helped pave the way to freedom. These subtle actions geared toward educating each other allowed slaves to eventually compose a more powerful community and fight for their rights. Those that were able to escape slavery and later detail their experiences to the general public also aided in the emancipation of the entire slave population. By speaking and writing of their experiences as slaves, African American individuals not only exposed the horrific circumstances of slavery, but also proved to be knowledgeable human beings, as opposed to mere pieces of property that were only good for generating a large economy. Along with other African American runaway slaves, Jacobs, Douglass, and Bibb, challenged the dominant ideology of “white supremacy” through exhibiting their intelligence. Their participation in meetings that focused on the abolition of slavery raised awareness and eventually attracted a large portion of the white community in the North. Overall, with education, white Americans could not resort to calling slaves uncivilized or savages when they demanded justice, and as a result, slaves were one step closer to achieving
freedom. Through working together, African American and white individuals brought the issue of slavery to the attention of government officials, who ultimately ruled to outlaw this practice.
Since these government officials, most notably President Lincoln, altered the structural components which initially barred numerous African Americans from gaining freedom, today’s society often credits them for freeing slaves, and the work of slaves done for themselves and by themselves consistently goes unnoticed. School systems repeatedly focus on the metanarrative, or single perspective, that solely details Lincoln’s role in the emancipation of slaves. However, teaching students that the slavery ended because of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation is inaccurate, as slave masters frequently implemented techniques, such as sharecropping, to maintain their wealth. The process of sharecropping took place immediately after the Emancipation Proclamation. Even though slaves were considered free, many did not have places to go, and were therefore stuck on their masters’ plantations. Instead of working for no pay, slave masters offered their slaves food and shelter in return for the work that they did, which slaves often felt obliged to accept, as they believed that they would not be able to survive in any other circumstance. This system’s almost identical resemblance to slavery raised concerns, as no true change had taken place. Therefore, African Americans continued to push for reform until Congress
ratified the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Though the 13th Amendment claimed to formally abolish slavery and appeared as a step toward equality, it simultaneously consisted of a provision that stated slavery or involuntary servitude could be used as a punishment for crime. This provision essentially allowed white individuals to criminalize and enslave African Americans. Every time African Americans have moved closer to equality, white individuals have pushed back to maintain their position at the top of the socioeconomic hierarchy. Though more subtle forms of slavery continue to exist, African Americans have recently been able to raise awareness regarding the injustice they have faced since the early 17th century. The process of racial formation, or practice of unfairly and inaccurately criminalizing African Americans and subsequently preventing them from obtaining higher-paying jobs or living in nicer areas, has barred them from moving up the socioeconomic hierarchy. Slavery has had lasting impacts on the African American community, and although full equality has not yet been achieved, activism is becoming increasingly more prevalent in society, leading to noticeable progress.