How Does Slavery Affect African American Life

Fredrick Douglass had a firm belief that slavery was not only detrimental to African American lives but also to the lives white slave owners. In comparing the history told by Fredrick Douglass, blacks and whites experience different disadvantages as well as different benefits when it comes to slavery in terms of Religion, Education, and Relationships with other people. In Douglass’s “Narrative of the life of Fredrick Douglass” we see hurt and joy on both sides of the fence. Usually where one side sees joy the other side will be hindered when it comes to the same subject. Although the pain that the whites feel is meager in comparison to the feelings of the slaves the damage is still effecting their lives. Often times the whites will not see
Many times throughout the narrative Douglass states that the worst masters he had were those who claimed to be Christians. The more they went to church and professed how endless their love for God was the worse they were said to be. Douglass being a Christian himself did not believe that someone could be a slave owner and also a Christian. In a way we see a closer relationship with god from the slaves than from the whites. When it comes to the values of the whites this is injurious for them because even though they do not see it doing the things they do does not help their relationship with God. In the idea that the slaves and the whites have opposite effects in their lives on the same topics, we see this immensely when it comes to religion. Every time Douglass speaks on the topic of religion it seems that when it comes to what’s right and wrong in The Lord’s eyes the slaves are closer the God than the Christian slave owners. A good example is when Douglass
There isn’t a period in time in the book where Fredrick Douglass isn’t trying to either educate himself or help educate other people. Whites undoubtedly had the upper hand when education themselves. It was much harder for the slaves because they were not allowed the same resources as the whites, and the whites had no problem keeping it from them. Douglass explains how the whites felt it would be a danger to them to educate the blacks. It is often stated that he had more hate towards the whites after he was educated. Education is what extends his desire to escape the fate he was born into. Douglass is first exposed to his ambition to educate himself when he is first sent to Baltimore. We see that at a young age the idea of educating himself comes to his mind. The woman who owned him, Mrs. Auld was new to owning slaves. She was said to be a sweet lady who cared for others. Mrs. Auld began to teach Douglass how to read not knowing that in the white community this was frowned upon. When Mrs. Auld’s husband Mr. Auld told her to stop teaching him to read Douglass realized that the only reason they would want to keep it from him had to be because it could be valuable to his mind and intellect. This is what motivated him to keep going. We see this when he says “The very decided manner with which he spoke, and strove to impress his wife with the evil consequences of giving me instruction, served